J. R. Rotem
J.R. Rotem | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Reuven Rotem |
| Born | 1975 (age 49–50) Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Origin | Moraga, California |
| Genres | Pop, Hip hop, R&B |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, Songwriter |
| Instrument(s) | Piano, Keyboard, Pro Tools |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Beluga Heights |
| Website | belugaheights |
Jonathan Reuven "J.R." Rotem (born 1975)[1] is an American record producer and songwriter.
Biography
Early life
Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.[2][3][4]
Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano instruction at a young age.[5] When he attended Berklee College of Music in Boston it was initially with the intention of studying film scoring, but he ended up majoring in jazz composition.[3][5]
Career
As his first major label placement, the Destiny's Child song "Fancy", from their 2001 album Survivor, is cited by Rotem as being his first 'big break', and the song that convinced the young producer that it was worth pursuing this career path.[5] Nevertheless, further success was not forthcoming and for years Rotem struggled to make further headway in the industry.[5]
A significant breakthrough came when, through mutual friend Evan Bogart, he managed to attract the attention of manager Zach Katz, a former music attorney who had previously represented rapper Rakim as well as various producers and songwriters in the Aftermath/Shady/G-Unit camp.[6] Rotem says, "One of my biggest goals for years was meeting a manager with a good reputation and with connections to get my music to people."[5] When asked in an interview with HitQuarters what made Katz decide to take the producer on, he said,
"This was a time where most of the people were beat makers, they didn't really play instruments. JR on the other hand, had a vast musical background ... So musically there were no limitations as far as what he could bring. Number two J.R he was very, very focused. He really wanted to win. And number three he was humble. If I gave him any suggestions about his tracks he would literally sit there and take notes. Then he would come back the next day with the changes I had suggested."[6]
Rotem's next major cut was 50 Cent's "Position of Power" in 2005. In 2006, together with Katz and his brother Tommy, Rotem started his own record label, Beluga Heights, inking a joint venture partnership with Epic. Sean Kingston, a young Miami-based artist, was the labels first signing. Kingston's self-titled debut album went on to sell over 2 million albums and 10 million singles worldwide. Rotem also started a publishing company under the Beluga Heights umbrella, signing "SOS" co-writer Evan "Kidd" Bogart.[7] Under a newly formed joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, the label signed pop sensation Jason Derülo, whose debut album went on to sell 14 million singles and over 1 million albums worldwide.
In 2009, Rotem was honored as BMI Producer of the Year. In 2011 he was again honored by BMI as Songwriter of the Year alongside Lady Gaga and Derülo. His trademark is a horn that follows with a stylised "J-J-J-J-J-R" and/or "Beluga Heights" at the start or end of records with which he has been affiliated.
Discography
Songs and singles produced by J.R. Rotem
| Song | Artist | Year | Chart position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | GER | AUS | ||||
| "SOS" | Rihanna | 2006 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| "Whoa" | Lil' Kim | 104 | 43 | - | - | ||
| "Push It" | Rick Ross | 57 | - | - | - | ||
| "I Want You" | Paris Hilton | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Beautiful Girls" | Sean Kingston | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| "Me Love" | 14 | 32 | 48 | 11 | |||
| "Take You There" | 7 | 47 | - | 34 | |||
| "He Said She Said" | Ashley Tisdale | 58 | 155 | 17 | - | ||
| "The High Road" | JoJo | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Hip Hop Police" | Chamillionaire featuring Slick Rick | 2007 | 101 | 50 | - | - | |
| "Fuego" | The Cheetah Girls | 122 | - | - | - | ||
| "Everybody" | Britney Spears | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Livin' in the Projects" | Lil Scrappy | - | - | - | - | ||
| "I'm that Chick" | Jada featuring Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Baby Love (Remix)" | Nicole Scherzinger featuring will.i.am | 108 | 14 | 5 | 58 | ||
| "What Is It" | Baby Bash featuring Sean Kingston | 57 | - | - | - | ||
| "1 Mo Time" | Plies | - | - | - | - | ||
| "I Am the Club" | - | - | - | - | |||
| "Can You Hear Me" | Fabolous | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Walka Not A Talka" | Mýa featuring Snoop Dogg | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Give You the World" | The D.E.Y. | 2008 | 119 | - | - | - | |
| "The Boss" | Rick Ross featuring T-Pain | 17 | - | - | - | ||
| "Roll" | Flo Rida featuring Sean Kingston | 59 | - | - | - | ||
| "Bust It Baby Pt. 2" | Plies featuring Ne-Yo | 7 | 93[8] | - | - | ||
| "That's Gangsta" | Bun B featuring Sean Kingston | 122 | - | - | - | ||
| "Ghetto Girl" | Mann featuring Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Better in Time" | Leona Lewis | 11 | 2 | 2 | 6 | ||
| "Sneakernight" | Vanessa Hudgens | 88 | 164 | 98 | 94 | ||
| "My Baby" | Jesse McCartney | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Strength" | James Fauntleroy | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Pain No More" | E-40 featuring The Game & Snoop Dogg | 111 | - | - | - | ||
| "Gamble on Me" | Cory Gunz featuring Jason Derulo | 125 | - | - | - | ||
| "Want It, Need It" | Plies featuring Ashanti | 96 | - | - | - | ||
| "Next to You" | Mike Jones featuring Nae Nae | 63 | - | - | - | ||
| "Defeated" | Anastacia | 2009 | - | - | - | - | |
| "However Do U Want It" | Maino | 124 | - | - | - | ||
| "Becky" | Plies | 104 | - | - | - | ||
| "Replay" | Iyaz | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| "Solo" | 32 | 3 | 25 | 48 | |||
| "So Big" | - | 40 | - | - | |||
| "Text" | Mann featuring Jason Derülo | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Lights Out" | Tynisha Keli | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Superman" | Auburn | - | - | - | - | ||
| "I'm at War" | Sean Kingston featuring Lil Wayne | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Changes" | Dima Bilan | 2010 | - | - | - | - | |
| "Whatcha Say" | Jason Derülo | 1 | 3 | 7 | 5 | ||
| "In My Head" | 5 | 1 | 9 | 1 | |||
| "Ridin' Solo" | 9 | 2 | 24 | 4 | |||
| "What If" | 76 | 12 | - | 32 | |||
| "The Sky's the Limit" | - | 68 | - | 22 | |||
| "Everybody in Love" | JLS | - | 1 | - | - | ||
| "Too Young To Die" | Lindsay Lohan | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Love Like Woe" | The Ready Set | 27 | - | - | - | ||
| "Not Lost" | B.o.B featuring T.I. | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Secret" | Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | ||
| "She Moves" | Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | ||
| "La La La" | Auburn featuring Iyaz | 51 | - | - | - | ||
| "Skin & Bones" | Romance on a Rocketship | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Fall Apart" | Sarah Connor | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Stuttering" | Fefe Dobson | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Preapproved'" | Ilya | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Better to Lie" | Cheryl Cole | - | - | - | - | ||
| "I Want It All" | Kat Graham | 2011 | - | - | - | - | |
| "Buzzin'" | Mann featuring 50 Cent | 73 | 6 | - | - | ||
| "Fly" | Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna | 19 | 16 | - | 18 | ||
| "Girls Fall Like Dominoes'" | Nicki Minaj | - | 24 | - | 99 | ||
| "The Mack" | Mann featuring Snoop Dogg and Iyaz | - | 28 | - | 68 | ||
| "Pretty Girls" | Iyaz featuring Travie McCoy | 43 | - | - | - | ||
| "Lick Ya Down" | Cover Drive | - | 9 | - | - | ||
| "Invisible" | Big Time Rush | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Pick Up the Pieces" | Jason Derulo | - | - | - | 37 | ||
| "Dumb" | Jason Derulo | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Be Careful" | Jason Derulo | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Get It Girl" | Mann featuring T-Pain | 2012 | - | - | - | - | |
| "Young Homie" | Chris Rene | 101 | - | - | - | ||
| "Marilyn Monroe" | Nicki Minaj | 104 | 121 | - | - | ||
| "Warning Shot" | Machine Gun Kelly featuring Cassie | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Wipe Your Eyes" | Maroon 5 | 80 | - | - | - | ||
References
- ^ Lamb, Bill. "Jonathan "J.R." Rotem". About.com: Top40/Pop. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
- ^ de Silverio, Victoria (July 2007), "Pimpin' Ain't Easy", Blender, no. 60, pp. 100–104
- ^ a b Small, Mark (Summer 2006). "Jonathan Rotem: A Piano Man Finds His Beat". Berklee Today. 18 (1).
- ^ "J.R. Rotem". Beluga Heights. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
- ^ a b c d e "Interview With JR Rotem". HitQuarters. April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
- ^ a b "Interview With Zach Katz". HitQuarters. May 3, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
- ^ "'Awkward pop' singer signs deal - Bristol Evening Post". Retrieved 2009-04-06.
- ^ "The Official UK Singles Chart for the week ending 23 August 2008". ChartsPlus (365). Milton Keynes: IQ Ware Ltd: 1–4.
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External links
- 1975 births
- Living people
- American people of Israeli descent
- American people of South African descent
- American hip hop record producers
- Berklee College of Music alumni
- Canadian emigrants to the United States
- People from Contra Costa County, California
- People from Johannesburg
- People from Los Angeles, California
- People from Toronto