People I (Mostly) Admire Rick Rubin on How to Make Something Great (Update)
16 snips
Aug 23, 2025 
Rick Rubin, a legendary music producer known for co-founding Def Jam Records, shares insights from his captivating career, including revitalizing Johnny Cash and crucial moments in hip-hop. He discusses the emotional depth of Cash's 'Hurt' and how creativity flourished through collaboration. Rubin also highlights his journey writing a book, embracing unconventional paths to innovation, and reflects on timeless artistic principles derived from The Beatles. A journey from punk to profound creativity showcases the connection between self-awareness and artistic expression.
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Spot The Obvious Hidden Idea
- Creativity lives in noticing what's hidden in plain sight rather than inventing something wholly new.
- The best ideas feel obvious after you see them, like smoke that's hard to grasp.
How Walk This Way Proved Hip-Hop's Musicality
- Rick recounts producing Run DMC's Raising Hell and intentionally using a familiar rock song to show hip-hop is music.
- He picked Aerosmith's 'Walk This Way' because its phrasing matched rap's meter and recorded it with Run DMC.
Living-Room Demos Saved Johnny Cash Sessions
- Rick describes meeting Johnny Cash, recording living-room demos, and realizing those intimate takes were more powerful than studio attempts.
- Those raw recordings became the foundation for Cash's later acclaimed albums.
