as the musical mainstream was concerned, Rubin’s acts arrived fully formed. With two albums and two EPs under its belt, Slayer was the first example of what Rubin could do with an established band.
By 1985, he had played a huge role in poising hip-hop as a commercial culture and business juggernaut. In 1991, he transformed the Red Hot Chili Peppers from horny guys with socks on their johnsons to sensitive balladeers. In 1994, Rubin rebooted Johnny Cash’s recording career, once and for all establishing
Reign in Blood
’s producer as a maker of serious and significant music.
Rubin has the most eclectic, acclaimed résumé in the business: U2. Audioslave. Metallica. Weezer. Jay-Z. Slipknot. Rage Against the Machine. Krishna Das. The Jayhawks. The (International) Noise Conspiracy. Neil Diamond. Dan Wilson. The Mars Volta. Paloalto. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Eagle Eye Cherry. Tom Petty. Lucinda Williams. Manmade God. Donovan. AC/DC. The Red Devils. The Four Horsemen. American Head Charge. Andrew Dice Clay. Sir Mix-A-Lot. Wolfsbane. Saul Williams. Mick Jagger. Trouble. The Cult. Asan executive producer, he has overseen projects by Shakira, the Black Crowes, and Public Enemy.
“He’ll bring out the best in you,” says Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. “He’s got a great attitude in the studio. He’ll give me different ideas. He fertilizes the talent. He really brings it out.”
In recent years, his reputation as a production guru has drawn parallels to his eclectic spiritual practice, which incorporates elements of Buddhism, Christianity, assorted mysticism, and his family’s Jewish tradition. The mellow dude who juggles prayer beads, the Dixie Chicks, meditation, and Metallica doesn’t sound like the young man who went west to make Slayer’s third LP.
In 1986, the
Village Voice
’s Barry Walters profiled a twenty-three-year-old Rick Rubin. Rubin’s dad—a wealthy powerhouse salesman who had dealt in furniture and shoes—proudly compared his son to Al Capone. Russell Simmons, Rubin’s partner in Def Jam, told Walters, “I’m sure Rick would like me to tell you what a bastard he is.” Beastie Boy Adam “Adrock” Horovitz said of his friend, “Rick’s a dick. He knows how to get what he wants. It’s almost a spiritual thing.” 10
Frederick Jay Rubin—better known as Rick—was raised in an environment that would prepare him to produce such a diverse roster. Rubin grew up in the upscale, predominantly Jewish Lido Beach. He attended Long Beach high school, which drew its student body from racially and economically mixed neighboring areas.
As a kid, Rubin was into magic and music. At first, he preferred the Monkees to the Stones and Led Zeppelin. 11 Harder rock like AC/DC would find him. He learned to play guitar listening to Ramones records. Devo and the Dead Kennedysfollowed. In 1981, he enrolled in New York University, to study film and video. His keen ears led him to punk clubs like CBGBs and the Peppermint Lounge. Rubin’s slow-torture art-punk band Hose released its second single in 1982. He adorned the sleeve with a tone-arm logo and the name Def Jam Records.
Rubin wasn’t the only affluent kid in hardcore circles. He became fast friends with the hardcore band the Beastie Boys, whose parents included playwright Israel Horovitz. When the Beasties turned in a rap direction, Rubin became their DJ, spinning as DJ RR. Unlike the metal subculture, New York City’s punk and rap traditions had some overlap.
Rubin was a suburban kid running in street circles, but he was no frat-boy tourist. The stubble-faced guy in a leather biker jacket could walk the walk and talk the talk. And his knowledge of rap records was second-to-none.
When groups like Run-DMC started helping rap come into its own, Rubin began drifting out of punk. “Rap records in those days were very slick,” Rubin told Greg Kot of the Chicago
Tribune
. “Typically disco records musically with a guy rapping over the top. But when
By 1985, he had played a huge role in poising hip-hop as a commercial culture and business juggernaut. In 1991, he transformed the Red Hot Chili Peppers from horny guys with socks on their johnsons to sensitive balladeers. In 1994, Rubin rebooted Johnny Cash’s recording career, once and for all establishing
Reign in Blood
’s producer as a maker of serious and significant music.
Rubin has the most eclectic, acclaimed résumé in the business: U2. Audioslave. Metallica. Weezer. Jay-Z. Slipknot. Rage Against the Machine. Krishna Das. The Jayhawks. The (International) Noise Conspiracy. Neil Diamond. Dan Wilson. The Mars Volta. Paloalto. Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. Eagle Eye Cherry. Tom Petty. Lucinda Williams. Manmade God. Donovan. AC/DC. The Red Devils. The Four Horsemen. American Head Charge. Andrew Dice Clay. Sir Mix-A-Lot. Wolfsbane. Saul Williams. Mick Jagger. Trouble. The Cult. Asan executive producer, he has overseen projects by Shakira, the Black Crowes, and Public Enemy.
“He’ll bring out the best in you,” says Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. “He’s got a great attitude in the studio. He’ll give me different ideas. He fertilizes the talent. He really brings it out.”
In recent years, his reputation as a production guru has drawn parallels to his eclectic spiritual practice, which incorporates elements of Buddhism, Christianity, assorted mysticism, and his family’s Jewish tradition. The mellow dude who juggles prayer beads, the Dixie Chicks, meditation, and Metallica doesn’t sound like the young man who went west to make Slayer’s third LP.
In 1986, the
Village Voice
’s Barry Walters profiled a twenty-three-year-old Rick Rubin. Rubin’s dad—a wealthy powerhouse salesman who had dealt in furniture and shoes—proudly compared his son to Al Capone. Russell Simmons, Rubin’s partner in Def Jam, told Walters, “I’m sure Rick would like me to tell you what a bastard he is.” Beastie Boy Adam “Adrock” Horovitz said of his friend, “Rick’s a dick. He knows how to get what he wants. It’s almost a spiritual thing.” 10
Frederick Jay Rubin—better known as Rick—was raised in an environment that would prepare him to produce such a diverse roster. Rubin grew up in the upscale, predominantly Jewish Lido Beach. He attended Long Beach high school, which drew its student body from racially and economically mixed neighboring areas.
As a kid, Rubin was into magic and music. At first, he preferred the Monkees to the Stones and Led Zeppelin. 11 Harder rock like AC/DC would find him. He learned to play guitar listening to Ramones records. Devo and the Dead Kennedysfollowed. In 1981, he enrolled in New York University, to study film and video. His keen ears led him to punk clubs like CBGBs and the Peppermint Lounge. Rubin’s slow-torture art-punk band Hose released its second single in 1982. He adorned the sleeve with a tone-arm logo and the name Def Jam Records.
Rubin wasn’t the only affluent kid in hardcore circles. He became fast friends with the hardcore band the Beastie Boys, whose parents included playwright Israel Horovitz. When the Beasties turned in a rap direction, Rubin became their DJ, spinning as DJ RR. Unlike the metal subculture, New York City’s punk and rap traditions had some overlap.
Rubin was a suburban kid running in street circles, but he was no frat-boy tourist. The stubble-faced guy in a leather biker jacket could walk the walk and talk the talk. And his knowledge of rap records was second-to-none.
When groups like Run-DMC started helping rap come into its own, Rubin began drifting out of punk. “Rap records in those days were very slick,” Rubin told Greg Kot of the Chicago
Tribune
. “Typically disco records musically with a guy rapping over the top. But when
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