taking requests, submissions, and asks template from @/ryunumber
the basis for Rubin numbers is to connect artists who have "actively worked on a track together", preferably in six connections or less. this is mostly decided using the credits of the track. clarifications below.
credits
credits to the original artist for covers, remixes, and samples generally do not count, except in the case the original artist produces original material for the track. by default, it is assumed they did not unless something on the track strongly suggests otherwise or it is confirmed by trustworthy primary sources.
for example, Eric Prydz's Call on Me samples Steve Winwood's Valerie, but since Steve Winwood rerecorded his vocal for the track, it qualifies.
in the case of posthumous features, the default assumption is that the deceased artist did not have input unless there is reason to believe otherwise.
for example, Mac Miller's Balloonerism was near completion by Mac Miller many years before his death. features on this album would count.
on the other hand, posthumous releases from artists such as XXXTentacion and Juice WLRD have little to no proof of collaboration between the deceased and featured artists. in cases where it is unclear, no collaboration is assumed.
credits for the whole album but not any particular track apply to all tracks.
many of Rick Rubin's credits are "executive producer", which concerns the album itself as an art object as opposed to any particular track. because of this, despite having a strong influence on the tracks and collaborating directly with the artists involved, he is often not credited on any one of them.
this rule is to account for this as well as other cases where a collaborator may be working on the album as an art object as opposed to any particular track, such as mastering engineers.
eligibility
connections are made through individuals.
the alias of the artist does not matter.
for example, Michael Jackson's label published a posthumous album with a Michael Jackson impersonator credited as if he were the real Michael Jackson. this would not count as Michael Jackson.
for artists with multiple aliases, the aliases are to be treated as one individual given they are the same person. when a connection is made in this manner, a footnote will be made.
bands can have specific numbers insofar as all the members of a band having the same number. however, connections can not be made through bands, only individual members of those bands. this matters in cases where bands rotate members or lack a consistent lineup.
fictional characters may be given Rubin numbers, however connections can not be made through the character, only through the person portraying the character. characters not portrayed by anyone, such as vocaloids, may have Rubin numbers, but connections can not be made through them.
only officially released tracks and their credits count.
uncredited appearances on a track only count if confirmed by trustworthy primary sources.
for example, it was a long time rumor that Michael Jackson had worked on the sonic 3 soundtrack. this is not enough for a connection. however, in 2022, Yuji Naka confirmed the rumor. this is enough.
unreleased/leaked tracks do not count.
live performances do not count unless officially released by one of the artists involved through either a streaming service or piece of physical media.