Rick Rubin Quotes

“Everything happens kind of the way it's supposed to happen, and we just watch it unfold. And you can't control it. Looking back, you can't say, 'I should've... ' You didn't, and had you, the outcome would have been different.”

“Everything I do, whether it's producing or signing an artist, always starts with the songs. When I'm listening, I'm looking for a balance that you could see in anything. Whether it's a great painting or a building or a sunset.”

“For me The Beatles are proof of the existence of God.”

“Holding your work hostage to your meaning is a limitation.”

“I don't even know what a traditional producer is or does. I feel like the job is like being a coach, building good work habits and building trust. You want to get to a point where you can say anything and talk about anything. There needs to be a real connection.”

“I don't know what makes someone hip. The goal is artist achievement and the best work we can do with no limitation.”

“I guess edgy things tend to get my attention.”

“I like things that are unique and extreme.”

“I never decide if an idea is good or bad until I try it. So much of what gets in the way of things being good is thinking that we know. And the more that we can remove any baggage we're carrying with us, and just be in the moment, use our ears, and pay attention to what's happening, and just listen to the inner voice that directs us, the better.”

“I never had the feeling I ever had to make a dime doing anything.”

“I never made beats to make beats; I only made them when there was a record to make them for. That's one of the things that has changed in hip-hop that's made me like it less. It feels much more like it's a producer-driven medium, where there are all these tracks that are completely interchangeable.”

“I never really think so much about commercial success; I usually just think about records that move me, and 'Baby Got Back' was one that moved me.”

“I really like the challenge of working with different kinds of music. I feel like my role is really like a coach, so I feel like I can do my job for different kinds of music that may not necessarily be what I listen to.”

“I was the only punk rocker at my high school. And there were at least a handful of black kids who liked hip-hop. Both were kind of the new music of the day, and it was lonely being the only punk.”

“I was very lucky. My neck hurt and I went to my doctor, who was kind of hip, and he said it was stress-caused and that I needed to learn how to meditate. So I learned how to do Transcendental Meditation.”

“I'm just trying to make my favorite music. That's how I work; I just do things based on the way they feel to me. I want to be touched by the music I'm making. Luckily, other people have shared that response to my work over the years.”

“I've always been an outsider. When I did magic, I was the only kid. When I worked with Johnny Cash, I was completely out of place in Nashville. And when I started Def Jam, I was the only white guy in the hip-hop world.”

“It's a big theme in my life, learning about myself and being a better person. I'm a work in progress; I have revelations every day.”

“My taste changes radically all the time, and I listen to whatever feels good. Another thing is that I'm in the studio so much of the time, and I listen to so much loud, aggressive music for work, that for pleasure, I'll listen to something else.”

“People are willing to get short-term gains at the risk of long-term choices...”

“Reduce your work to the absolute essentials you can't live without.”

“The power of nature is what all art strives to be. The more we can get in tune with the harmony of the planet, the more our art can benefit from that relationship.”

“There's just a natural human element to a great song that feels immediately satisfying. I like the song to create a mood.”

“There’s a tremendous power in using the least amount of information to get a point across.”

“Usually when I start a new project there's a fear of the unknown; maybe it's a band I've never been in the studio with before. People are so different. It's almost like you need to go through the process, discover and unlock what it is that makes that band that band. And a lot of times they don't know it.”

“When you're vegan, you spend your time chasing protein, and you're eating food that's way too high in carbs. I could never catch up on protein.”

“The technology is getting better. There will be a day when you'll be able to hear any music you want, anywhere you are, on demand, in a quality that is as good as when it was made. Things are moving in that direction.”

“Are you leading? Or following? And does it matter?”

“Aspiring artists have a desire to be seen. Established artists face the pressure of knowing they'll be seen.”

“Avoid thinking of your old work as being better or worse than your new work. It's always different – a new reflection of a new you, the result of more time.”