If you’re unfamiliar with Rick Rubin beyond being the barefoot Half Baked “guy” on Jay-Z’s couch in a Samsung commercial, this mix from Trackstar the DJ covers the basics, down to the Johnny Cash cover of “Hurt.” Because he is a human being who cares about your soul and sanity, he left out the Josh Groban. I suggest that you listen to this while reading the Rick Rubin chapter from The Big Payback, another excellent reminder that he was more than the guy who taught Kanye how to be a minimalist inside a $20 million Malibu mansion.
One of my high school friends has an uncle named Steve, who does nothing but live in Malibu and go on hikes every day and to the Venice Beach drum circle on the weekends. In fact, his business card just says “Steve, Venice Drum Circle.” A sub-caption reads: “Venice Beach where brooks and breeze meet the sand. Saturday and Saturday afternoons.” He is a pretty wild dancer, sort of like if the spirit of Fela Kuti was trapped in the body of an Austrian gnome. He has been to burning man 11 times. He is 66. I imagine he and Rick Rubin are best friends, as they look like identical twins. Considering that Rick Rubin continues to work and hasn’t descended into the drum circle scene, is a thing of great beauty. Salute this man.
Mix below the jump. Howdy’s and Hi’s to Smoking Section for the original reduction.
