Music Producer Rick Rubin Praises Eminem as the Most Obsessive Artist He’s Worked With

Rick Rubin says no other musician matches Eminem's intense focus in the studio. The famed producer shared this view while discussing their collaboration on "Berzerk" from 2013.

"He's a real, unbelievable student of hip-hop. He's maybe the most obsessive artist I've ever worked with in terms of someone who just full-time is writing lyrics. It's what he does," said Rubin to Rolling Stone.

Rubin, who helped shape the sound of Run-DMC and Beastie Boys, noticed how Eminem never stops writing. The Detroit rapper dedicates countless hours to perfecting his verses, which sets him apart from others.

Rubin recalled how the making of "Berzerk" sparked from an audio clip they heard of someone shouting "go berserk" on the news. The track grew from there, and they produced the beat using an 808 drum machine with samples from Billy Squier's "The Stroke."

Some guitar riffs from Rubin completed the sound. Studio sessions followed strict rules. The beat had to be locked in before Eminem would record alone. After that, the track stayed untouched.

"He writes into the music. He uses his voice as another instrument," Rubin stated.

That strict intensity and control over his music also came with drawbacks. When hackers leaked songs from his fifth studio album, Encore, Eminem rushed to create new ones quickly. That's how tracks like "Big Weenie" and "FACK" ended up on the project.

Most artists and producers focus on capturing feeling over perfection. Even top stars like Public Enemy and Tom Petty leaned that way. Yet Rubin says Eminem is different, and his attention to detail is on a whole other level.

Eminem's style raised the bar for other rappers' studio work. His dedication to craft pushed hip-hop's technical limits, influencing how many artists record today.