http://www.unkut.com/2010/04/rick-rubin ... n-the-myth
When Rick Rubin is written about in the media, he is either portrayed as גthe most important producer of the last 20 yearsג or as the shaggy גWolfboyג guru who carries lapis lazuli Buddhist prayer beads and dislikes footwear. While many of the startlingly broad range of musicians that have worked with Rick gush his praises, there seem to be just as many who were left disappointed by the experience. For every successful creative rebirth that Rubin has been involved in ג such as reviving the careers of Metallica, Johnny Cash and The Dixie Chicks ג there are also the aborted projects with groups like U2 and Muse.
Rubinגs approach seems to be all about making a connection with the artist heגs working with: גI have no training, no technical skill ג itגs only this ability to listen and try to coach the artist to be the best they can from the perspective of a fanג. This approach doesnגt sit well with everyone, as bands such as Slipknot have complained that they didnגt enjoy working with him since he was barely present during the project he produced (but they were happy with the album), while shots were fired by British rockers Muse earlier this year when they thanked Rick for גshowing us how not to produceג during an acceptance speech at the Music Producers Guild (amusingly, it turns out that Rubin won גInternational Producer of the Yearג that same evening).
But sour grapes seem to be the exception rather than the rule, as groups like the Red Hot Chilli Peppers can attest to after five albums with Rickגs involvement. גHe basically goes into the engineerגs booth, removes everything in the room and has his people bring in the most comfortable couch-bed-type object that youגll ever see. Then heגll cover it with pillows and blankets, and that becomes his station.ג Through this process, he often becomes גthe fifth Beatleג, dating back to his stint as DJ Double R for the Beastie Boys first national exposure on Madonnaגs גLike A Virginג tour. Even though Jazzy Jay and Ad Rock did some the programming for some of Rickגs early Def Jam records, thereגs no denying that he was able to bring a sorely-needed, stripped-down aesthetic to the rap records of the era.
גI was going to NYU [New York University] and I was into rap music at the time, but there werenגt a lot of rap records coming out; and the rap records that were coming out werenגt representative of what the rap scene really was. I used to go to the rap clubs in New YorkגIגd be the only white guy thereגand theyגd be playing rock גn roll records with guys rapping over them. Like גWalk This Wayג. גWalk This Wayג was an original record that every rap DJ would have and use. Billy Squireגs גBig Beatג was another one. And the rap records that were coming out at the time were like Sugar Hill Records, which were essentially disco records with people rapping over them. Kids who liked rap bought them because there werenגt any records representative of their rap scene. So, I saw this void and starting making those records, just because I was a fan and wanted them to exist.ג
The result? Radio, Licensed to Ill and Raising Hell ג three of the most influential hip-hop albums of the 80גs ג all of which combined abrasive, speaker-smashing drums with hard guitar stabs and traditional song structures. The last point being the most significant in terms of getting the music to a wider (read: white) audience whoגd been raised on rock. He also championed the cause of Public Enemy: גI remember my old partner Russell Simmons, when I signed Public Enemy ג Iגd just made the Less Than Zero soundtrack and it was really good and The Banglesג record was a hit ג and Russell said, גYouגre wasting your time. This is black punk rock. This is garbage. You could make pop records, why are you wasting your time on Public Enemy?ג I said, גBecause theyגre the greatest group in the world. Because the pop records are the ones that arenגt important. This is whatגs important, youגll see.ג And two years later, he sawג.
Rick directed his attention to heavy metal following his departure from Def Jam, but when he started the Def American label he proved that he still had an ear for great rap by re-recording the best of the Geto Boys for their self-titled third LP, as well as an under-appreciated EP from former Audio Two MC Milk D. It wasnגt until Jay-Z reached out to Rick that he would produced another rap track, but the result was another prime example of minimalist beat science at itגs best. Since being appointed as co-head of Columbia records in 2007, Rubin has only signed one rap act ג The Clipse. Last year it was announced that the crew would be working with Rick on their new album, but Till The Casket Drops was eventually released without any Rubin beats. גWe went out to Malibu man, busted out with him. He gave us a lot of insight on the album and gave us some gems man. We came back, sorta re-vamped a few things and uh, you know, made the album a lot better due to that talk, for real. Definitely, itגs the reason heגs sitting in that [executive] seatג.
Something that came as a shock to me was the discovery that Rubin doesnגt drink booze or get high. It seems that even in his college days, White Castle burgers and porn were his only vices. גIגm just not interested. I need to be in controlג he told German magazine Shark, while in a USA Today profile, Rick explained, גItגs the combination of meditating and always being deeply into something. When I was young, I was into magic. Kids I knew did drugs or got drunk out of boredom. I didnגt want to give up my time.ג Some of the projects that heגs chosen to take on board might also have fans scratching their heads. Linkin Park? Mars Volta? Mel C from the Spice Girls? I guess that trying to challenge yourself musically requires sacrificing good taste on occasion. But when youגre able to convince Johnny Cash to record a version of a Nine Inch Nails track ג and in the process create one of the greatest cover songs ever made ג itגs hard to complain. I think this 2007 piece in TIME sum him up best: גRick Rubin enjoys long walks on the beach, sushi dinners and hugs that warm the corners of the soul. Behind the ZZ Top exterior lurks the soul of a Playmateג.
