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Sun 14 December 2025 16:00, UK
Condensing the sheer influence and power of Rick Rubin into one singular style or genre is nearly impossible, mainly because, as one of our biggest and most industry-defining pioneers, Rubin genuinely defies easy categorisation.
After all, one of the major accomplishments from Rubin’s Def Jam label was revolutionising the hip-hop song structure, which was also something he borrowed from another camp entirely, after becoming inspired by bands like The Beatles and wondering how he could work the same kind of magic elsewhere.
“Probably a couple of things,” Rubin once said, when asked about how Def Jam changed the landscape of hip-hop. On song structure, he noted how the Fab Four were a game-changer beyond rock ‘n’ roll. “I think that through The Beatles filter, you really get into songs,” he said. “While the feel of rap was great, and the message of rap was great at the time, it didn’t deliver the same song the way that The Beatles did.”
Rubin’s ability to blend different approaches from seemingly unrelated genres comes from the fact that he came up in rock and punk spaces, eventually becoming one of the best production masterminds of hip-hop while immersed in New York’s scene and while studying at NYU. With a heavy hand in launching acts like Run-DMC and LL Cool J, Rubin became a force of mainstream hip-hop and its subsequent convergence with rock and roll.
Looking at the producer’s extensive credentials, you’d probably assume that there’s a lot of hefty and meticulous knowledge at play whenever Rubin steps into a studio. That’s half true, as only someone who genuinely knows what they’re doing could pull off all of the masterpieces that Rubin has been involved with. However, a big part of Rubin’s game – and something that propelled both hip-hop and rock – was his intuition and ability to feel the groove first.
After all, it’s the one thing that people mention when discussing his craft, the good and the bad. Rubin is famous laidback and hands-off, letting the vibe flow wherever it wants to and knowing that excellence is drawn out by organic productivity, and never forced. Many of his favourite songs follow the same pattern. And many of those he’s helped to progress only did so by following his lead.
One of the songs that Rubin considers to be the same kind of groundbreaking was one largely considered a game-changer in the world of hip-hop: ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force. “One of the most influential songs of everything,” Rubin told Rolling Stone. “It changed the world.” He added, “At the time, we barely considered it a rap record. It was more about this new sound.”
As Rubin claimed, ‘Planet Rock’ wasn’t just a hip-hop record; in fact, it was barely a hip-hop record at all. Instead, it was an innovative blend of a subset of different features, setting a new standard for a variety of different rap and electronic styles. Many believe it was as crucial to the development of modern hip-hop as acts like Elvis Presley were to rock, becoming a major touchpoint for countless modern stars, from rap to house and techno.
One of the biggest achievements was how it pushed Roland TR-808 beats into hip-hop, culminating in what producer Arthur Baker described as a “marriage of electronic music with street culture and Black music”. As someone with an affinity for grooves that turn up and smash the place apart like nothing else, it’s no wonder that Rubin credited it as being the defining moment of the entire scene.
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