Rick Rubin drops knowledge on Genius

Rick Rubin is lifting the curtain on some of rap’s biggest hits on Genius.com. If you know RapGenius.com you know Genius.com. The former was a web site that annotated rap lyrics and became popular enough to draw serious investors and the attention of copyright lawyers. The popularity came in part as artists such as Nas not only endorsed, but contributed to the site annotating and offering commentary on their own lyrics.

In July of this year RapGenius.com became Genius.com a rebranding that saw the site reposition itself beyond rap. Genius.com houses annotations of all genres of music, along with novels, movie scripts, speeches by Abraham Lincoln and a Tylenol bottle.

While the Tylenol bottle is riveting stuff, the contributions from Rick Rubin on Genius are like micro making ofs. It’s like having a drink with the guy who was there when the beat first dropped. Rick Rubin was an architect of hip hop who went on to become a zen master of pop. He’s produced everyone from Jay Z to Black Sabbath to Lana Del Rey to Johnny Cash. The list is as long as it is varied and speaks to Rubin’s genius and knowledge. Not to mention, he created the prototype for the hipster beard. (This last bit of information is unverified.)

Check it here.