The Story of Rick Rubin - The Greatest Innovative Producer Ever!
Rick Rubin is a well-known music producer, whose formation (exactly like childhood) took place in the USA. Rick started his own record company while at New York University. Today, he is talked about in music circles as the man who founded American Recordings, co-founded Def Jam Records and co-president of Columbia Records!
Rick Rubin played a key role in popularizing hip hop in the 80s! And his collaborations with rock stars such as Aerosmith, AC/DC and the Red Hot Chili Peppers resulted in an amazing legacy for several generations of listeners... And yes: it was through his efforts that such names as Run-DMC sounded on both sides of the ocean, Dixie Chicks, Beastie Boys, and even Johnny Cash!
Few people know, but Rick is also a big fan of professional wrestling! For a while, he even funded Smokey Mountain Wrestling! In general, this amazing person will be discussed today!
Childhood and the first acquaintance with music ...
Frederic Jay Rubin was born on March 10, 1963 in Long Beach, New York, to Michael and Linda Rubin. His father was a shoe wholesaler and his mother was a housewife. Rick was the only child in the family...
The boy spent his early years in the same Long Beach. In high school, Rick learned the basics of songwriting and guitar. He took lessons from Steve Freeman, director of the school's audiovisual department.
It is worth noting that Rick grew up on heavy metal and early punk. He often traveled to Manhattan to see the pioneers of the New York punk Ramones! Therefore, it is not surprising that he formed the garage punk band The Pricks with his school friends. At first, the guys even performed at a famous New York venue called CBGB! True, until they were kicked out because of a fight with the public ...
After that, Rick founded a new group, "Hose". The guys traveled all over the country (especially the Midwest and California). So, with the help of a school device with four tracks, Rubin founded his own record company ... From that moment on, his life changed dramatically!
Career: The main stages of becoming a great producer ...
Music has always been Rick's main passion ... Having founded his own record company Def Jam Records in 1982 (in the hostel of "New York University"), he soon released the first single of his group "Hose". And even though the song was not very successful, a little later the team broke up not because of this ... The reason was Rubin's interest in hip-hop music.
Popularization of the hip-hop genre!
Collaboration with DJ Jazzy Jay helped Rubin get a close look at the details of hip hop production. Together, they produced "It's Yours" (1983) for rapper T La Rock.
Through Jazzy Jay, Rubin met concert promoter and manager Russell Simmons. Together they officially founded Def Jam Records in 1984. Rubin was still a student at New York University at the time...
The label's first release was "I Need a Beat" by LL Cool J. In the mid-1980s, Rubin explored areas of New York such as Brooklyn, Harlem, Queens, and Long Island in search of rap and hip-hop artists. Soon a contract was signed with Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys, whose 1985 EP was a big hit!
At the suggestion of a friend, Sue Cummings, editor of Spin magazine, Rubin combined the work of Run-DMC and Aerosmith to form Walk This Way (1986). So, rap rock became part of the mainstream, and the song itself helped revive the career of hard monsters!
First film experience...
Rick's first film experience came while producing the soundtrack for Less Than Zero. Rubin was also announced as the musical director of the tape.
In 1988, Rick co-wrote Tougher Than Leather, the second film by Run-DMC.
In the same year, Rubin had a disagreement with the president of Def Jam Records, Lior Cohen. Soon Rick left the company and went to California, where he founded Def American Records. But more on that period later...
Working with rock bands
During his long career, Rick Rubin has worked with a number of rock metal bands, including "Slayer" (album Reign in Blood) and The Cult (Electric - the third and most significant album of the British rock band). While working with heavy metal bands, Rick also went on to collaborate with Run-DMC, Public Enemy and LL Cool J.
Rubin has worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers for over 20 years. In total, 6 studio albums were released (including the debut Blood Sugar Sex Magik, which had great commercial success), which at different times set many records and brought several Grammy awards! And 3 albums out of 6 were included in the list of "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" by Rolling Stone magazine!
About Def American Records…
Now back to Rubin's new company, Def American Records... In 1993, when Rick found out that the word def was included in the standard vocabulary, he gave the word a real funeral... The producer stated:
“…When ‘def’ went from street jargon to the mainstream, he failed…”
The label's name was soon changed to simply "American Recordings". The company's first major release was Johnny Cash: 5 albums produced by Rubin were a great success and helped save the musician's fragile career...
Rick Rubin told reporters about his "favorite"!
Subsequently, Rick released many successful albums, such as: "Wandering Spirit" (1993) by Mick Jagger, "Wildflowers" (1994) by Tom Petty, "Sutras" (1996) by Donovan, and also "Death Magnetic" (2008) by Metallica!
Rick Rubin also produced Jay Z's "99 Problems" and starred in its music video!
However ... as the producer himself admitted, there was only one person on his way who really impressed him with his devotion to music ... Who are we talking about? About Eminem!
According to Rick, Eminem is one of his favorite artists he has worked with. Rubin admires the rapper's dedication to his work, the fact that Em gives his whole life to music ...
“He is the most obsessed artist I have ever worked with. He gives himself completely to the cause. Sometimes it even seems as if nothing else exists in his life except music! He devotes himself to writing 24 hours a day. It seems that he is simply unable to stop ... "- said Rick Rubin in his interview ...
Conclusion…
In the spring of 2007, Rick Rubin was appointed to co-manage Columbia Records. He later won several Grammys for his work with such artists as Dixie Chicks, U2, Green Day, Metallica, Neil Diamond, Jacob Dylan, Weezer…
In 2012, Rick left Columbia Records and returned to American Recordings in collaboration with Republic Records. The new venture worked with a diverse group of artists including blues rock veterans ZZ Top!
Today, Rick Rubin is the first producer to combine rap and rock. His first work brought groundbreaking changes to hip-hop music, although he later focused on rock...
