Beastie Boys & Rick Rubin Reunite After 20 Years To Reflect On Debut Album

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On the latest episode of "Broken Record," Rick Rubin reunites with Beastie Boys for the first time in 20 years.

There aren't that many producers who are as accomplished as Rick Rubin. From the days of hanging out with the Beastie Boys in a college dorm room, he's gone on to produce records for everyone from Jay-Z to Slipknot. But it's Licensed To Ill that really started it all for him. The project was released nearly 35 years ago, though apparently, it's been nearly 20 since Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys have been together.

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On the latest episode of Broken Record, Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys sat down alongside Spike Jonze for an in-depth conversation surrounding the groundbreaking License To Ill. This marked the first time in roughly 20 years that Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and Rubin had spoken, though it should be noted that it wasn't out of animosity, but just because they haven't. The episode includes a recounting of the making of Licensed To Ill, including the years inside of Rubin's college dorm. They also speak on some of their moments on the road together at the peak of Beastie Boys' fame. 

The group also recounted plenty of stories of their late group member, Adam Yauch, who passed away from cancer in 2012. For anyone interested in diving deep into the history of Beastie Boys, this is definitely a podcast you want to tune into. Check out the latest episode of Broken Record below. 


About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.
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