Kanye’s Sonic Boom: Inside Rick Rubin’s Alchemist Act on “Yeezus”
The Music industry awoke to a sonic earthquake in the summer of 2013. More than the album, the Kanye West’s Yeezus was a declaration of hostility. The soul music sampling, orchestral flourish that characterized his past albums had disappeared. In its place, Yeezus banged with a brutal, industrial force; a mélange of hip hop, electronica, and something more basic entirely. Behind this musical coup d’état reigned a shock villain: Rick Rubin.
Rubin came into the game when we had just three weeks left before the release. It was indeed no project but not time to waste either. We recorded through sleepless nights for the next fifteen days. We worked around sixteen hours a day. It was a hard time, yet it was full of creativity. We all had a vision and wanted to make something that had never been made before.
Rick Rubin in studio fixing Kanye’s record breaking album before launch PIC.TWITTER.COM/JGR4GECRIY
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This minimalist took Kanye’s bold energy down a notch. Together, they started taking the songs apart note by note. Remove the layers, cut the stuff that didn’t need to be there, all to leave the raw, rebellious edge Kanye was after.
It was Rubin’s guidance that made Yeezus. He kept it edgy enough to not feel like an album of chest-pounding distortion. In that sense, Yeezus was punk, Suicide-like, raw and abrasive. It wasn’t hip-hop or industrial; it was its sound, the sonic equivalent of a middle finger.
Rubin has been whispered to have arrived at the eleventh hour to save a drowning project. The reality is more complicated. “Yeezus” might not have been about to fall apart, but Rubin proved instrumental. His was a relationship that went beyond mere production; it was a union built amid the volcanos of artistic ambition. They did deadlines and industry madness. They worked on artistic perfection.
Rick Rubin’s legacy as an alchemist of sound precedes him. His minimalist touch and uncanny ability to refine an artist’s vision are legendary. “Yeezus” stands as another testament to this prowess. This story is about an innovative album and a game-changing partnership. It shows the power of shared goals and a search for artistic truth. In music’s changing world, “Yeezus” stands out. Its sound is unforgettable, thanks to Rick Rubin. He’s the genius who amplified Kanye West’s impact.
