#245 Rick Rubin (In the Studio)

550 snips

May 8, 2022

Dive into the world of a legendary music producer who champions simplicity and authenticity in art. Discover how his minimalist approach revolutionized genres from hip-hop to heavy metal. Hear anecdotes about collaborations with iconic artists and learn about the nuances of serving the song over flashy presentation. The journey highlights the profound connection between trust and creativity, showcasing how true artistry emerges from allowing others to shine. Get insights into his philosophy that music discovery is about unveiling what already exists.

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ADVICE

Production by Reduction

Strive for simplicity in your work, eliminating unnecessary elements.
Focus on the core essence, removing distractions to create the purest form.

INSIGHT

The Art of Discovery

Great producers, like Steve Jobs and Edwin Land, don't invent products; they discover them.
They see the finished product in their mind's eye before creation, working backward to realize it.

INSIGHT

The Producer as Founder

A producer's role mirrors a founder's, focusing on the whole rather than individual parts.
They aim to empower individuals to become their best selves and create the best overall product.

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Decoded

Phil Barden

Mozart

A Life

Paul Johnson

Damn Right! Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger

Janet Lowe

Janet Lowe ofrece en "Damn Right!" una biografía detallada de Charlie Munger, explorando su vida, su filosofía de inversión y su relación con Warren Buffett. La obra proporciona una visión íntima de la personalidad de Munger, su enfoque multidisciplinario y su búsqueda constante de conocimiento. Lowe presenta anécdotas y ejemplos que ilustran la aplicación práctica de los principios de Munger. El libro es una lectura esencial para comprender la mente de uno de los inversores más exitosos y perspicaces de la historia. Su prologo por Warren Buffett añade un valor adicional.

Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders

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This book compiles the full, un-edited versions of 50 years of Warren Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway. It offers a comprehensive case study on Berkshire's success and provides a 'lesson plan' of Buffett's views on business and investing. The letters cover topics such as selecting managers and investments, valuing businesses, and using financial information profitably. The book includes charts on Berkshire's growth, insurance float, and the performance of its operating businesses, as well as indexes for easy navigation[1][5][4].

Against the Odds: An Autobiography

Sir James Dyson

This book details Dyson's journey from his early life to the development of his revolutionary bagless vacuum cleaner. It includes his struggles, legal battles, and eventual success after finding support in Japan. The book also critiques various aspects of the British education system and industry.

Hard Drive

Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire

Jim Erickson

James Wallace

This book is a detailed exposé of Bill Gates' life and the early days of Microsoft. The authors follow Gates from his childhood as an unkempt thirteen-year-old computer hacker to his present-day status as the most powerful and feared player in the computer industry. The book provides a balanced analysis of Gates' business triumphs and his driven personality, including his singular accomplishments, brattiness, arrogance, and hostility. It also delves into the intense atmosphere at Microsoft, the company's strategic positioning, and key events such as the partnership with IBM and the development of MS-DOS and Windows[1][3][5].

Rick Rubin In The Studio

Jake Brown

This book chronicles Rick Rubin's rise from his early days as DJ Double R and co-founder of Def Jam Records to becoming one of the most influential producers in the music industry. It offers insights into his production style and collaborations with artists like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Johnny Cash, and Metallica. Rubin's approach emphasizes simplicity and authenticity, often pushing artists into new creative territories.

What I learned from reading Rick Rubin: In the Studio by Jake Brown.

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Get access to the World’s Most Valuable Notebook for Founders at Founders Notes.com

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Rick Rubin on Lex Fridman Podcast #275

Rick Rubin on The Peter Attia Drive Podcast #57

Shangri-La Documentary

Rick’s podcast Broken Record

[1:39] Decoded by Jay Z. (Founders #238)

[3:19] Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.

[3:31] His goal is to record music in its most basic and purest form. No extra bells and whistles. All wheat, no chaff.

[5:42] Dr. Land was saying: “I could see what the Polaroid camera should be. It was just as real to me as if it was sitting in front of me before I had ever built one.” And Steve said: “Yes, that’s exactly the way I saw the Macintosh.” He said if I asked someone who had only used a personal calculator what a Macintosh should be like they couldn’t have told me. There was no way to do consumer research on it so I had to go and create it and then show it to people and say now what do you think?” Both of them had this ability to not invent products, but discover products. Both of them said these products have always existed — it’s just that no one has ever seen them before. We were the ones who discovered them. The Polaroid camera always existed and the Macintosh always existed — it’s a matter of discovery.

[7:31] My goal is to just get out of the way and let the people I'm working with be the best versions of themselves.

[7:50] Berkshire Hathaway Letters to Shareholders 1965-2018 by Warren Buffett (Founders #88)

[11:26] In-N-Out Burger: A Behind-the-Counter Look at the Fast-Food Chain That Breaks All the Rules by Stacy Perman. (Founders #244)

[14:13] “Designing a product is keeping 5,000 things in your brain and fitting them all together in new and different ways.” —Steve Jobs

[16:00] Less is more but you have to do more to get to less.

[16:25] Against The Odds: An Autobiography by James Dyson and reading A History of Great Inventions by James Dyson. (Founders #200)

[17:56] Rubin's most valuable quality is his own confidence.

[20:57] If we're going to do this, let's aim for greatness. You have to believe what you were doing is the most important thing in the world.

[21:29] Damn Right: Behind the Scenes with Berkshire Hathaway Billionaire Charlie Munger by Janet Lowe. (Founders #221) “Everybody engaged in complicated work needs colleagues. Just the discipline of having to put your thoughts in order with somebody else is a very useful thing.”

[24:24] On being a reducer —not a producer: Often in the studio there will be the idea to add layers to make it seem bigger. Sometimes the more things you add, the smaller it gets. A lot of it is counterintuitive. You need to discover it in practice.

[27:10] I want to play loud. I want to be heard. And I want all to know I'm not one of the herd.

[36:16] There were no stars in rap music. It was really just a work of passion. Everyone who was doing it was doing it because they loved it, not because anyone thought it was a career.

[38:12] Krush Groove YouTube link

[38:47] Russell really cared about finding new ways to expose their music to a bigger audience.

[39:03] Bloomberg by Michael Bloomberg. (Founders #228)

[44:19] A handmade product at scale.

[48:23] Rap music as recorded work was just eight years old.

[50:06] Q: Do you have an engine of constant dissatisfaction. Self criticism that I could have done better? A: No. I’m pleased with the work that we did. Excited to keep working. It’s fun. I don’t know what else I’d do with myself. I like making things, it’s fun. I feel like it’s my reason to be on the planet so I just keep doing it. If it could be better I would have kept working on it. If it could be better it’s not done. I’ve done everything I can to make it the best it can be. I can’t do more than that so there is nothing to be critical of. It is almost like a diary entry. Everything we make is a reflection in a moment in time. Could be a day, could be a year.

[52:54] These things that we don't understand and cannot explain happen regularly.

[58:33] To be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to remain always a child.

[58:58] He's living in four different centuries at once.

[1:01:02] I believe in you so much, I'm going to make you believe in you.

[1:03:07] Hard Drive: Bill Gates and the Making of the Microsoft Empire by James Wallace and Jim Erickson (Founders #140) Gates and Allen were convinced the computer industry was about to reach critical mass, and when it exploded it would usher in a technological revolution of astounding magnitude. They were on the threshold of one of those moments when history held its breath... and jumped, as it had done with the development of the car and the airplane. They could either lead the revolution or be swept along by it.

[1:05:35] The newest sounds have a tendency to sound old when the next new sound comes along. But a grand piano sounded great 50 years ago and will sound great 50 years from now. I try to make records that have a timeless quality.

[1:13:58] Mozart: A Life by Paul Johnson. (Founders #240)

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