Rick Rubin's dorm room

Rick Rubin enrolled at New York University in 1981, initially as a philosophy major. In his sophomore year, he moved onto the eighth floor of Weinstein Hall dormitory. From there he ran his fledgling Def Jam company from a room described as "a swirl of 12-inch records, dirty T-shirts, tennis shoes [and] numerous turntables in various states of disrepair." In 1984, Rubin's work with T La Rock drew the attention of Russell Simmons, an aspiring hip-hop promoter from Queens. Simmons and Rubin became partners just prior to the first Def Jam label release, "I Need a Beat" by LL Cool J. Rubin continued to live in room 802 through the summer of 1985, and he released seven more Def Jam singles, including "Rock Hard" and "Beastie Groove" by the Beastie Boys and "Def Jam" and "Cold Chillin' in the Spot" by Jazzy Jay.