What podcasts say about Rick Rubin
Every statement, with the speaker, the exact quote and the moment it was said.
What Rick Rubin has said on podcasts
85 statements · 47 positive · 19 negative · 4 mixed · 15 neutral
- on Institutional education and creativityNegativeSep 21, 2026· The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
Institutions suppress creativity by conditioning people to follow rules.
“creativity is beaten out of us over the course of our lives”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:05
The best creative outcomes require taking risks.
“all of the best things involve risk”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:22
Extreme, indefensible choices may be necessary for meaningful art.
“in making art, indefensible is actually a good thing. Maybe not only a good thing, maybe a necessary thing.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 4:25
Personal and professional labels restrict people.
“Any label that you put on yourself or that's put on you makes you smaller.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 9:03
Optimizing art for universal approval produces less challenging work.
“If you make something where you think this is for everyone or they're going to love it, it's like, uh, it's too easy.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 9:58
Rubin’s creative process rejects near-term commercial incentives.
“We never consider near-term incentive ever at any point in time.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 12:05
Rubin prioritizes enduring work over short-term commercial performance.
“We're making things forever.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 12:15
The rap-rock genre was declining over the long term.
“long-term, The genre was dying.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 14:54
Rubin consistently chooses personal artistic preference over safer creative options.
“I have always taken the risk. I've always made my favorite thing.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 16:12
99 Problems gained substantial impact despite initially sounding unlike radio music.
“So when it eventually got on the radio, it had a big impact.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 19:11
System of a Down’s song Sugar became the station’s top requested song within a year.
“One year later, number one song on the station, most requested.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 19:58
Transcendental Meditation substantially changed Rubin’s life.
“It changed me.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 21:14
Rubin recommends practicing Transcendental Meditation at least daily.
“20 minutes, at least once a day, typically twice a day.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 23:50
Work that personally inspires creators is likely to retain greater long-term value.
“long-term, chances are the one that lights you up is going to have more value to you”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 31:27
Everyone possesses creative capacity, even if they do not exercise it.
“We're all creative.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 32:16
People can improve at activities through training, even without elite potential.
“I know that I could get better at baseball.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 33:19
Kanye West and Drake should not be evaluated as direct artistic competitors.
“There's no competition there. They do two totally different things.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 34:46
Rubin sets deadlines only after a creative project’s direction is established.
“The first time we would ever establish a deadline is when we already know we've cracked the code.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 36:22
Creative or business ideas may require decades before becoming successful.
“sometimes you build it and it doesn't work for 20 years, and then it becomes Amazon.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 37:54
People pursuing creative ambitions may need separate employment for financial stability.
“you may want to have an actual job to pay the bills while you're doing that.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 41:55
Financial pressure can degrade creative decision-making.
“Don't put the pressure of that on your art, because then you won't make the best decisions.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 43:45
Rubin coaches by clarifying artists’ goals and supporting their chosen process.
“I ask, what do you hope to accomplish? And then I'd support that process.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 44:21
Most people lack confidence in their own judgment because of social conditioning.
“Most people don't trust themselves.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 46:53
Rubin evaluates promising creative ideas through intuition rather than explicit analysis.
“There is no knowing. It's a knowingness.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 51:15
Rubin does not set goals in his own life.
“None.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 51:44
Long-term plans and fixed goals can unnecessarily constrain people.
“It seems like a terrible limitation.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 53:38
Leaving destructive jobs or relationships can be justified when commitments become harmful.
“It's okay to hit the reset button”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:04:24
Rubin does not make creative decisions primarily for financial gain.
“I never make a decision for a financial reason.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:07:28
- on Rick Rubin’s professional transitionPositiveSep 21, 2026· The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett
Leaving the destabilizing company resolved Rubin’s professional crisis.
“I ended up leaving the company, starting a relationship with a new company. Everything was fine.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:10:03
Rubin used antidepressant medication during a prolonged depressive episode.
“ended up using an antidepressant drug”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 1:11:45
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.
What others have said about Rick Rubin
4 statements · 4 positive
Rubin consistently chooses personal artistic preference over safer creative options.
“I have always taken the risk. I've always made my favorite thing.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 16:12
Rubin coaches by clarifying artists’ goals and supporting their chosen process.
“I ask, what do you hope to accomplish? And then I'd support that process.”
Open the episode · Rick Rubin: What Jay-Z Did in 30 Minutes Left Me Speechless!Listen at 44:21
Marcus evaluates Rick Rubin as representing the consumer’s perspective in music.
“I think he has been like the, you know, the voice of, like, the consumer.”
Open the episode · #2499 - Marcus KingListen at 2:12:08
Joe says Rick Rubin’s unique sensibility helps shape music production and creation.
“his sensibility, like, he. He has a. It's like a very valuable position. Person just with a unique mind that is just helping shape how music gets produced and created”
Open the episode · #2499 - Marcus KingListen at 2:13:12
Statements are attributed to the speaker as said on the episode and reflect their view at the time, not PodLume's. They are not advice.