Eminem. System of a Down. Adele. Jay Z. Lady Gaga. The Beastie Boys. Johnny Cash. What do they have in common?
His name is Rick Rubin, and he’s perhaps the most influential music producer of all time. He knows how to craft a hit song, and how to create buzz (one story tells of how he performed in a punk band called The Pricks, and had his father dress up as a police officer and follow them on tour to raise hype by pretending he was trying to shut them down), but his story is ultimately one of patience, perseverance, and understanding.
The eight time Grammy Award winner and co-founder of Def Jam Records has played a substantial role in the evolution of copious bands and genres, forming the kind of varied experiences that not only artists, but also entrepreneurs, can learn from.
It all culminates in what Rubin calls heart work, a process which he believes is critical to creativity.
In this interview with Tim Ferriss, Rubin breaks explains how heart work has enabled him to craft some of the biggest recording artists of his lifetime, how he trained body and mind to lose 70kg, and how he does it all without becoming overwhelmed.
A list of topics can be found below, but if you want to skip straight to the start of the action, it begins at the 5:45 mark.
- On who Rick Rubin is (5:45)
- On losing weight (7:50)
- On optimising sleep patterns (10:50)
- On what Rubin does (22:45)
- On transitioning to producing (23:35)
- On the ‘discovery’ vs ‘manufacturing’ of music (24:30)
- On what it takes for an artist to create to the best of their ability (26:05)
- On Rubin’s favourite contemporary music (30:55)
- On how music became a career (34:00)
- On appreciating different approaches to music (38:05)
- On working with a range of artists (40:15)
- On meditation and management (42:40)
- On what it means to be successful (46:50)
- On working with Don Wilfman (49:45)
- On Rubin’s favourite books and documentaries (51:35)
- On avoiding becoming overwhelmed (54:30)
- On working with Jay Z for 99 Problems (56:50)
- On Rubin’s sauna (in which the interview took place) (1:00:10)
- On his exercise process (1:02:15)
- On helping others (1:10:05)
- On what advice he would give his younger self (1:13:10)