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(Credits: Far Out \/ YouTube Still)<\/p>\n
Sun 14 December 2025 16:00, UK <\/p>\n
Condensing the sheer influence and power of Rick Rubin<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n After all, one of the major accomplishments from Rubin\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n \u201cProbably a couple of things,\u201d 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 \u2018n\u2019 roll. \u201cI think that through The Beatles filter, you really get into songs,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile the feel of rap was great, and the message of rap was great at the time, it didn\u2019t deliver the same song the way that The Beatles did.\u201d<\/p>\n Rubin\u2019s 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n Looking at the producer\u2019s extensive credentials, you\u2019d probably assume that there\u2019s a lot of hefty and meticulous knowledge at play whenever Rubin steps into a studio. That\u2019s half true, as only someone who genuinely knows what they\u2019re doing could pull off all of the masterpieces that Rubin has been involved with. However, a big part of Rubin\u2019s game \u2013 and something that propelled both hip-hop and rock \u2013 was his intuition and ability to feel the groove first. <\/p>\n After all, it\u2019s the one thing that people mention when discussing his craft, the good and the bad<\/a>. 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\u2019s helped to progress only did so by following his lead.<\/p>\n