Rick Rubin

And if you can figure out why, or if you think you know why, then you can say, hmm, could it be this, this, or this? Let's try those things. See what happens.

And if you can figure out why, or if you think you know why, then you can say, hmm, could it be this, this, or this? Let's try those things. See what happens.

I'll say when we're starting a new project, I always have anxiety. Really? Always. Because I don't know what's going to happen. You know, there's a real question mark when we walk in to start. And I know that it could go a lot of different ways. And I don't have... I'm not interested in having a playbook in advance. I'm interested in seeing where it's going to go. And it's scary because...

I'll say when we're starting a new project, I always have anxiety. Really? Always. Because I don't know what's going to happen. You know, there's a real question mark when we walk in to start. And I know that it could go a lot of different ways. And I don't have... I'm not interested in having a playbook in advance. I'm interested in seeing where it's going to go. And it's scary because...

it could not go good. And sometimes some artists have an expectation that I'm going to do something. I can't do anything. It's either going to happen or it's not going to happen. But then usually within, sometimes it's the first day, sometimes it's the third day, sometimes it's the second week, where something happens like, whoa, what was that? How did that happen?

it could not go good. And sometimes some artists have an expectation that I'm going to do something. I can't do anything. It's either going to happen or it's not going to happen. But then usually within, sometimes it's the first day, sometimes it's the third day, sometimes it's the second week, where something happens like, whoa, what was that? How did that happen?

And then that might give us a clue. It's like, oh, this is what it wants to be. And that may change also. That may be the first inclination. It could start that way, and then it makes a left turn, turns into something completely different. The work itself tells us where it wants to go. So because we have, the reason it's so scary is because we have so little control over it. That's what's scary.

And then that might give us a clue. It's like, oh, this is what it wants to be. And that may change also. That may be the first inclination. It could start that way, and then it makes a left turn, turns into something completely different. The work itself tells us where it wants to go. So because we have, the reason it's so scary is because we have so little control over it. That's what's scary.

No, because I know it's not in the interest of the work. It's like we're all on the same page. Even the people we're ignoring, the record companies, the managers, the agents, the people who are yelling, I need this, I need this now. Ultimately, for everyone involved, if the artist makes the best possible work that they can, everybody wins.

No, because I know it's not in the interest of the work. It's like we're all on the same page. Even the people we're ignoring, the record companies, the managers, the agents, the people who are yelling, I need this, I need this now. Ultimately, for everyone involved, if the artist makes the best possible work that they can, everybody wins.

It's just that no one involved in the process understands what it takes for that thing to happen. I had a conversation with a basketball player, a member of the Golden State Warriors, who told me there's all this pressure now to do a lot of stuff on social media. He said, and it's getting in the way of our playing.

It's just that no one involved in the process understands what it takes for that thing to happen. I had a conversation with a basketball player, a member of the Golden State Warriors, who told me there's all this pressure now to do a lot of stuff on social media. He said, and it's getting in the way of our playing.

And I said, well, if you tell the people who are asking you to do the social media stuff, don't you want us to win? It's like, if you want us to win, let us focus on winning. And he said, they don't seem to care. They want us to do the social media stuff. They want us to distract ourselves from, From the work of the game, from the flow, from the practice, putting in the reps.

And I said, well, if you tell the people who are asking you to do the social media stuff, don't you want us to win? It's like, if you want us to win, let us focus on winning. And he said, they don't seem to care. They want us to do the social media stuff. They want us to distract ourselves from, From the work of the game, from the flow, from the practice, putting in the reps.

And then I say, well, if then it's up to you, what's more important to please them or to win?

And then I say, well, if then it's up to you, what's more important to please them or to win?

The first thing that comes to mind would be Johnny Cash because he had gone, you know, 25 years of not having success and he had been dropped from two labels. And when I signed him, he didn't, he didn't even know why I was interested. That really was a conversation. It's like, what, why, what do you think, why do you think working with you is going to be any different than working with anyone else?

The first thing that comes to mind would be Johnny Cash because he had gone, you know, 25 years of not having success and he had been dropped from two labels. And when I signed him, he didn't, he didn't even know why I was interested. That really was a conversation. It's like, what, why, what do you think, why do you think working with you is going to be any different than working with anyone else?

Like he had given up. Um, And for him to get into it, we recorded in my living room. And he would just play me songs on an acoustic guitar. And there was an honesty in what was happening there. We didn't know that we were making a record. At that time, we were just looking for songs. So he was playing me songs. It was almost like a way for us to musically meet each other.

Like he had given up. Um, And for him to get into it, we recorded in my living room. And he would just play me songs on an acoustic guitar. And there was an honesty in what was happening there. We didn't know that we were making a record. At that time, we were just looking for songs. So he was playing me songs. It was almost like a way for us to musically meet each other.