04/06/2022
"Hands down, the dopest producer ever that anyone would ever want to be, ever."
-Dr.Dre
Rick Rubin known for his “stripped down” sound, has played a heavy hand in shaping modern music and culture as early as 1982, founding Def Jam Records using his high school’s four-track recorder. Rubin created garage punk band Hose, known for their slow-paced, blues-influenced sound, became Def Jam’s first release. Though the DefJam flag was first flown by a punk band, it was Rubin befriending Zulu Nation’s Dj Jazzy Jay that rerouted Rubin into hip-hop music, which lead to Rubin and Jay co-producing Bronx rapper T La Rock. Jazzy Jay then connected Rubin with concert promoter/artist manager Russel Simmons which set the stage for the radical rise of DefJam, starting with LL Cool J’s “I need a beat”. From producing Public Enemy to The Beastie Boys, and Run DMC, Rubin has been behind some of the most influential and prominent names in Hip Hop music.
After leaving DefJam, and founding American Recordings, as well as his time with Columbia Records, we’ve seen Rubin continue to work with Hip Hop acts, but also expand into other genres through collaborations with incredible artists such as: Johnny Cash, The Cult, Danzig, Mick Jagger, Adele, Jay-Z, Eminem, Metallica, System Of A Down, Shakira,Billy Corgan, Linkin Park and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers.
Apart from music, Rubin has directed, written, and starred in many films, documentaries, and music videos, as well as appeared in his own series Shangri-La. Rubin was listed on Time’s "100 Most Influential People in the World", and was recently immortalized in Supreme’s Fall/Winter collection of 2021. Today Rubin continues to be a creative powerhouse, and heavy influencer of modern culture.
