BLaCk Bruce WaYnE MANOR

RICK RUBIN - ONE OF HIP HOP’S QUIET & SOMETIMES FORGOTTEN FOREFATHER

After hearing the news that the Beastie Boys and The Red Hot Chilli Peppers will be inducted into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, I had to pay homage to one person who clearly does not get enough credit. He’s also the other brain behind Run DMC and LL Cool J. This man’s music production catalog respectively stretches on both the rock-n-roll side & hip hop side. That man is Rick Rubin. The previous music acts were not the first music act that Rick Rubin was responsible for that landed themselves in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. For hip hop to even be recognized in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame is a feat in itself (In the 1980s, no one thought hip hop would last this long). One of his most recent contribution was his production on Adele’s album ‘21’.

I’m a major fan of hip hop and music period. My all-time favorite producer is Quincy Jones with Rick Rubin and Dr. Dre tied for second. I was amazed one day on Tumblr when someone posted a pic of Russell Simmons, Run DMC, The Beastie Boys and Rick Rubin; and the person responded ‘who is the dirty old guy?’ I was absolutely floored and scared for the young generation of hip hop of today. It was an example of the very little consideration for the past.

You can’t say LaFace Records without thinking of Babyface or L.A. Reid. You can’t say Motown without thinking of Berry Gordie. You can’t say Uptown Records without thinking of Andre Harrell, Heavy D. (RIP) and a restless intern named Sean “Puffy bka P.Diddy” Combs. AND you can’t say DEF JAM without Russell Simmons, LL Cool J and RICK RUBIN!!

Rick Rubin is a pillar in hip hop history who gets absolutely no love or credit for his contribution from a hip hop perspective. For some folks, Jay-Z’s 99 Problems video was probably the first time they might have even heard of Rick Rubin. If you are going to be a fan of hip hop or anything of that matter, try to get in touch with it’s background and history. You’ll be amazed at what the past can unfold for you and  how it can draw you closer as a fan. So lastly, whatever entity you maybe a fan of whether it be a sneaker company, an activist, a sports team or a musician, try to learn about it’s past.