Rick Rubin

Frederick Jay Rubin (born 1963) is a record producer and record label owner, best known for his work in the rap and heavy metal genres, and his combination of the two.

Once pre-recorded Hip-Hop became commerically availab

Frederick Jay Rubin (born 1963) is a record producer and record label owner, best known for his work in the rap and heavy metal genres, and his combination of the two.

Once pre-recorded Hip-Hop became commerically available rap records in 1979, the Hip-Hop scene was embraced by the Lower East Side Punk Rock and art community. As a result, many artists from The Bronx and Harlem began performing downtown, and Rubin found himself immersed in Hip-Hop culture. During this time, rappers often used the slang expression that their "style was death." Because "death" is pronounced "def" in African American Vernacular English (AAVN), Rubin did not realize that they were saying "death,"in AAVN but rather thought that "def" was a new slang term. Befriending Zulu Nation DJ Jazzy Jay, Rubin asked for help learning the ropes of Hip-Hop production. By 1983, the two men produced the track It's Yours for rapper T La Rock, and released it on their independent label Def Jam Records. However, it was seen only as a local record, so Jazzy got Arthur Baker involved to re-release the record worldwide on Baker's Streetwise Records. The song is seen as the first record to sustain the Roland TR-808 kick drum, inspiring the Miami Bass sub genre of Hip-Hop.