Rick Rubin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rick Rubin
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Rubin in 2006
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| 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 "Rick" Jay Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is a famous American record producer. A record producer helps artists create and record their music in a studio. Rubin is known for working with some of the biggest names in music across many different styles.
He co-founded the famous hip-hop label Def Jam Recordings and later started American Recordings. He was also the co-president of Columbia Records.
Rubin helped make hip hop popular by producing albums for groups like LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Run-DMC. He has also produced hit records for artists in many other genres. He has worked with pop stars like Adele and Ed Sheeran, heavy metal bands like Metallica and Slayer, and rock bands like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Linkin Park. He also worked with country legend Johnny Cash.
In 2007, MTV called him "the most important producer of the last 20 years." That same year, Time magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World.
Contents
Early Life and First Band
Rick Rubin was born in Long Beach, New York. When he was in high school, he learned to play guitar and write songs. He started a punk rock band with his friends and they played at local shows.
One of their most famous shows was at the club CBGB. Friends of the band started a fake fight in the crowd, which caused the show to be stopped. This was planned to get people talking about the band.
Career in Music
Starting Def Jam Recordings
While he was a student at New York University, Rubin founded Def Jam Recordings. He also started a band called Hose. But Rubin's main interest soon shifted to the growing hip-hop scene in New York City.
He met Russell Simmons, an artist manager, and together they officially launched the Def Jam record label in 1984. One of their first big releases was "I Need a Beat" by LL Cool J. Rubin helped sign many new hip-hop artists, including Public Enemy. He also encouraged the Beastie Boys to switch from punk rock to rap music, which made them famous.
Rubin was known for mixing rap with hard rock music. In 1986, he produced a famous version of the song "Walk This Way" by Run-DMC and Aerosmith. This song helped bring rap-rock to a wider audience and also helped restart Aerosmith's career. That same year, he produced the album Reign in Blood for the metal band Slayer, which is now considered a classic.
American Recordings and New Projects
In 1988, Rubin moved to Los Angeles and started his own record label, Def American Records. He signed rock and metal bands like Danzig and the Four Horsemen. In 1993, he renamed the label American Recordings.
One of his most important projects was with country music star Johnny Cash. Starting in 1994, Rubin produced a series of albums for Cash that introduced his music to a new generation of fans. The albums were a huge success. One of the most famous songs from this time was Cash's cover of "Hurt" by Nine Inch Nails.
Rubin also had great success with the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He produced six of their albums between 1991 and 2011, including Blood Sugar ... Magik, Californication, and Stadium Arcadium. These albums made the band one of the biggest in the world. He returned to produce two more of their albums in 2022.
Over the years, Rubin has worked with many other famous artists, including:
- Mick Jagger
- Tom Petty
- AC/DC
- System of a Down
- Jay-Z (on the hit song "99 Problems")
- Shakira
- Black Sabbath
Working with Major Labels
In 2007, Rubin became the co-head of Columbia Records. During this time, he worked with Linkin Park on their albums Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns.
He has won nine Grammy Awards, including Producer of the Year twice. He also won Album of the Year for his work on Taking the Long Way by the Chicks and 21 by Adele.
In 2012, Rubin left Columbia Records to focus on his own American Recordings label again. He has continued to produce albums for artists like ZZ Top and The Avett Brothers.
Production Style
Rubin is known for his "stripped-down" production style. This means he often removes extra sounds like string sections or background vocals. He focuses on the main instruments and the lead singer's voice to create a raw and powerful sound.
Many artists have praised Rubin for his methods. Natalie Maines of the Chicks said, "He has the ability and the patience to let music be discovered, not manufactured." Producer Dr. Dre has called Rubin "the dopest producer ever."
However, some artists have had different experiences. Some have said that Rubin was not always present in the studio during recording. Others have said his suggestions were sometimes strange. For example, he once told the members of Black Sabbath to forget they were a heavy metal band while recording their album 13.
Other Work and Personal Life
Rubin has shared his ideas on creativity in books and on social media. In 2023, he published his first book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being. He also hosts a podcast called "Tetragrammaton" where he interviews interesting people.
Rubin lives in Malibu, California, with his wife Mourielle and their son. He is a longtime fan of professional wrestling and has said that wrestlers like Roddy Piper and Ric Flair influenced his work.
Film and Television Appearances
Rubin has appeared as himself in many movies, music videos, and documentaries.
- Krush Groove (1985) - A movie about the early days of Def Jam.
- Fade to Black (2004) - A documentary about Jay-Z.
- Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing (2006) - A documentary about the Chicks.
- Sound City (2013) - A documentary about a famous recording studio.
- Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways (2014) - A documentary series about American music.
- Shangri-La (2019) - A documentary series about his own recording studio.
- McCartney 3,2,1 (2021) - A series where he interviews Paul McCartney.
Discography
Published work
- Rick Rubin, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, Penguin Random House, 432 pages, ISBN: 9780593652886, 2023
See also
In Spanish: Rick Rubin para niños
