Pro Producers: The Rick Rubin Saga

It’s been way past due since the last time I went and said I was going to write up Rick Rubin’s background. My apologies to everyone that was looking forward to it, life can be pretty messy and I take my time to clean it up. So today marks the day that I will be doing the Rick Rubin background. The last Rick Rubin post pretty much layed down the foundation of his legacy and achievements, but to know the story of how it all began and how he got to his current state is a whole other story. So today I’m here to bring to you, The Rick Rubin Saga.

Rick Rubin was son to a shoe wholesaler and a house wife. He was born in Lido Beach, New York, but grew up in Long Island. In high school he got a few lessons in guitar playing and songwriting and then began a punk band known as “The Pricks”. Rick wasn’t really skilled as a musician and only knew how to play a few guitar chords which lead him to being unpopular to the other musicians in his school, but during his senior year he founded Def Jam Records using the school’s four track recorder (it’s amazing how the biggest things in life started off in a microscopic level). While attending New York University, he joined the art-punk band known as “Hose” and in 1982, Hose was Def Jam’s very first release. It was a 45 rpm 7″ vinyl single in a brown paper bag with no label. After touring with bands like Meat Puppers, Husker Du, The Circle Jerks and the Butthole Surfers in the Midwest and California, the band broke up in 1986 due to RIck’s passion of the New York City Hip-hop scene.

It was actually through DJ Jazzy Jay that Rick Rubin began to learn about hip hop production and in 1982 Rick Rubin and DJ Jazzy Jay produced “It’s Yours” for rapper T La Rock and it was released on their independent label, Def Jam Records.

The record was distributed worldwide on Baker’s Streetwise Records in 1984 by producer Arthur Baker.
Jazzy Jay introduced Rubin to concert promoter/artist manager Russell Simmons in a club, and Rubin explained he needed help getting Def Jam off the ground. Simmons and Rubin edged out Jazzy Jay and the official Def Jam record label was founded while Rubin was still attending New York University in 1984. Their first record released was LL Cool J’s “I Need a Beat”. Rubin went on to find more hip-hop acts outside The Bronx, Brooklyn and Harlem including rappers from Queens, Staten Island and Long Island, which eventually led to Def Jam’s signing of Public Enemy. “Rock Hard”/”Party’s Gettin’ Rough”/”Beastie Groove” EP by the Beastie Boys came out on the success of Rubin’s production work with breakthrough act Run-D.M.C. His productions were characterized by occasionally fusing rap with heavy rock.

Rick Rubin introduced a rap-hard rock to the mainstream and revitalizing Aerosmith by getting Run-D.M.C. and Aereosmith to collaborate on a cover of Aerosmith’s “Walk This Way”. It was the idea of Rick Rubin’s friend, Sue Cummings, an editor at Spin magazine. In 1986, he worked with Aerosmith again on demos for their forthcoming album, but their collaboration would only result in rough studio jams.

In 1987 The Cult released their pivotal third album Electric which was produced by Rick Rubin. The album remains one of The Cult’s trademark and classic works. Rubin would later work with The Cult again for the single “The Witch”. Rick Rubin is credited as “Music Supervisor” in the movie Less Than Zero and is the producer of its soundtrack.

Rick Rubin portrayed a character based upon himself in the 1985 hip-hop motion picture Krush Groove, which was inspired by the early days of Russell Simmons’ career as a music producer. He then wrote and directed a second Run-D.M.C. film, Tougher Than Leather in 1988.

In 1988, Simmons and Rubin went their separate ways, partly due to a power struggle that Rubin lost with Def Jam president Lyor Cohen. Simmons stayed in New York with Def Jam, and Rubin left for Los Angeles, California, where he created Def American Records. In Los Angeles, he signed a number of heavy rock acts, including Slayer, Danzig, Masters of Reality, and Wolfsbane, as well as alternative rock group The Jesus and Mary Chain and controversial stand up comedian Andrew Dice Clay. Rubin also produced the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ breakthrough album Blood Sugar Sex Magik. He retained a close association with rap, signing the Geto Boys and continuing to work with Public Enemy, LL Cool J and Run-D.M.C. among others.
Johnny Cash’s American Recordings (1994) was the first major project on the renamed label which was a record that included six cover songs and new material written by others for Johnny Cash a Rick Rubin’s request. Johnny Cash’s career was revived due to the critical and commercial success. The same formula was repeated for four more of Johnny Cash’s albums: Unchainced, Solitary Man, The Man Comes Around and A Hundred Highways. The Man Comes Around earn a 2003 Grammy for Best Make Country Vocal Performance and a nomination for Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.

Rubin introduced Cash to Nine Inch Nails’ “Hurt”, and the resulting cover version of it on The Man Comes Around would become the defining song of Cash’s later years.

Rubin produced a number of records with other older artists, which were released on labels other than American. These included Mick Jagger’s 1993 Wandering Spirit album, Tom Petty’s 1994 Wildflowers, AC/DC’s 1995 Ballbreaker, Donovan’s 1996 Sutras, and Metallica’s 2008 Death Magnetic. According to drummer Lars Ulrich, Rubin will likely be the producer for the next Metallica album, though there are no plans at present for its creation.

In 2005, Rick Rubin executive-produced Shakira’s two-album project Fijacion Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation Vol. 2.

In May, 2007, Rubin was named co-head of Columbia Records.

In 2007, Rubin won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical for his work with The Dixie Chicks, Justin Timberlake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Green Day, and Johnny Cash released in 2006

It’s been an epic journey for Rick Rubin’s career since the 80s and now. For many amateur producers out there, I feel that Rick Rubin is probably one of the most accomplished and well rounded producers out there. Mainly dealing with two major genres of rock music and rap. A lot of people tend to overlook the paths and the history of the many miles a producer or anyone have walked, but seeing these steps are the important part of inspiration. It’s people like Rick Rubin that can help paint the way for others to show that success is possible. All you need to is the proper sense of faith and education of the skill you need to learn in order to put all the pieces together.

Kudos to Rick Rubin!