The Rick Rubin Interview

In this interview, legendary producer Rick Rubin shares insights from his incredible career, spanning decades of groundbreaking music. From his early work with Run DMC, LL Cool J, and the Beastie Boys, to producing iconic albums for Tom Petty, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, System of a Down and Johnny Cash, Rubin reflects on his creative process, collaborating with some of the most influential artists in music history, and the stories behind classic albums.

Check out Rick's Podcast!
YouTube - @tetragrammaton_now

My Beato Club supporters:
Justin Scott
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Rich Germano
Brian Bloom
Peter Pillitteri
Piush Dahal
Toby Guidry

[alexo]

20+ years ago i was a studio assistant on two sessions with Rick Rubin. Don’t be fooled he knew every piece of equipment in the studio, how it worked, what it could do and could not do. If there was a piece of equipment he had not seen before ehe wanted to use it immediately and figure it out. What he did not want to do was be the person in constant control and monitoring of the equipment. He wanted to be and was the idea man, hey let’s try this, have your thought of this, what if we didn’t do that. He trusted the people he was working with, the musicians, the engineers and even a lowly studio assistant to do there job and do it the best they could.

[robkline]

1:33 - Early Beatles influence
2:44 - Punk rock recordings
3:20 - NYC music scene
6:23 - First rap record production
8:58 - Using 808 drum machine
15:54 - Starting Def Jam label
18:27 - LL Cool J
25:20 - Finishing NYU degree
26:26 - Run-DMC collaboration with Aerosmith
34:25 - Working with Beastie Boys
36:58 - Playing guitar for Beastie Boys
39:38 - Hiring best studio engineers
43:52 - Producing Slayer's first album
54:23 - Tom Petty's Wildflowers record
1:01:34 - You Don't Know How it Feels (no cymbals on drums)
1:12:50 - No "right way" to make records
1:14:31 - Producing Linkin Park album
1:15:23 - Red Hot Chili Peppers album
1:26:14 - Under the Bridge origin
1:39:19 - System of a Down
1:45:43 - Johnny Cash collaboration
2:03:25 - Reflections on mortality
2:04:01 - Creativity and idea streams
2:09:33 - Discovering new music (like Marcus King)

[KINZOisHERE]

On these rushing days of short content you posted a 2 hours long interview without cuts. Total respect for Rick. Every second of it was worthy.

[MrUSA]

I remember the first time I learned who Rick was on a RHCP record, and for whatever reason started to dig into this guy, and I just kept finding my favorite records of all time had this guru behind them one way or another. It's incredible how he was able to live this life and give us these gifts.

[elliottcsmith]

I've seen a million Rick Rubin interviews at this point - he did so many to promote his book and they were good - but you can see him engage in a whole new way with Beato because he knows he's in the presence of someone who loves music as much as he does. Fantastic.

[sichuancowboy]

What I find most baffling is Rick Rubin's memory... It's amazing how he describes so many different events in such great detail.

[chris_telclear]

He takes Johnny Cash, has him do a NINE INCH NAILS song, and he makes it sound like the Johnny Cashiest Johnny Cash song ever! That's Genius!

[JAM-keql]

This interview is awesome.

Rick Beto, "So lets go back, how did you first meet-up with The Tossed Salads to record Don't Eat the Parmesan?"

Rick Rubin, "At the time they were The Screaming Frogs of Rohan. I was at the Jumpiity Mumpkin when I ran into their xylophone player Bipity Bob. At the time he was with the label Lampry Eelfish Delight Eats Out. He played me a demo he made while in the Azores eating mushed snailfin tuna. We re-recorded it through a conch shell using a crab for drums and that is how we made the album Blobs of Sponge Unite which was the precursor to Don't Eat the Parmesan. It was their first record after contracting dyslexia from a phone booth."

No, for real though, awesome interview. Dude is a treasure and wealth of musical influence and knowledge. Loved the stories and them disecting the songs after playing bits of them.  Rick is a great interviewer also, A+.

[b_tang]

Every single time, year after year, I'm like, there's no way I'm watching this long video, and then I can't turn it off. Totally engrossing. Every time.

[crimsonoakshadow]

This interview is over two hours long and doesn't feel anywhere near long enough. Just amazing. Rick has the most zen sounding voice, too.

[dirkbag]

I love these interviews that have no time limit - just a conversation that goes on as long as it does.
Beautiful.

[ZvukUp]

In the history of music, there will NEVER be a more significant interview than this for so many reasons, it would take me 5 hours to explain. This is it. This is the end all, be all interviews about music. PERIOD. This interview is ONE in a Trillion and will NEVER happen again from any producer or musician on the face of the planet. I never need to hear, watch or listen to another interview from anyone about music ever again. Rick Beato, I hope you truly embraced the magnitude of how monumental this was for you to be in the presence of the Jedi Ninja of music and his willingness to explain his genius with such humility. This interview was and is the ultimate mic drop. Elvis has left the building.

[valkrider]

It took ten minutes to get him hooked. Then he really started enjoying the conversation! A joy to watch when the switch happens.

[susername]

He's actually a therapist. He sees people without judgement, he allows and enables them to express themselves. It's amazing what you can achieve with just that

[PaisleyPatchouli]

Two Ricks. Both living their lives devoted to their music. Two Ricks: Couldn't be more diverse in their approaches to music production. Two Ricks; both at the top of their game, yet going in very different directions. Two Ricks. Both masters of the 'obstetric art' of delivering the best musical expression an artist can create. Two Ricks. Exploring one's phenomenal journey from 'mere fan' to Mogul.
Two hours - of two Ricks savoring a conversation for the ages, for all of us to enjoy and maybe learn something from.
Thank you two Ricks, for one great episode! I really found myself more engaged than I expected to.

[danmorrison]

Loved this. ‘Hurt’ always brings me to tears and I’m a 52 year old man. A testament to Rubin’s genius.
What a career. Great interview.

[mauriciovalverde]

Is it me or Rick Rubins voice is like listening to the radio in the 80's - 90's late night programs... amazing!! it transport you.

[frankquednau]

47:30 rick & rick listening to Raining Blood. Wonderful!

[AngelRivera-fpmd]

I love how Rick Rubin listens to the songs he produced like its the first time. Even after listening to them hundreds of times before and knowing every detail about them. He truly loves music

[dannywtaylor]

This conversation is probably my favorite of all alongside the Pat Metheny conversation. Rick, you are truly a gem and I cannot thank you enough for how greatly you enrich our lives by your enthusiasm for music and what you elicit from a breadth of musicians, composers, producers, etc. Yours is my favorite YouTube channel of all time.