Rick Rubin discusses his favourite hip-hop album: ‘It influenced my production more than anything else’
While working with Rick Rubin, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler didn’t know what to think, mostly because he encouraged instinctual creativity over striving for success but also because he told them to forget their roots in heavy metal. It makes sense, to some degree, but Rubin’s approach isn’t for everybody, despite the fact that all he asks for is for his subjects to create “something you love to the best of your ability, here and now”.
Rubin might have sprinkled his magic all over the music industry, having worked with names ranging from Beastie Boys and Run-DMC to Metallica and Slayer, but his approach is famously divisive. Many artists thrive under his instinct-first approach, and others find it difficult to gel with his lack of technical adeptness in terms of traditional production qualities.
Velvet Revolver probably put it best when they attempted to describe his work ethic, putting their frustrations down to his overtly blasé manner, which they found to be less productive than inspiring. “You just write a bunch of shit, you record it, he listens to it, and he goes, ‘Oh, that thing’s good – why don’t you work on that some more?’ When he thinks you’re ready, he’ll say, ‘Alright, let’s make a record’, but we were getting really impatient,” rhythm guitarist Dave Kushner said.
It likely didn’t help that the band was in the early stages of its career and needed someone who more readily offered robust guidance and direction. However, Rubin’s laid-back demeanour often ends up being a significant source of irritation for even the most skilled players. That said, he does know his stuff when it comes to musical greatness, even if he is the epitome of “trust the process”.
Outside of being a producer, his personal tastes range from 1960s rock ‘n’ roll groups like The Beatles to legendary hip-hop outfits like Run-DMC, the latter of which grew a more iconic relationship with the producer than many of the other projects he has worked on. In fact, what worked so well was the two parties’ interests, with Run-DMC wanting to transform their more nuanced take on hip-hop into a more commercial and accessible entity and Rubin wanting to infuse their music with more rock elements.
Rubin’s discovery of the group’s debut self-titled LP was what made him fall in love with their music, and it has since remained its spot as his favourite hip-hop album of all time. “This album is very bare-bones,” the producer once said, adding, “It probably influenced my hip-hop production more than anything else.” Clearly, his lack of knowledge in the space ended up working in his favour, as both ended up learning more than they initially bargained for when Raising Hell became their career-defining album.
Moreover, in the 1980s, Rubin was largely associated with the rock and metal scenes, so adopting such an open and willing-to-learn mindset was likely the best thing to do at the time. Even today, Rubin still maintains a more understated trustworthiness if the project is deemed suitable, but for others, it’s the ultimate recipe for disaster.
