Rick Rubin Producing skills

[CarltonJunior]

That's all producing is, breh. Sorry.
People's idea of "producing" is skewed because of hip-hop.
If you think producing is programming, sequencing, playing instruments or composing music, you're incorrect.

I think this is nonsense. If you aren't creating the soundscape you aren't producing music.

Your homie giving you pointers on how to shoot your jumpshot isn't a coach.

 

[CarltonJunior]

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.

In official circles and with labels this is probably true. But most people who make music don't value this kind of input at all really. I've been that guy helping the engineer put the song together, when to add drops, effects, telling the artist to add ad libs here and there, but generally speaking that doesn't take any particular skill, it's just being another ear in the building. I don't see that as valuable, and most certainly I wouldn't call you a producer because you do that.

I'm a little biased since I make beats though.

 

[FeverPitch2]

I think this is nonsense. If you aren't creating the soundscape you aren't producing music.

Your homie giving you pointers on how to shoot your jumpshot isn't a coach.

Unfortunately, you haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.
Your opinion isn't an informed one.
I give you five piece band with 20 songs that they've written.
You're the producer. What are you gonna do?

 

[DaveyDave]

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

ive never heard Rubin get credit for anything by PE. Run DMC a bit because he did do a few of theirs but not like he produced all their albums or all of their hits or anything.

 

[TheDarceKnight]

Unfortunately, you haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.
Your opinion isn't an informed one.
I give you five piece band with 20 songs that they've written.
You're the producer. What are you gonna do?

And I see a slippery slope of gate keeping too. I’ve seen bedroom producers that don’t sample say that they’re “more real producers” than big names producers that do sample like Primo and Madlib.

It’s silly.

But I do sort of get the other side too. There’s a purist sensibility I have where I think it’s cheesy to call yourself a hiphop producer if you couldn’t make a beat with a gun to your head.

 

[CarltonJunior]

Unfortunately, you haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about.
Your opinion isn't an informed one.
I give you five piece band with 20 songs that they've written.
You're the producer. What are you gonna do?

In this scenario, they don't need you

 

[ShaDynasty]

As far as I know Rick made beats on samplers/drum machines/live guitar in the 80s for Run DMC, Beasties, LL etc. Beasties also made beats at that time eg Paul Revere was an Ad Rock coproduction.

Since then hes been a producer in the traditional sense (direction, advice) for mostly rock bands.

Not sure how 99 Problems was made, it def sounds like an 80s Rubin beat.

 

[FeverPitch2]

In this scenario, they don't need you

Then why do albums by bands have producers?

-Nevermind is the second studio album by the American rock band Nirvana, released on September 24, 1991, by DGC Records. It was Nirvana's first release on a major label and the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl. Produced by Butch Vig, Nevermind features a more polished, radio-friendly sound than the band's prior work.

-Chicago 16 is the first album in a decade-long association with new label Warner Bros. Records;[7] the band's first project to be produced by David Foster.

 

[FeverPitch2]

And I see a slippery slope of gate keeping too. I’ve seen bedroom producers that don’t sample say that they’re “more real producers” than big names producers that do sample like Primo and Madlib.

It’s silly.

But I do sort of get the other side too. There’s a purist sensibility I have where I think it’s cheesy to call yourself a hiphop producer if you couldn’t make a beat with a gun to your head.

You're preoccupied with hip-hop production when speaking on record production as a whole.
How do you think non hip-hop music get made?
As far as Rick Rubin's history in hip-hop, I dont think yall have done any research on him, thus you're getting the shyt all fukked up.
He quit making hip-hop ages ago. His hands off production style of producing non hip-hop records has you confused about what he did when he was producing hip-hop.
I don't feel like giving a history lesson on Rick Rubin's hip-hop legacy. You gotta holla at Google for that.

 

[Formerly known as...]

That's all producing is, breh. Sorry.
People's idea of "producing" is skewed because of hip-hop.
If you think producing is programming, sequencing, playing instruments or composing music, you're incorrect.

Ok you may be right. I just wanted to understand his impact as a producer if he can't add anything musically but I guess there's is more to it than being able to us an instrument or sound board

 

[FeverPitch2]

Ok you may be right. I just wanted to understand his impact as a producer if he can't add anything musically but I guess there's is more to it than being able to us an instrument or sound board

The OP is confusing Rick's non hip-hop production style with Rick's beatmaking in his hip hop days.

 

[TripleAgent]

bout as overrated as premier

Smack yourself.

 

[DaveyDave]

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.

where did you hear that he “cant” use a mixing board?

A very quick google will solve that question. He wouldn’t get so much praise from bands, rappers, And many other industry insiders for this long if he had no talents and didn’t actually do any production. Being a traditional Hip Hop producer is very different to most other genres where you don’t have to necessarily write the lyrics or play any instruments in any given song.

 

[DaveyDave]

Just in case that first guy wasn’t Rick, it doesn’t really look like him, it might be Andrew Shelp who mixed a Black Sabbath album with Rick apparently. This one is def Rick and he’s actually doing stuff on the board

 

[Formerly known as...]

where did you hear that he “cant” use a mixing board?

A very quick google will solve that question. He wouldn’t get so much praise from bands, rappers, And many other industry insiders for this long if he had no talents and didn’t actually do any production. Being a traditional Hip Hop producer is very different to most other genres where you don’t have to necessarily write the lyrics or play any instruments in any given song.

A Conversation With Rick Rubin, Music’s Greatest Vibes Manager

From this article.

He also says this in another article:
My goal would be to be able to produce an artist, and have it be their best work, and never meet them or speak to them,” Rubin explains at one point. “That would be the ultimate version of it. I’ve not gotten there yet. I haven’t reached that level of skill yet.”