In his autobiography, the famous artist and producer Brian Eno wrote, “Value the ears that things sound good through.” This principle has provided Rick Rubin his livelihood: he has no formal musical training, yet he’s one of the world’s most famous producers. He’s been at the top, or close to it, ever since he arrived in 1984, with a label named Def Jam and a single, LL Cool J’s “I Need A Beat.” He seems to be experiencing (yet another) career renaissance, because the things that sound good through his ears often sound good through everyone else’s.

Rubin’s story in many ways resembles a classic American fairytale. He set up shop in his college room and received a demo from a young LL Cool J. With the help of Russell Simmons, he got the label Def Jam up and running, and Rubin produced a game-changing hip-hop trifecta in 1985 and 1986: LL Cool J’s Radio, Run-D.M.C.’s Raising Hell, and the Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill. Rubin advocated for shortened song lengths and powerful hooks, favoring smashing drum-machine beats punctuated with sudden bursts of noise: gnarled explosions of guitar (Run-D.M.C. ), screeches and squawks (the Beastie Boys’ “Brass Monkey”), and of course, record scratching (LL Cool J). These were elegant records that sounded rough and packed a punch—not only musically, but commercially. Licensed To Ill sold millions of copies.

Rubin expanded into other genres, and he soon became famous for career resuscitations. He sent the Red Hot Chili Peppers towards pop in 1991, reintroduced Johnny Cash to the world in 1994, and rejuvenated Neil Diamond in 2005. During the ‘00s, he mainly focused on rock, producing multiple albums for the Chili Peppers’, System of a Down, Slayer, and Weezer. His occasional excursions from this routine were more fruitful: Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” Shakira’s Oral Fixacion (Volumes 1 and 2), and Justin Timberlake’s Future Sex Love Sounds. Variety and first-encounters often lead to Rubin’s most inspired work.

This is why 2013 felt like a new burst of energy for him: he played an important role in a diverse set of albums from a heterogenous group of artists. Some of these were revitalization jobs; both Black Sabbath and Eminem were in need of new spark. Others were new connections that helped massive stars: he worked on Lady Gaga’s “Dope,” one of the most affecting songs on Artpop, her critical and commercial flop, and he provided 11th hour assistance to Kanye, whose Yeezus was critically-acclaimed but undersold. Other work may for the basis for future longstanding relationships, like when Rubin worked with a young English singer, Jake Bugg, on his second album.

With the Sochi Olympics launching tomorrow full of fail and homophobia–and apparently no toothpaste or Chobani yogurt–some wag has created a parody of Facebook’s Lookback video featuring high low points of Putin’s life. From pictures of Putin riding a bear and pointing high powered rifles to photographs of Pussy Riot behind bars and LGBTQ demonstrators getting beaten, this video is pointed and effective.

Happy Bob Marley Day Everybody!

As of this morning, and by order of Mayor Rob Ford, the city of Toronto will regard every February 6th from hereafter as “Bob Marley Day.”

The full proclamation reads;

Whereas each year on February 6, we honour the legacy of Robert (Bob) Nesta Marley, an influential musician, advocate for human rights and international ambassador of peace.

His early career began with friends, the legendary Wailers, “Bob Marley and the Wailers.” His music captivated people of all cultures, broke music barriers and helped introduce reggae music to the world.

Bob Marley became one of the greatest ambassadors of peace the world has seen. He used music to tear down the walls of apartheid and promoted African unity, culture and world peace both at home and internationally, with songs like One Love and Africa Unite. Today, his music continues to be loved by many and is instantly recognized around the world.

Now therefore, I, Mayor Rob Ford, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim February 6, 2014 as “Bob Marley Day” in the City of Toronto.

While Mayor Ford hasn’t always made the best decisions, any decision that results in listening to more Bob Marley is one that I can get 100% on board with.

If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to commemorate the day by watching the incredible documentary Marley (currently streaming on Netflix Instant) which tells the story of an artist who was devoted not only to his craft but also to wielding the power that it afforded him for good.

Today marks what would have been Marley’s 69th birthday.