The Reading Octagon

Episode #1881

Rick Rubin

· 2 books mentioned

Books mentioned

  1. Born Standing Up

    Steve Martin

    Mentioned by Rick Rubin · at 01:29:06 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

  2. Diet for a New America

    John Robbins

    Mentioned by Rick Rubin · at 02:14:27 · ▶︎ Watch this moment on YouTube (approximate)

    Amazon (opens in a new tab; affiliate link) Source: Transcript (podscripts.co)

Timestamps are segment start times from the podscripts.co transcript of the audio release (includes ad reads), so they may differ from the video by a few minutes.

Rick Rubin, co-founder of Def Jam Recordings and head of American Recordings, reflects on early hip-hop, producing LL Cool J and Run-D.M.C., and the creative freedom behind Paul’s Boutique. He and Joe Rogan discuss comedy, improvisation, collaboration, recording environments, and the autobiographical origins of Rubin’s book, along with a near-fatal house fire, his health changes, training, pro wrestling, catch wrestling, and mixed martial arts.

What they talked about

  • Rick Rubin's early days in punk and hip-hop
  • The birth of Def Jam Records in a dorm room
  • The creative process and trusting instinct
  • Sampling as a new form of music creation
  • Work ethic vs. talent in comedy and music
  • Rick Rubin's health transformation and cold exposure
  • Jiu-jitsu and the art of submission grappling
  • Making decisions based on personal taste, not others' opinions

Data last updated · Report a mistake · How it works: mentions are pulled from public transcripts and episode descriptions, partly with AI-assisted extraction, so details and timestamps can be off.

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