Rick Rubin Didn’t Work On ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’

Legendary producer Rick Rubin has been one of the prominent faces featured on Jay-Z’s new Samsung ads for “Magna Carta Holy Grail,” but he didn’t actually do anything on the upcoming album.

The bearded music guru, who recently executive produced Kanye West’s 6th studio album “Yeezus,” said that he only appeared in the ads because Jay wanted a familiar face to talk and bounce ideas with. “The point of me being in the commercials was that he was filming a documentary and he asked me—I imagine he’s just comfortable talking to me—to come listen to the songs with him and just talk about the songs,” Rubin told XXL. “Just listen to it and talk about it, and that’s what we did. It was fun.”

Rubin and Jay-Z famously worked together on the 2004 smash hit “99 Problems,” so it was assumed that they would be teaming up to make another classic together. When asked about what he thought of “Magna Carta Holy Grail” so far Rubin was very candid in his response.

“I liked what I heard, but it was a little difficult—after just coming from the Kanye sessions—to listen to Jay’s album, because they’re so different,” he said. “I was in a very alternative and progressive headspace, and Jay’s record is a more traditional hip-hop record.”

I.M.