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Rick Rubin Interview (Full Episode) | The Tim Ferriss Show (Podcast)

Rick Rubin has been called “the most important [music] producer of the last 20 years” by MTV. In this episode, we delve into how Rick helps artists (e.g. Jay Z, Shakira, Johnny Cash, etc.) produce their best work. Not only that, we also discuss Rick’s step-by-step experience losing 135+ pounds. He describes underwater weightlifting stories, training with Laird Hamilton, testing different diets, and much more. Rick’s resume includes everyone from Johnny Cash to Jay Z. His metal artists include groups like Black Sabbath, Slayer, System of a Down, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, and Linkin Park. He’s worked with pop artists like Shakira, Adele, Sheryl Crow, Lana Del Rey, and Lady Gaga. He’s also been credited with helping to popularize hip hop with artists like LL Cool J, The Beastie Boys, Eminem, Jay Z, and Kanye West. And that’s just a small sample. This conversation teaches a cohesive lesson in breaking down complex skills with deep and subtle problem solving. Enjoy! Intro [00:00] How Rick lost 135 pounds [7:50] Rebuilding your circadian rhythm for the first time [10:50] What does Rick Rubin “do”? [22:45] Transitioning into a career of record producing [23:35] On letting music be discovered vs. manufactured [24:30] What gets in the way of artists producing their best work [26:05] Recommendations for contemporary music [30:55] How Rick learned music was something he could do as a career [34:00] Hip-hop to heavy metal and how to approach music with appreciation [38:05] Working with artists in different genres: LL Cool J to Slayer [40:15] Meditation and managing disruption [42:40] Who comes to mind when Rubin thinks of the word “successful” [46:50] Lessons learned from time spent with Don Wildman [49:45] Most gifted books and favorite documentaries [51:35] Managing the experience of overwhelm [54:30] About Rick Rubin’s cameo for 99 Problems and Jay Z’s creative process [56:50] On being introduced to the sauna/ice-bath combination [1:00:10] Underwater weight training and lessons from Laird Hamilton [1:02:15] Other exercises: Hyperbaric oxygen and the Wim Hof method [1:08:35] How Rubin uses small tasks to help others [1:10:05] Advice for his 20- and 30-year-old self [1:13:10] Connect with Rick Rubin: Follow Rick Rubin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rickrubin Follow Rick Rubin on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rickrubin63 Rick Rubin on Cultivating World-Class Artists (Jay Z, Johnny Cash, etc.), Losing 100+ Pounds, and Breaking Down The Complex Show Notes: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2015/05/15/rick-rubin/ SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/1dSzTkW About Tim Ferriss: Tim Ferriss is one of Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Business People” and an early-stage tech investor/advisor in Uber, Facebook, Twitter, Shopify, Duolingo, Alibaba, and 50+ other companies. He is also the author of five #1 New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestsellers: The 4-Hour Workweek, The 4-Hour Body, The 4-Hour Chef, Tools of Titans and Tribe of Mentors. The Observer and other media have named him “the Oprah of audio” due to the influence of his podcast, The Tim Ferriss Show, which has exceeded 200 million downloads and been selected for “Best of iTunes” three years running. Connect with Tim Ferriss: Visit the Tim Ferriss PODCAST: https://bit.ly/2rYjUBr Visit the Tim Ferriss BLOG: http://bit.ly/17jDHw3 Like Tim Ferriss on FACEBOOK: http://on.fb.me/1avYUxq Follow Tim Ferriss on TWITTER: http://bit.ly/17d94TE Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J Follow Tim Ferriss on INSTAGRAM: http://bit.ly/2IfH37J

Tim FerrisshostRick Rubinguest

Oct 29, 20151h 20mWatch on YouTube ↗

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WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

Rick Rubin on Weight Loss, Creativity, Sauna, Ice, and Success

Rick Rubin explains how he went from 318 pounds on a strict vegan diet to losing roughly 135 to 140 pounds, crediting a sequence of lifestyle changes from Phil Maffetone followed by a high-protein, low-calorie diet from a UCLA doctor.
Rubin describes his producing as helping artists give their best performance and find their own voice, while avoiding obstacles such as commercial pressure, competition, self-doubt, and ego.
He argues that the best art divides audiences, and that he approaches very different genres, from Slayer to Jay Z, as a fan rather than a technician.
Rubin shares how friends like Laird Hamilton, Chris Chelios, and Don Wildman shaped his sauna, ice bath, underwater training, and view of what a successful person looks like.
Rubin reflects on meditation since age 14, overwhelm, and being kinder to himself, advising his younger self to have more fun and telling Ferriss that perfectionism does not require self-punishment.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Order of changes mattered more than any single diet

Rubin says the Maffetone work on metabolism, circadian rhythm, and aerobic base had to come first, and he doubts the later high-protein, low-calorie diet would have worked without it.

Compete with yourself, not with others

Rubin says writing a better song tomorrow than yesterday is realistic, while trying to beat The Beatles is a hard road; he adds that creative work is more heart than head.

Great art divides the audience

Rubin says that if half the listeners love a record and half hate it, you have done well, whereas a record people find merely pretty good is not worth making.

Break impossible tasks into small pieces

Laird Hamilton taught Rubin to say "I haven't done it yet" and split exercises into thirds; Rubin now gives blocked artists tiny assignments like writing one word.

Listen closely and reflect back what people reveal

Rubin says people tell you a lot if you really listen, and he reflects back things they have said about themselves that they do not realize, helping them unlock their direction.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

The best art divides the audience, where you, you know, if you put out a record and half the people who hear it absolutely love it and half the people who hear it absolutely hate it, you've done well because it's pushing that, that boundary.

— Rick Rubin

If you can make a piece of music that can take your breath away as much as a beautiful sunset, you've done well.

— Rick Rubin

If you say, "I wanna write a better song tomorrow than the song I wrote yesterday," that's a realistic, that's something that can be done.

— Rick Rubin

At the end of the fourth or fifth or sixth round of being in an ice tub, there is nothing in the world that bothers you.

— Rick Rubin

If you really listen and pay attention to what people are saying, they'll let you know a lot of stuff.

— Rick Rubin

Weight loss transformationPhil Maffetone and circadian rhythmWhat a music producer doesObstacles to artistic workSauna and ice bath cyclingUnderwater training with Laird HamiltonDefining success and self-kindness

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