Today, few people have as long a history in the world of professional music-making as Rick Rubin.
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While he’s worked with everyone from Johnny Cash to the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rubin first made a name for himself in the 1980s as a student in New York City, helping to give life to the burgeoning world of mainstream rap music.
Before the art form became the most dominant around the world, before names like Jay Z and Eminem, and Dr. Dre became commercial giants, there was Rubin, working with the likes of Russell Simmons in the formative days and years of Def Jam.
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But along with helping to promote the groups and build their reputation, did you know Rubin also helped write some of the most important early hip-hop hits? In those nascent years, Rubin worked with the likes of the Beastie Boys, Run-DMC, and LL Cool J.
1. “It’s Tricky,” Run-DMC
Written by Rick Rubin, Jam Master Jay, D.M.C., Run
Perhaps the most important rap group of all time, Run-DMC was the first to bring the musical genre from the niche to the mainstream. With its black sunglasses, Adidas shell-toe sneakers, and catchy sound, all of those who have come after the trio owes a debt of gratitude to the work Run-DMC did for the hip-hop genre. With songs like “Walk This Way” and “Christmas in Hollis,” the group breathed real life into the sound.
But they were also helped by Rubin. Before he would produce songs like Jay Z’s “99 Problems,” Rubin was aiding Run-DMC in the creation of their songs, which include “Can You Rock It Like This,” which was written by Rubin, Larry Smith, and LL Cool J. But here, we want to highlight one of Run-DMC’s best-known songs, “It’s Tricky.”
Written by the trio and Rubin, “It’s Tricky” has been in movies, video game soundtracks, and sports stadiums and played countless times on the radio. The song was the fourth single released from Run-DMC’s third album, Raising Hell, released in 1987. Rubin helped to produce the song, which peaked at No. 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and No. 21 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs. In the U.K. it hit No. 16 on the Singles Chart.
As with “99 Problems” decades later, “It’s Tricky” included elements of rock music. Rubin loves metal, as well as hip-hop. So, the electric guitar features prominently on this track. The song, which includes samples of “My Sharona” by the Knack, along with the vocal structure from “Mickey” by Toni Basil, was later involved in a lawsuit over the “My Sharona” sample. That case was later settled out of court.
2. “Rock the Bells,” LL Cool J
Written by LL Cool J and Rick Rubin
LL Cool J, who came around in the mainstream shortly after Run-DMC began earning success in the ’80s, also worked with Rubin on songwriting. Rubin helped LL with writing and producing tracks, too, including LL songs like “Going Back to Cali” and “I Can’t Live Without My Radio.” But one of the most successful songs the two worked on together is “Rock the Bells,” which is one of LL Cool J’s all-time hits.
As with “It’s Tricky,” this hit single also features rock elements, including the electric guitar. Released in 1985, the song was released on LL’s album, Radio, and peaked at No. 17 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Strangely, the single doesn’t feature any bells, but its original cut, which ran over seven minutes, did. That one was only released on vinyl and is much rarer these days.
“Rock the Bells” was so successful, that LL Cool J later sampled it for another mega-hit of his, “Mama Said Knock You Out,” which was released on the LP of the same name.
3. “Fight for Your Right (to Party),” the Beastie Boys
Written by Rick Rubin, Mike D, Ad Rock, MCA
If Run-DMC brought hip-hop to the mainstream, the Beastie Boys brought it to the next level, bringing whole new audiences into the rap tent, so to speak. Comprised of three white New York City fellas, the group was a huge success and their debut LP, License to Ill, was for decades the biggest-selling rap record of all time. Today, the 1986 LP is seventh all-time in that category, with No. 1 being the 2002 album, The Eminem Show, by Eminem.
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While the Beastie Boys later separated themselves from their party anthems of their early years, as they tended toward more cerebral songs on albums like Paul’s Boutique, it is undeniable that their singles like “No Sleep till Brooklyn” and “Girls” were big reasons why the trio of rappers made such big waves.
On their biggest hit, “Fight for Your Right (to Party),” Rubin was employed for the beat, which again took advantage of his love for rock and the electric guitar. Written by the Beasties and Rubin, the song was one of many they worked on together, including others like “Paul Revere,” “Brass Monkey” the aforementioned “Girls” and “No Sleep till Brooklyn.”
The song was released on the 1986 LP and hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1987.
Photo by Shareif Ziyadat/Getty Images
