You’ve seen him somewhere, whether it be on TV, in a magazine, or on the Internet, but you probably don’t know who he is. With a wild graying mane of hair and an enormous beard, he looks reminiscent of a real–life Hagrid from the Harry Potter novels. Given standard attire that consists of a white T–shirt, khaki pants, and bare feet, it may come as a surprise that faux–Hagrid is an instrumental figure in the history of hip–hop, rock, and other music genres, having worked with countless artists from across the industry since the early 1980s. His actual name? Rick Rubin.
Rubin’s career began in New York City, where he joined a few punk bands and toured the country while starting a new record label that he founded at New York University—Def Jam Recordings. At this time, he was introduced to hip–hop music and met a certain promoter and manager by the name of Russell Simmons. In the span of four short years before he left in a power dispute, Rubin (along with Simmons and Def Jam) worked with artists such as the Beastie Boys and LL Cool J and helped bring rap into mainstream music. In a stroke of genius, he helped generate the collaboration “Walk This Way” by Aerosmith and Run–D.M.C., which became the first massive rap hit to be played on pop radio.
After departing Def Jam to form American Recordings, Rubin continued to produce for various artists from all corners of the industry. Between 1990 and 2011, he helped revitalize Johnny Cash’s career until the country singer’s death, produced six studio albums for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and was heavily involved in the production of records by Shawn “Jay–Z” Carter, Metallica, Shakira, and Linkin Park, among many others.
So, what’s the deal with Rubin’s actual production approach? For starters, he’s known to favor a minimalist, stripped–down method to place greater emphasis on the vocals and central instruments. In a sense, this is supposed to place greater focus on an artist’s talent. Rubin was also at the center of the so–called “loudness war” where he pioneered compression techniques of a song's dynamic range in order to increase distortion and general decibel level, with the logic being that louder is better.
Part of Rubin’s draw also comes from his aesthetic style. Outside of his lax choice of clothing, he has been called a “reclusive Zen master” and has used his villa for meetings. One condition of taking the job as head of Columbia Records in 2007 (he left in 2012) was that he wouldn’t have to work in a corporate building with a desk or a phone. He’s known to listen to songs by lying down with his eyes closed, rocking back and forth. It’s a unique brand.
It’s incredible to consider that Rubin hasn’t slowed down with age—in recent years, he’s been a notable figure behind the release of popular records and tracks by artists such as Adele, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Carter, and Kanye West. Recent rumors have indicated both West and rising hip–hop collective Brockhampton are working with Rubin. I look forward to seeing what comes next from his magnificent mind—and you should too.
