Rick Rubin, who co-executive produced Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP 2, recently detailed the Detroit, Michigan rapper’s collaboration with Kendrick Lamar on the project’s “Love Game” selection. In the interview, he also discussed the production on the album fitting Eminem’s style more than it would fit others’.
“One of the things that we did talk about a lot is that it felt like early in his career the tracks that he had—when I say the tracks, I mean the music—sounded like Eminem tracks,” Rubin says in an interview with Complex. “And you couldn’t necessarily have another emcee on them and have it make as much sense. The tracks had as much personality as he did. And I felt like more recently some of the tracks felt more like maybe they could have been on someone else’s record.
“For example, ‘Love Game’ is not a regular…You know, I don’t know if you want to hear Jay Z on that record,” Rubin continues. “I don’t know. There’s a quirkiness about Em where he can get away and make his own… these kind of stranger records. And I think it actually makes it a strength, the fact that it doesn’t sound like maybe what’s typical on whatever hot records you’re listening to now. It’s really different than that. I think that that’s a strength. My goal was always, I don’t want to make stuff that sounds like everything else or that fits in with what’s going on. I want to make interesting, challenging, unique, weird records.
“It’s almost like you like ‘em by default,” Rubin says. “Do you know what I mean? Because stylistically it’s not what you’re looking for. But for me that’s more interesting. A track like ‘Love Game’ reminds me of a track that we might have done with Run-DMC, like ‘It’s Tricky.’ It’s kinda in that wheelhouse of weird pop crossover. You know? It sounds wrong. It’s supposed to sound a little wrong. But that’s the strength in it—how do you make this work? Like, ‘Wow. I don’t really like this, but I want to listen to it again.'”
During the conversation, Rubin also talks about Kendrick Lamar‘s assistance on the track.
“They were not in the room together,” Rubin says of the collaboration. “They were in the room partially together, and it happened in Detroit. And I was not there when they were there. But I know Eminem left Kendrick to do it and when he came back Kendrick had done the hook, which is not what Eminem was expecting. He was expecting a verse. There was a miscommunication. And then Kendrick ended up staying and doing the verse. He thought he was gonna just do the hook.”
Rubin also discusses Lamar’s input on the track.
“Amazing,” Rubin says. “And, it sounds as if he is almost rapping as Eminem. It’s not… the lyrics are really different than what he seems to usually talk about.”
Rick Rubin Comments On Jay Electronica’s “Control” Verse
During the interview, Rubin is also asked how he felt regarding Kendrick Lamar’s verse on Big Sean’s “Control.”
“I can’t remember now,” Rubin says. “Honestly.”
When Complex’s interviewer notes that Kendrick “sort of upstaged Sean and Jay Elec and threw down the gauntlet towards a bunch of other rappers, bringing a spirit of competition back into the music,” Rubin says he does not view the verse the same way.
“Yeah, I didn’t hear it that way,” Rubin says. “I just thought he was incredible. And I actually quite like Jay Electronica’s verse as well. I loved it…No, I loved it…I like his whole mystical trip. I like the stuff he talks about.”
Rick Rubin Discusses Dr. Dre & N.W.A’s Straight Outta Compton
For The Marshall Mathers LP 2, Eminem enlisted his longtime collaborator, producer and mentor Dr. Dre to co-executive produce the album with Rubin.
“[Dr. Dre] mixed ‘Berzerk’ and I went to the mix and we hung out and talked about it,” Rubin says. “And it was great. I’ve known him for a long time. I first came to the studio when they were recording Straight Outta Compton, so I know him since then…And it’s the first time we’ve ever worked on anything together.”
Rubin says he “was a fan” of N.W.A and that he “liked them” at the time of their recording.
RELATED: Eminem Says Recording With Rick Rubin Was Intimidating
Hopefully i can work with rick rubin one day….and real rec real…Electronica be spitting that dope…. come check out my new music video “The Good Die Young 2K13” in 720/1080p HD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vp8lj_Smpw
I think you misspelled “Jay-Z”
There is no such thing as Jay “electronica”
C’mon, step your spelling game up, HHDX 🙁
I am just praying that you are either joking or trolling.
You must be alluding to the fact that Jay Electronica is elusive when it comes to releasing new material. If not, you’re a fucking moron.
Hov sounded dope on Hard Knock Life and the other song with the Oliver Twist sample
You mean “Annie” sample?
lmao Oliver Twist
The Jay-Z track with the Oliver sample is “I’d Do Anything”
Eminem made it very clear that he didn’t want to be in the same room with Kendrick. Real didn’t recognize real.
When did Em say that? Don’t make up things dickhead!
finally, someone who agrees lamar’s verse on control was overrated. jay electron had a better verse only nas could come up with a verse like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKLTjaJzEkU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgGakNJqLUg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHpnIXiffj8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpe1QieFGBw
lol I wonder how much rick jewbin was actually in the studio. Every band he is hired to work with always says the same shit after the session are done about how he was never there. Dude is overrated beyond belief.
ask the red hot chilli peppers. he produced some of their best albums. sometimes the best producers know when to not be hands on and just let the artist do them and just help here and there with shit that they know needs to be a certain way
I dont know who this old guy is, but he is cool cause Eminem worked with him 🙂
GAAY!!
Im a girl. but you have problem with gays, closet homo 🙂
rubin is the original super producer. he made the beats for beastie boys, run dmc and a few other big names from the 80’s, and also produced for thrash metal band slayer. his more recent work includes 99 problems by jayz.
9 years ago is recent?
the dude is a fucking super producer, he produced for the Beastie Boys, Run DMC, LL Cool J, Jazzy Jay, Public Enemy, Mick Jagger, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, ACDC, Aerosmith, Limp Bizkit, Jay Z, Justin Timberlake, Linkin Park, U2, Gaga, Adele, Lana Del Ray, Kanye, (And like a hundred other groups and artists) and now Em.
His more recent work includes Yeezus and MCHG.
Is Rick Rubin not that guy from the rockband ZZ Top?
til I saw the paycheck four $6778, I didn’t believe that my best friend was like they say truly erning money parttime from there computar.. there mums best friend started doing this for only seventeen months and a short time ago took care of the debts on their mini mansion and got a gorgeous Citron 2CV. these details http://www.wiki34.com
Not too much rappers in the game being vocal about some of the stuff going on. Always good to have someone like tyler who speaks their mind despite the possibilty of getting backlash beacause of doing so
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HoUwWem0wM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwWnlUQk67M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6tyx1z31xo