“You crazy for this one Rick”. Not quite.
Former Def Jam Records founder and legendary–almost mythical–producer Rick Rubin has found his name up in lights once again in 2013, helping to engineer the completion of the year’s most talked about album, Yeezus, in a mere matter of days. The critically acclaimed LP went on to debut number one on Billboard, and, shortly after, he appeared in probably one of the greatest commercials we’ve ever seen.
It had nothing to do wit Yeezus though.
Jay-Z‘s manner of announcing his 12th album, Magna Carta Holy Grail (Roc Nation), was unorthodox, but telling. Featuring appearances from Rubin, Pharrell, Swizz Beatz, Timbaland, and Jay himself, the Samsung/Jay-Z commercial appeared to reveal that everyone involved in the 2-minute spot was working on what would apparently be one very good album. However, Rubin revealed to XXL today that he is in fact merely consulting Jay-Z, and not working on the album.
-Khari Nixon (@KingVanGogh)
“The point of me being in the commercials was that he was filming a documentary and he asked me—I imagine he’s just comfortable talking to me—to come listen to the songs with him and just talk about the songs. Just listen to it and talk about it, and that’s what we did. It was fun. I liked what I heard, but it was a little difficult—after just coming from the Kanye sessions—to listen to Jay’s album, because they’re so different. I was in a very alternative and progressive headspace, and Jay’s record is a more traditional hip-hop record.”
-Rick Rubin
