The Confidence of Taste
How Rick Rubin gets paid for what he feels. And why that matters now.
Dear Friends,
The first time the name Rick Rubin crossed my path was when I saw a photo-series about this beautiful minimalistic house in Malibu.
Then some months later I saw a pretty designed book appearing in several art-book-stores. It was called: The Creative Act: A Way of Being.
Because I studied graphic design and went deep into the fetish of beautiful books, especially books about design and creativity – I did not give this book a lot of attention. Just another pretty book for upcoming creatives…
Around the same time, I came across a video clip of a guy with a big beard saying that he gets paid for the confidence he has in his own taste and his ability to express what he feels.
That sentence stuck with me. Especially now, in the age of AI, creatives no longer need to master every technical detail. More and more, their role is becoming that of directors and curators.
So now I was curious. How is this Rick Rubin guy?
Turns out that he is THE most influential producer of modern music.
He co-founded Def Jam Records in the 80s, bringing hip hop into the mainstream with artists like Run-D.M.C. and the Beastie Boys, and then went on to work across nearly every genre. From Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and System of a Down to Johnny Cash, Adele, Eminem, Kanye West, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, and Shakira.
How did I not know this guy?
What does a music producer actually do?
Maybe I should check out this book?
I’m currently listening to the audiobook, which is divided into short chapters. Each a meditation on a specific topic like habits, distraction, or openness. What I like is how he explores these ideas without judgment or dogma.
But what really caught me was his podcast called Tetragrammaton. He has conversations with people like Paula Scher, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Terry Gilliam or RZA. And unlike many podcasts, this one feels very peaceful, free of judgements and creativity driven.
Then a friend showed me a brilliant website: The Way of Code where Rick Rubin explores the playful and philosophical side of coding in the age of AI.
In it, he reimagines Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching through the lens of vibe coding. He blends ancient wisdom with interactive, generative code pieces.
I find myself somewhat aligned with his explorations, his interests, and his way of seeing the world. I will dig deeper…
Much love,
Marius
