“I played a Gibson SG Junior. It was the guitar I used in my punk band – when my apartment got broken into in New York, it got stolen”: Yes, Rick Rubin played the opening riff on Beastie Boys’ No Sleep Till Brooklyn – he looks back at recording a classic

Left-Music producer Rick Rubin attends the 2016 Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted By Graydon Carter at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on February 28, 2016 in Beverly Hills, California; Right-The Beastie Boys sitting on stairs.

Producer extraordinaire Rick Rubin played a pivotal role in popularizing hip-hop with his groundbreaking work with Run-DMC, Public Enemy, and LL Cool J. One of his key contributions to the genre is his work on Licensed to Ill, the Beastie Boys' debut album, which gave rise to the hard rock crossover No Sleep Till Brooklyn.

While Kerry King's blistering solo steals the spotlight, Rubin holds his own on rhythm guitar – including the now-iconic opening riff.