Rick Rubin
Birthday: Born in 1963-03-10 in Lido Beach, New York, USA
Deathday: Alive
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin (born March 10, 1963) is an American record executive and record producer. He is a co-founder (alongside Russell Simmons) of Def Jam Recordings, founder of American Recordings, and former co-president of Columbia Records. Rubin helped popularize hip-hop by producing records for acts such as the Beastie Boys, Geto Boys, Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. He has also produced hit records for acts from a variety of other genres, predominantly heavy metal (Danzig, Metallica, and Slayer), alternative rock (the Cult, Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Strokes and Weezer), hard rock (Audioslave and Aerosmith), nu-metal (Linkin Park, Rage Against the Machine, System of a Down), and country (Johnny Cash and the Chicks). In 2007, Rubin was called "the most important producer of the last 20 years" by MTV and was named on Time's list of the "100 Most Influential People in the World". His first book, The Creative Act: A Way of Being, was published in January 2023.
TV Credits
The Shop
Character: Self
A one-of-a-kind barbershop experience with unfiltered conversation and debate from the biggest names in sports and entertainment....
jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy
Character: Self (voice) (archive footage)
The lives of an emerging superstar and a filmmaker intertwine in this intense, intimate docuseries charting Kanye West's career, filmed over two decades....
McCartney 3, 2, 1
Character: Self
Paul McCartney sits down for a rare in-depth one-on-one with legendary producer Rick Rubin to discuss his ground breaking work with The Beatles, the emblematic 70s arena rock of Wings and his 50 years and counting as a solo artist....
Shangri-La
Character:
An intimate look at the creative process through the lens of legendary music producer Rick Rubin....
This Is Pop
Character: Self (archive footage)
Unknown histories take center stage as the hitmakers themselves - from ABBA to T-Pain - explore dimensions of pop music you never knew existed....
Saturday Night Live
Character: Self - Musical Guest
A late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels. The show's comedy sketches, which parody contemporary culture and politics, are performed by a large and varying cast of repertory and newer cast members. Each episode is hosted by a celebrity guest, who usually delivers an opening monologue and performs in sketches with the cast, and features performances by a musical guest....
The Hip Hop Years
Character: Self
The Hip Hop Years is a three part series of one hour television documentaries, made for Channel 4 in 1999. The series was devised by David Upshal who produced, directed and narrated the series. He also produced the 33-track compilation CD which accompanied the series and co-wrote the book with Alex Ogg, also titled The Hip Hop Years. The series charts the definitive story of Hip Hop, rising from the streets of the Bronx to become, what Upshal calls, "the new Rock'n'Roll". The programmes combin...
WWE SmackDown
Character: Self
The superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment's "SmackDown" brand collide each and every Friday on WWE Friday Night SmackDown....
Movie Credits
Dixie Chicks: Shut Up and Sing
Character: Self
Shut Up and Sing is a documentary about the country band from Texas called the Dixie Chicks and how one tiny comment against President Bush dropped their number one hit off the charts and caused fans to hate them, destroy their CD’s, and protest at their concerts. A film about freedom of speech gone out of control and the three girls lives that were forever changed by a small anti-Bush comment...
Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free
Character: Himself
Drawn from a newly discovered archive of 16mm film showing Tom Petty at work on his 1994 record Wildflowers, considered by many including Rolling Stone to be his greatest album ever, Somewhere You Feel Free is an intimate view of a musical icon....
Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks
Character: Himself
An intimate look at Los Angeles-based funk rock foursome Red Hot Chili Peppers' creative process as they join producer Rick Rubin at a Hollywood Hills mansion to record their 1991 studio album 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', which would go on to propel the band into critical acclaim and worldwide popularity....
Krush Groove
Character: Rick
Russell Walker is a young, successful manager of rap performers, handling acts for the Krush Groove label, including Run-DMC and The Fat Boys. When Run-D.M.C. has a hit record and Russell needs more money to press more copies, he borrows it from a street hustler and soon regrets his decision....
2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony
Character: Self
Filmed at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio, the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony honors inductees: Tina Turner, Carole King, The Go-Go's, JAY-Z, Foo Fighters, and Todd Rundgren; along with Kraftwerk, Charley Patton and Gil Scott-Heron; LL Cool J, Billy Preston and Randy Rhoads; Clarence Avant for the Ahmet Ertegun Award. The special music event also features a host of all-star presenters, performers, and special guests, including Angela Bassett, Christina Aguiler...
Fade to Black
Character: Self
An intimate look at hip-hop artist Shawn Carter, Jay-Z, revealing the multiple Grammy Award winning artist as never before, from his background and rise to fame to the recording of his last album. The film chronicles the legendary concert of Jay-Z's performance at Madison Square Garden in November 2003. In an unprecedented event, a hip-hop artist sold out an arena in only two hours. Nearly one year later, fans and artists alike still reflect on this monumental musical night. The event was a spec...
Sound City
Character: Self
The history of Sound City and their huge recording device; exploring how digital change has allowed 'people that have no place' in music to become stars. It follows former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighter David Grohl as he attempts to resurrect the studio back to former glories....
Circus Maximus
Character: Self
Travis Scott takes his audience on a mind-bending visual odyssey across the globe, woven together by the speaker rattling sounds of his highly anticipated upcoming album "UTOPIA". A surreal and psychedelic journey, uniting a collective of visionary filmmakers from around the world in a kaleidoscopic exploration of human experience and the power of soundscapes....
One Track Heart: The Story of Krishna Das
Character: Himself
Krishna Das is on a journey to India to discover legendary spiritual teacher Neem Karoli Baba, through drug addiction and depression, to his eventual emergence as a world-famous Kirtan singer....
500 Days in UCLA (Cut Footage Documentary)
Character: Self (archive footage)
Additional/cut footage from the leaked Kanye West documentary titled "500 Days in UCLA", directed by Nico Ballesteros. Includes a lengthy "presidential vlog" segment at the start documenting Kanye West's visit with former U.S. President Donald Trump....
Beastie Boys Story
Character: Self (archive footage)
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze....
Men Don't Leave
Character: Craig
A widowed mother and her two sons move to Baltimore and struggle to adjust to urban life, encountering numerous eccentric characters along the way....
Neil Young & Crazy Horse: World Record: The Making Of - A Chronicle of the Music
Character: Himself
Behind the Scenes / Making of documentary of Neil Young's 2022 album, 'World Record'...
Johnny Cash: American Rebel
Character: Self
Johnny Cash: American Rebel is built around 12 essential Johnny Cash tracks spanning four decades that each deliver the passion, musicality and messages against war, injustice, racism and prejudice, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Jackson,” “San Quentin,” “Man in Black,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “Ring of Fire” and “Hurt.” Each song illustrates a chapter in his life, as well the story of an ever-changing America from the 1950s to modern day, as told through interviews, archival concert foo...
Omar and Cedric: If This Ever Gets Weird
Character: Self
A film that charts the artistic and personal relationship between two era-defining artists, Omar Rodríguez-López and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (At the Drive-In/The Mars Volta), told almost entirely through hundreds of hours of self-shot footage filmed by Omar over the last 40 years....
Run DMC: Forever Kings
Character: Subject
Run DMC paved the way for rap artists of today when they broke onto the scene in the early 1980s. Pioneers of the ever-evolving genre, they knew early on that rap music was a force to be dealt with, and they've commanded respect ever since. With the passing of Jam Master Jay, one-third of their blockbuster team, the surviving members take a look back at their triumphant career as one of music's most important icons....
May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers
Character: Himself
An intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band The Avett Brothers, charting their decade-and-a- half rise, while chronicling their present-day collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin on the multi-Grammy-nominated album “True Sadness.”...
808
Character: Self
The inspiring story of the Roland TR808, from the creation of Planet Rock which established it as a dynamic modern instrument, to how it defined hip hop and modern dance culture, through to its continued use today....
Tougher Than Leather
Character: Vic Ferrante
Legendary hip-hop group Run-D.M.C. must find and punish the evil drug lord-record company executive who murdered their friend. Along the way, they encounter racist bikers, blonde bimbos, and the Beastie Boys!...
End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones
Character: Self
A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995....
The Cult: Pure Cult Anthology 1984-1995
Character:
An amazing video collection for any fan, covering all eras from Dreamtime through The Cult. This DVD includes an early TV appearance with "Spiritwalker", live performances of "Go West", "In the Clouds" and "Sun King", plus music videos from "Resurrection Joe" through "Coming Down", including the updated "She Sells Sanctuary MCMXCIII". Additional material includes 1986 and 1991 interviews, video introductions by Ian and Billy, the electronic press kit (EPK) for The Cult, and lots more!...
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream
Character: Self
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich and packed with rare concert footage and home movies, this documentary explores the history of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, including Petty's famous collaborations and notorious clashes with the record industry. Interviews with musical luminaries including Jackson Browne, George Harrison, Eddie Vedder, Roger McGuinn, Jeff Lynne, Dave Stewart and Petty himself shed some revelatory vision....
Black Sabbath: 13
Character: Himself
The making of the reunion album '13', featuring original band members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, with Brad Wilk on drums. Rick Rubin oversees the album's production....
The Making of Minutes to Midnight
Character: Self
Californian sextet Linkin Park simultaneously took inspiration from and expanded upon the hybrid of heavy rock, hip-hop, and electronics that made such bands as Korn and Limp Bizkit so successful at the tail end of the 1990s. This DVD/CD combo marks the rap-rock heavyweight's triumphant return after a four-year absence. Super producers Rick Rubin and Mike Shinoda join the band in crafting MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT, a full-length album that features the single "What I've Done." The DVD also includes do...
Linkin Park: Meeting of A Thousand Suns
Character: Self
A look at the creative process behind Linkin Park's 2010 album "A Thousand Suns"...
Truth to Power
Character: Self
The Grammy-winning lead singer of System of a Down, Serj Tankian helps to awaken a political revolution on the other side of the world, inspiring Armenia's struggle for democracy through his music and message....
The Nine Lives of Ozzy Osbourne
Character: Self
For over five decades, Ozzy Osbourne has personified rock and roll, from his childhood in poverty and time in prison, to fronting metal band Black Sabbath, a successful solo career and a lovable 21st century television dad....
Johnny Cash: The Last Great American
Character: Self
This first major retrospective of Cash's life, times and music features contributions from his daughter Rosanne Cash and son John Carter Cash, his longtime manager Lou Robin and fellow musicians including Little Richard, Cowboy Jack Clement, Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard and Elvis Costello....
I Am Johnny Cash
Character: Self
I am Johnny Cash is a celebration of the larger-than-life Johnny Cash from the unique perspective of the Man in Black's greatest songs the 'essentials'. Each song brings to life a chapter in the story of America from the 1950's to the modern day as we tour the life of musical and artistic expression of one of music's most notorious rebels....