Kanye West got some unexpected backup on his newest album "Yeezus": mega-producer Rick Rubin. West was quoted as saying "It was good for me to go to the god, Rick Rubin, and play him my sh-, ask him questions, and allow him to take this project to an entirely new level." 

The fact that Kanye West not only didn't refer to himself as the expert and authority (on all things, all the time, everywhere), but that he would reference another in such a reverent manner shows you the type of person that we're dealing with.

Legendary producer Rick Rubin was asked by West to help finish the album only a few weeks before its due date. Rubin tells the story like this:

"Kanye came over to play me what I assumed was going to be the finished album at three weeks before the last possible delivery date. We ended up listening to three hours of partially finished pieces. The raw material was very strong but hadn't yet come into focus. Many of the vocals hadn't been recorded yet, and many of those still didn't have lyrics. From what he played me, it sounded like several months more work had to be done. I joined the project because after discussing what he had played for me, he asked if I would be open to taking all of the raw material on and help him finish it."

This could mean several things, anything from Kanye's sudden humility to his insecurity, but one thing is clear: He wanted this album to be not just good, but great. The fact that he brought in the same heavyweight who made records for Metallica, The Beastie Boys, Johnny Cash and more shows his commitment.

This is great news for fans of hip-hop, of Kanye, or of Rubin's work. Hopefully this release will live up to every expectation.