Rick Rubin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Rubin
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Rubin in 2006
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Frederick Jay Rubin |
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| Born | March 10, 1963 Long Beach, New York, U.S. |
| Origin | Hempstead, New York, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1981–present |
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Frederick Jay Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record producer. He helps create music albums for many famous artists.
Rick Rubin is known for helping to make hip hop popular. He produced records for groups like the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, and LL Cool J. He has also worked with artists from many other music styles. These include pop stars like Adele and Lady Gaga. He also worked with heavy metal bands such as Metallica and Slayer. In alternative rock, he produced for the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer. He even worked with country legends like Johnny Cash.
In 2007, MTV called Rubin "the most important producer of the last 20 years." Time magazine also put him on their list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World."
Contents
Early Life and First Bands
Frederick Jay Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York. He grew up in a loving family in Lido Beach. His father sold shoes, and his mother was a homemaker.
When he was in high school, he learned to play guitar and write songs. He played in a band with friends, performing at small shows. Later, he formed a punk band called The Pricks. They were known for causing a stir at their shows.
A Career in Music
Rick Rubin has had a long and successful career in music. He has helped shape the sound of many different music genres.
Starting Def Jam Records
Rubin started Def Jam Recordings while he was a college student at New York University. In 1982, his band, Hose, released its first song on Def Jam. The band played punk music and toured with other famous punk groups. But by 1984, Rubin became more interested in the growing hip hop scene in New York City.
He learned about hip hop production from DJ Jazzy Jay. In 1983, they produced "It's Yours" for rapper T La Rock. Soon after, Rubin met Russell Simmons, a concert promoter. Together, they officially founded Def Jam Records in 1984. Their first release was "I Need a Beat" by LL Cool J.
Rubin helped find new hip hop artists from different parts of New York. This led to Def Jam signing groups like Public Enemy. He also encouraged the Beastie Boys to switch from punk to rap music. His productions often mixed rap with heavy rock sounds. For example, he helped create the music videos for the Beastie Boys' hits like "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)".
"Walk This Way" and Beyond
A big moment in Rubin's career was when he suggested Run-DMC and Aerosmith work together. They covered Aerosmith's song "Walk This Way" in 1986. This song helped bring rap and hard rock together for many listeners. It also helped make Aerosmith popular again.
In the same year, Rubin began working with the metal band Slayer. He produced their album Reign in Blood, which is now a classic in heavy metal music. This was his first time working with a metal band.
In 1988, Rubin left Def Jam to start his own label called Def American Records. He moved to Los Angeles and signed many rock and heavy metal bands. He also continued to work with rap artists like the Geto Boys and Public Enemy.
American Recordings
In 1993, Rubin changed the name of his label to American Recordings. He even held a fake funeral for the word "def" because it had become too common.
One of the most famous projects on American Recordings was Johnny Cash's album American Recordings (1994). This album helped bring Johnny Cash back into the spotlight. Rubin worked with Cash on five more albums, which were very successful. He even introduced Cash to the song "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails, which became a very important song for Cash.
Rubin also produced many records for other artists on different labels. He worked with the Red Hot Chili Peppers on six studio albums between 1991 and 2011. These albums, like Blood Sugar ... Magik and Stadium Arcadium, made the band very famous. They had many number-one songs and won several awards, including Grammys.
He also produced albums for Tom Petty, AC/DC, System of a Down, and Metallica. In 2005, he helped produce Shakira's albums Fijación Oral Vol. 1 and Oral Fixation, Vol. 2. He also produced the famous Jay-Z song "99 Problems" and worked with Eminem on "Berzerk."
Working with Columbia Records
In 2007, Rubin became a co-head of Columbia Records. He co-produced Linkin Park's albums Minutes to Midnight, A Thousand Suns, and Living Things.
Rubin won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year in 2007 and 2009. He also won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 2007 for his work on the Chicks' album Taking the Long Way and in 2012 for Adele's album 21.
After leaving Columbia in 2012, Rubin brought back American Recordings. He continued to produce albums for artists like ZZ Top and the Avett Brothers.
Other Projects
Rick Rubin has also shared his knowledge about creativity. He wrote a book called The Creative Act: A Way of Being, which was published in 2023. He also hosts a podcast called "Tetragrammaton" where he interviews other people.
How Rick Rubin Produces Music
Rick Rubin is known for his unique way of producing music.
What People Like About His Style
Rubin's style often involves making music sound very clear and direct. He sometimes removes extra sounds like string sections or background vocals. This makes the main vocals and instruments stand out more.
Music journalists and artists praise his ability to help musicians perform their best. Natalie Maines of The Chicks said he lets music "be discovered, not manufactured." Producer Dr. Dre called him "the dopest producer ever."
Some Criticisms
Not everyone agrees with Rubin's methods. Matt Bellamy from the band Muse once joked that Rubin taught them "how not to produce."
Slipknot's singer, Corey Taylor, also shared some concerns. He said Rubin was not always present in the studio during the recording of their album Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses). Taylor later said he regretted how he spoke about it and understood Rubin's different working style better.
The "Loudness War"
Since the late 1990s, some of Rubin's albums have been criticized for being part of the "loudness war." This is when music is made to sound as loud as possible. This can sometimes make the music lose its natural ups and downs in volume.
Albums like Californication by the Red Hot Chili Peppers (1999) and Death Magnetic by Metallica (2008) have been mentioned. Critics say these albums sometimes sound too compressed or distorted. For example, some fans preferred a video game version of Death Magnetic because it sounded more natural.
Personal Life
Rick Rubin has practiced meditation since he was 14 years old. He married Mourielle Hurtado Herrera, and they have a son born in 2017. They live in Malibu, California.
Rubin is a big fan of professional wrestling. He has said that villainous wrestlers influenced how the Beastie Boys created their public image. He even supported a wrestling company called Smoky Mountain Wrestling for a few years.
Images for kids
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Rubin in 2006
Discography
Published Work
- Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Penguin Random House, 432 pages, ISBN: 9780593652886, 2023
