Jaden Smith has proved to be much more than just the sum of his famous parents. At 23 he’s spent more than half of his life working as an actor, a musician, and an entrepreneur. Since the release of Jaden’s debut mixtape in 2012, he has gone on to put out three studio albums that loosely follow a semi-autobiographical character named Syre who chases sunsets after a painful breakup. Jaden’s latest album, Cool Tape Volume 3: Day Tripper’s Edition, picks up with Syre’s personal journey—but this time around set to a psychedelic-rock inspired soundscape. 

On today’s episode, Jaden talks to Rick Rubin about an ex-girlfriend who inspired him to embrace the classic rock from the ‘60s and ‘70s that influenced his latest album. He also explains how recording with live musicians—as opposed to building tracks digitally—brought a newfound energy to his project. And Jaden also tells Rick how growing up in Malibu allows him to feel intimately connected to the Beach Boys.

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Check out a playlist of our favorite Jaden tracks HERE.