Rick Rubin Producing skills

[Formerly known as...]

Rubin is a nontraditional producer. He doesn’t play any instruments, and he can’t operate a mixing board or a Pro Tools setup. In fact, he seems to be actively uninterested in spending much time in a recording studio. Instead, Rubin is best known for his talents as a listener, with his ability to offer insightful notes on how artists can improve their songs. He’s a kind of psychological problem-solver, skilled at getting artists to a creative place where they can record and finish the best album they can deliver.


I cant co-sign this man as a GOAT producer for those set of skills. I appreciate it but nah he isn't GOAT level.

 

[Doin2Much Williams]

Ricardo Rubin to me, as a producer, is the equivalent to Group Home being lyricists.


Or Applebees being fine dining.


Or using hand shears to cut your lawn.



Using zip ties to keep your mangled bumper on your car.



.

 

[JustCKing]

Rubin is a nontraditional producer. He doesn’t play any instruments, and he can’t operate a mixing board or a Pro Tools setup. In fact, he seems to be actively uninterested in spending much time in a recording studio. Instead, Rubin is best known for his talents as a listener, with his ability to offer insightful notes on how artists can improve their songs. He’s a kind of psychological problem-solver, skilled at getting artists to a creative place where they can record and finish the best album they can deliver. Here, Rubin discusses his uncommon approach to his uncommon job.


I cant co-sign this man as a GOAT producer for those set of skills. I appreciate it but nah he isn't GOAT level.

There's many producers who don't play instruments and don't know how to operate a mixing board or Pro Tools setup. That's neither here or there. He is a producer in the traditional sense though. That "psychological problem solver" and "getting artists to a creative space" isn't music production though. Unfortunately, people just equate him to be some old bum who laid on a couch listening to music during the Magna Carta Holy Grail sessions. He has No credits on that album, but he did have credits on Yeezus and MMLP 2 from that same year.

 

[Formerly known as...]

There's many producers who don't play instruments and don't know how to operate a mixing board or Pro Tools setup. That's neither here or there. He is a producer in the traditional sense though. That "psychological problem solver" and "getting artists to a creative space" isn't music production though. Unfortunately, people just equate him to be some old bum who laid on a couch listening to music during the Magna Carta Holy Grail sessions. He has No credits on that album, but he did have credits on Yeezus and MMLP 2 from that same year.

So he has sole production credits on 99 problems but he did nothing in creating the beat? So who did create the actual music?

 

[JustCKing]

So he has sole production credits on 99 problems but he did nothing in creating the beat? So who did create the actual music?

How do you know he didn't create the beat? Then you're asking who did the actual music.

Have you ever read credits and the way they are broken down. He did the beat and making the beat alone doesn't always mean you produced the song.

 

[Tommy Gibbs]

I refuse to believe that Rick Rubin has been in studios for almost 40 years and can't operate a mixing board. I'm not buying that. Especially considering I learned to operate one the first month I was ever consistently in a studio LONG ago. and I don't think anyone credits him as the greatest. I've never heard that

 

[THE 101]

He's mostly known for stripping sounds away from the music for a more minimal sound. I think even the credits on LL's Radio say "reduced by Rick Rubin". That's pretty much what he's supposed to have done on Yeezus.

A lot of artists go to him for a back to basics sort of sound. He did that with Metallica and Johnny Cash. He seems more comfortable in that rock producer lane of guiding bands on how to play and tweeking the arrangements.

As a more traditional hip hop beatmaker, he's not really done much. LL's first album, Beastie's debut (maybe...although wouldn't surprise me if the Beasties actually produced most of that). He get's a lot of credit for shyt he didn't even do like for PE and Run-DMC

 

[010101]

music producer like movie producer not like a beat maker*

 

[L. Deezy]

Rubin is a nontraditional producer. He doesn’t play any instruments, and he can’t operate a mixing board or a Pro Tools setup. In fact, he seems to be actively uninterested in spending much time in a recording studio. Instead, Rubin is best known for his talents as a listener, with his ability to offer insightful notes on how artists can improve their songs. He’s a kind of psychological problem-solver, skilled at getting artists to a creative place where they can record and finish the best album they can deliver. Here, Rubin discusses his uncommon approach to his uncommon job.


I cant co-sign this man as a GOAT producer for those set of skills. I appreciate it but nah he isn't GOAT level.

nonsensical approach to what producer is by you


This is to anybody in this thread..

You mean to tell me that you all NEVER thought of a beat or some type of rhythm in your head that you thought would be dope, but knew you couldnt use a program or instrument to create it?? or heard a fire song to sample but wouldnt have no idea how to upload it into Pro Tools?

Lets say you didnt and you found a "so-called REAL Producer" to do it for you. He sells it and its a million seller.

Are you asking for production credit or you letting homie that you found have the credit and pay?


Ill wait..

 

[Complexion]

A Rick Rubin beat sounds like a Rick Rubin beat. Thats his vision you're hearing because if not his style would change like the wind depending on whose talents he was using at the moment and you'd have a whole load of beat makers running around with elements of his production but not the whole thing.

 

[Formerly known as...]

How do you know he didn't create the beat? Then you're asking who did the actual music.

Have you ever read credits and the way they are broken down. He did the beat and making the beat alone doesn't always mean you produced the song.

No, I was assuming here that he doesn't ever create the music and has the approach of guidance to make things better so was just asking if there was somebody else that created the 99 problems beat and Rubin stripped it or asked for things to be added to make it what we hear today. If he did it all then props.

nonsensical approach to what producer is by you


This is to anybody in this thread..

You mean to tell me that you all NEVER thought of a beat or some type of rhythm in your head that you thought would be dope, but knew you couldnt use a program or instrument to create it?? or heard a fire song to sample but wouldnt have no idea how to upload it into Pro Tools?

Lets say you didnt and you found a "so-called REAL Producer" to do it for you. He sells it and its a million seller.

Are you asking for production credit or you letting homie that you found have the credit and pay?


Ill wait..

Ok fair. This is just pretty new to me as I never really cared for Rubin much I just knew he is hugely respected for a reason I just assumed he was more hands on with it than he is. I'm a big Pharrell fan so to see how he works in comparison is surprising but Rubin is respected by everyone so his input is obviously amazing but for me I have more interest in producers that can create music whether with an instrument, or a program etc.

That new Chilli peppers album is dope and Rubin 'produced' that so he's obviously still got it

 

[Rice N Beans]

There's people out there that seem like outliers in the field but are incredibly effective. I think his peers vouching for him are enough.

Kind of like a good coach or assistant that wasn't a good player beforehand, putting it in another way.

 

[Double Burger With Cheese]

It’s really simple. If people gotta question what you do, you don’t really do shyt.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

So he has sole production credits on 99 problems but he did nothing in creating the beat? So who did create the actual music?

Rick Rubin can work a drum machine and a sound board. It's not his biggest strength as a producer, and he's not considered a high level technician or anything, but he can get it done in that regard. His production skills less good in terms of actually making beats and more so on putting together ideas for song, concepts, piecing them together, etc.

I've almost never heard anyone say he's the GOAT, but he's definitely held in high regard as a producer across a lot of different genres.

I think he's a bit overrated to be honest. Maybe not as much in the earlier parts of his career, but definitely in the later stages.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

nonsensical approach to what producer is by you


This is to anybody in this thread..

You mean to tell me that you all NEVER thought of a beat or some type of rhythm in your head that you thought would be dope, but knew you couldnt use a program or instrument to create it?? or heard a fire song to sample but wouldnt have no idea how to upload it into Pro Tools?

Lets say you didnt and you found a "so-called REAL Producer" to do it for you. He sells it and its a million seller.

Are you asking for production credit or you letting homie that you found have the credit and pay?


Ill wait..

Good overall write up.

I got a co-production credit unintentionally because I was listening to records and I told someone I was working with that it would be a fire sample. They chopped it up and made a beat out of it, and it later became a song. I didn't even know I could've gotten a credit or anything in that situation, but they let me know that without my idea of using that sample then it wouldn't have happened. I never thought of it that way until I was told.

Producing doesn't equal beatmaking. Often in hip-hop beatmakers end up being sole producers, but you definitely don't have to make beats to be a producer in the official sense of the word.

I've explained it like this to people: If you're in a creative space with anyone that's working on music, and you give any kind of tangible input that either directly or indirectly contributes to the music being made...then you helped produce or write the song, period. Maybe you get a production or writing credit--or maybe not. But you still had a hand in it. This could be humming a bass line, suggesting someone use an 808 and they do it, throw a punchline out there that someone uses in their bars, etc.