Frederick Jay Rubin, aka Rick Rubin, was born on March 10, 1963, in Long Beach, New York. His parents, Michael and Linda, reared him in Lido Beach, New York. He began performing in a band with several buddies while attending Long Beach High School, and eventually, a teacher assisted him in forming the punk band The Pricks.
Rubin launched Def Jam Records his senior year, using his school’s four-track recorder. He also founded the punk band Hose, one of whose songs became Def Jam’s debut release in 1982. Hose was a member of the New York City punk movement and travelled throughout the Midwest and California. They shared the stage alongside Meat Puppets, Hüsker Dü, Circle Jerks, Butthole Surfers, and Minor Threat. Rubin became more interested in New York City’s hip-hop movement, and the band disbanded in 1984.
Rubin befriended Zulu Nation DJ Jazzy Jay and began studying about hip-hop production. They collaborated on the song “It’s Yours” for T La Rock, which was released on Def Jam. Jazzy Jay connected Rubin to Russell Simmons, the concert promoter/artist manager, and they published JJ Cool J’s “I Need a Beat” together.
Career (Def Jam Records)
The formal iteration of Def Jam Records was created in 1984, when Rubin was attending New York University, with both Rubin and Simmons on board. Rubin travelled beyond The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Harlem to search and identify rappers in Queens, Staten Island, and Long Island. Rubin signed the hip-hop group Public Enemy as a consequence of his search. Rubin is also involved with the Beastie Boys, who he helped steer away from their initial punk style and into rap.
Rubin has also produced for Run-DMC with success. This period’s producing work is distinguished by a combination of rap and hard rock. This is possibly best exemplified by Run-DMC and Aerosmith’s 1986 duet, “Walk This Way.” That song is recognised with not only introducing the rap hard rock genre to new ears and a wider audience, but also with helping to resuscitate Aerosmith’s career.
Rubin effortlessly transitioned between rap and rock music, and his first metal band collaboration was with Slayer, producing their album “Reign in Blood” (1986). Other significant efforts from this time period include “Electric” (1987), the Cult’s third album, which he produced, and “Tougher Than Leather” (1988), a Run-DMC film that he directed and co-wrote.
Def American / American Recordings
Rubin and Simmons parted in 1988 when Rubin clashed with Def Jam’s then-president, Lyor Cohen. While Simmons remained with Def Jam in New York, Rubin relocated to Los Angeles and founded Def American Records. He continued to work with rap artists such as Public Enemy, LL Cool J, and Run DMC, but his work during this time period was mostly concentrated on the rock and metal genres. Danzig, Masters of Reality, The Four Horsemen, Wolfsbane, and The Jesus and Mary Chain were among the rock artists he signed.
He staged a funeral for the term “def” after learning that it had been admitted into the dictionary, lamenting its departure into the mainstream. He subsequently changed the name of his new label from Def American Recordings to simply American Recordings. Jonny Cash’s album “American Recordings” (1994) was American Recordings’ inaugural project, and Cash’s next five albums were all issued under the company as well. Cash’s 2003 album “The Man Comes Around” was nominated for a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance, as well as Best Country Collaboration with Vocals.
Rubin has also collaborated with musicians on projects released on other labels, including six Red Hot Chili Peppers albums between 1991 and 2011, which gained sixteen Grammy nominations (six wins) and earned Rubin the 2006 Producer of the Year Grammy for his work on the album “Stadium Arcadium” (2006). Mick Jagger’s “Wandering Spirit” (1993), Lords of Acid’s “Voodoo-U” (1994), Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers” (1994), AC/”Ballbreaker” DC’s (1995), Donovan’s “Sutras” (1996), Metallica’s “Death Magnetic” (2008), and Shakira’s two-album project “Fijacion Oral Vol (2005).
Columbia Records and American Recordings Revival
In May 2007, Rubin was named co-president of Columbia Records. He won the Grammy Award for Producer of the Year, Non-Classical twice while at Columbia, once in 2007 for his work with the Dixie Chicks, Michael Kranz, Red Hot Chili Peppers, U2, Green Day, and Johnny Cash in 2006, and again in 2009 for his work with Metallica, Neil Diamond, Ours, Jakob Dylan, and Weezer. Rubin was also nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy in 2012 for his work as producer on Adele’s album “21.” (2011).
In 2012, he departed Columbia and relaunched his label, American Recordings, as an offshoot of Republic Records. ZZ Top’s “La Future” (2012) and the Avett Brothers’ “The Carpenter” (2013) were the first albums he released on the new label (2012).
Net Worth
Rubin is well-known for owning a number of significant houses in Los Angeles. Rick paid $2 million for a gated 9,300-square-foot estate overlooking West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip in 1992. Not long after, he spent $785,000 for “The Mansion,” a four-bedroom allegedly haunted mansion in LA’s Laurel Canyon neighbourhood. While recording their blockbuster album “Blood Sugar Sex Magik,” the Red Hot Chili Peppers stayed in this home. Following that encounter, Rubin transformed his studio into a full-time recording facility, which has been utilised by Audioslave, Maroon 5, Linkin Park, Slipknot, The Mars Volta, and others.
Rick has multiple residences in Malibu, two of which were sadly destroyed by the Woolsey Fire in 2019. Rick began again in Malibu in October 2019 when he purchased a $8.1 million ocean-view property. Rick lived in Malibu for about a decade, beginning in the late 1990s. He purchased his first property in 2011, a one-acre estate near his rental in 2005. He paid $2 million for the iconic Shangri La hotel in 2011.
Shangri La has historically been more of a recording studio than a residence. The property was supposedly utilised as an upmarket bordello in the 1950s. The house was used to film episodes of “Mr. Ed” in the 1960s, and the actor/horse really resided in the stable. Shangri La was acquired by a music producer in the 1970s and transformed into a full-time music studio. It was utilised by performers such as Bonnie Raitt, Ringo Starr, Bob Dylan, and Eric Clapton throughout the following decade or so. Typically, artists would rent the property for weeks or even months at a time, living there while creating music. Shangri La rose to prominence after appearing in Martin Scorsese’s 1978 film “The Last Waltz,” about the rock group the Band.
Rubin has been on a never-ending renovation/upgrade hunt since he became owner. He saved Bob Dylan’s old tour van and turned it into a relaxing area. He allegedly provides fresh design concepts to his architects on a monthly basis. His staff is constantly re-painting the studio and production space white to keep it looking spotless. Many contemporary performers, including Kanye West, have recorded here.
Rick Rubin is worth $250 million dollars. He is best known as the co-founder of Def Jam Recordings alongside Russell Simmons and the former co-president of Columbia Records. He is regarded as one of the top record producers in American music today, having collaborated with some of history’s most famous performers.
Facts
| Net Worth: | $250 Million |
| Date of Birth: | Mar 10, 1963 (59 years old) |
| Place of Birth: | Long Beach |
| Gender: | Male |
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.82 m) |
| Profession: | Record producer, Keyboard Player, Singer, Rapper |
| Nationality: | United States of America |
