Bebe Rexha

Bebe Rexha
Background information
Birth name Bleta Rexha
Born (1989-08-30) August 30, 1989
Brooklyn, New York, United States
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
  • Vocals
  • guitar
  • piano
  • trumpet
Years active 2010–present
Labels
Associated acts
Website beberexha.com

Bleta "Bebe" Rexha (Albanian pronunciation: [blɛta bibi ɾɛd͡ʒa];[1] born August 30, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer of Albanian-Macedonian descent.[2] She is best known for being featured on Cash Cash's "Take Me Home", David Guetta's "Hey Mama", and for singing "Me, Myself & I" in duet with G-Eazy. She started her career as the lead vocalist of the American band Black Cards created by Pete Wentz, and co-wrote the number-one US Billboard Hot 100 song "The Monster" by Eminem featuring Rihanna.[3]

Early life

Rexha was born in Brooklyn, New York City to ethnic Albanian parents from Macedonia who emigrated to the United States during the 1980s. Her father is from Debar and her mother is from Gostivar.[4] She is the first of her family to be born in the United States.[1] Her first name, Bleta, means "bumblebee" in Albanian, which is why she uses the nickname "Bebe".[5]

Rexha started singing at the age of four. She attended Tottenville High School in Staten Island, New York, where she took part in musicals such as Hello, Dolly!, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Fiddler on the Roof.[6] Bebe played trumpet for 9 years, because her parents could not afford to pay piano classes. She also entered a choir class and is where she found out that she could sing opera very well. She was told by her teachers to be a Coloratura soprano or also known as having a whistle voice. So she began studying classic music for many years and even thought to pursue a career as an opera singer and applied to enter the pre-college program at Juilliard School in New York City.[7] During her teen years she created a girls music band with her two high school friends, one of them is nowadays American model and actress Melanie Iglesias. They submitted a song at NARAS the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences's annual New York "Grammy Day" event and Rexha earned the "Best Teen Songwriter" award among 700 entries from all over the country.[1] This allowed her the opportunity to meet many prominent music producers and talent scouts.[8] At that time she met with the talent scout Samantha Cox,[9] who was working with two still unknown talents Lady Gaga and Kesha. Cox recognized a big talent in Rexha, but 'forced' her to learn songwriting and put her in some national writing classes in NYC. Bebe was the only 15 years old among 40 years old men writers taking part in country music writing classes.[1][10]

Rexha was influenced by Albanian music,[11][12] classic music[7] and musicians such as Stevie Wonder, Tori Amos, John Legend, and The Temptations.[6] And in a Q&A took place in April 2016 Rexha mentioned Aaliyah.[1]

Career

Black Cards

Main article: Black Cards
Rexha with Pete Wentz in 2011.

In 2009, Fall Out Boy member Pete Wentz announced his desire to take a break from music and concentrate more on being with his wife and child. However, Wentz eventually ventured into another musical project.[1] He had contacted the producer Sam Hollander, to discuss the idea to mashing up the ska, dance and reggae music with '80s British rock and pop to create an experimental sound. Hollander introduced him to 19 years old singer/songwriter Bebe Rexha, who would spend a lot of time in his studio writing and recording songs. In March 2010, Wentz created the band, named Black Cards, with Rexha as the lead vocalist.[1]

Wentz decided to sign Rexha under his Decaydance label with Island Def Jam, and during an interview on MTV, he announced that the album was set to release for mid-2011. On the same year, the duo released their first single, titled "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Fame" and many songs were leaked to YouTube, but the album has been postponed as of March 2012, according to reports from an interview that Wentz did with Spin magazine. On January 12, 2012, the band announced via Facebook that Rexha was no longer a member of the group.

Solo career

In 2013, Rexha was signed to Warner Bros. Records by A&R Executives Jeff Fenster and Alex Wilhelm after a three label bidding war,[13] following success as a professional songwriter, penning songs such as "Like a Champion" for Selena Gomez on the album Stars Dance, "Glowing" for South African-born Island Def Jam recording artist Nikki Williams, "Lucifer" for South Korean group Shinee, and the number-one Billboard Hot 100 hit "The Monster" for Eminem featuring Rihanna. "The Monster", was originally called "Monster Under My Bed". Rexha initially recorded the track as a potential song for her debut solo album, then she and her collaborators pitched Eminem's label a stripped-down version of the song that was later reworked to become "The Monster".[3]

In the same year, Rexha was featured with the New Jersey-based EDM group Cash Cash on their single "Take Me Home", which she co-wrote. The song peaked at number 57 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at number 5 on UK Singles Chart.[14] Cash Cash and Bebe also recorded an acoustic version of "Take Me Home" along with a video that was released on February 25, 2014 through Big Beat Records.[1][15]

Rexha is working on her debut album, and has already entered the studio with producers such as David Guetta, Fraser T Smith and Frequency, among others. On March 21, 2014, Bebe released her first single from her debut EP, "I Can't Stop Drinking About You", via Warner Bros. Records.[16] Rexha released "I'm Gonna Show You Crazy" on December 23, 2014 as the second single from her debut EP.[17] Another song, "Gone", was released on the same day.[18]

In 2014 Bebe collaborated with rapper Pitbull for his album Globalization, for which she co-wrote the song "This is not a drill" and was featured on the track. She also co-wrote the single All Hands on Deck for American singer Tinashe.[1]

In 2015 Rexha was featured in two songs from the album Listen by French DJ and music producer David Guetta. "Yesterday" written by Rexha, David Guetta and Avicii and produced by the last two and the single "Hey Mama," for which she wrote and sings the hook. "Hey Mama" featured her along with American rapper Nicki Minaj and Dutch music producer and DJ Afrojack. The song reached Top 10 in US, UK, Australia and many other countries.[1]

On May 12, 2015, Rexha released a five track EP called I Don't Wanna Grow Up through Warner Bros. Records.[19]

On October 14, 2015 Rexha together with American rapper G-Eazy released the single "Me, Myself & I". The song was originally called "I Don't Need Anything"[20] and was written by Bebe Rexha, Lauren Christy and TMS in early 2015.[21] The song was intended to be part of Bebe's debut album, but her label wasn't convinced it fitted the style of her upcoming album. She asked a friend to put her in contact with rapper G-Eazy, because she wanted to do the song with him. Bebe and G-Eazy met three days later and she played the track on piano for him. He loved the track and asked for the song to be on his album. Rexha accepted and began immediately working on the track with Michael Keenan, G-Eazy's producer. She and Michael produced the beat and decided to keep the chorus, post-chorus and bridge of the original song and put G-Eazy's rap on the verses, also the title changed to "Me, Myself & I".[22] The song has so far peaked at number 7 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and at number 1 on Billboard Hot Rap Songs, on Billboard Pop Songs and on Billboard US Rhythmic.

"No Broken Hearts" featuring rapper Nicki Minaj is the first single from Bebe's upcoming debut studio album, that is scheduled to be released in mid-2016 and will feature also collaborations with Ty Dolla Sign,[23] Sam Hunt,[24] Yo Gotti and ASAP Ferg.[25] The single was released on March 16, 2016 and debuted on Elvis Duran Show.[26] The official music video directed by Dave Meyers was released on April 7, 2016, starring Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj and with cameos from rapper G-Eazy and top model and musician Don Benjamin.[27] The song is penned by Bebe Rexha, Nicki Minaj, Koko LaRoo, and Jacob Kasher Hindlin and produced by The Invisible Men and Salt Wives.[28]

In 2016 Bebe co-wrote the single Team by rapper Iggy Azalea and 2 other songs for her upcoming studio album Digital Distortion.[1][29] She co-wrote and is featured on the upcoming single "Name of Love" by Dutch DJ Martin Garrix, that debuted during the Ultra Music Festival in Miami on March 19, 2016.[1][30] She also co-wrote the song "Under You" by singer Nick Jonas for his upcoming album Last Year Was Complicated, that is set to be released on June 10, 2016.

Discography

EPs

Production and writing credits

Rexha has written and co-produced for a number of artists, including:[1][31]

Year Artist Album Song
2010 Shinee Lucifer "Lucifer"
Nikki Williams "Glowing"
2013 Selena Gomez Stars Dance "Like a Champion"
Eminem
(featuring Rihanna)		 The Marshall Mathers LP 2 "The Monster"
Cash Cash
(featuring Bebe Rexha)		 Overtime (EP) "Take Me Home"
2014 Tinashe Aquarius "All Hands on Deck"
Pitbull
(featuring Bebe Rexha)		 Globalization "This Is Not a Drill"
David Guetta
(featuring Bebe Rexha)		 Listen "Yesterday"
David Guetta
(featuring Nicki Minaj, Bebe Rexha and Afrojack)		 "Hey Mama"
Bella Thorne Jersey "Jersey"
"One More Night"
2015 Havana Brown
(featuring Bebe Rexha and Savi)		 N/A "Battle Cry"
Reykon
(featuring Bebe Rexha)		 "All the Way"
G-Eazy
(with Bebe Rexha)		 When It's Dark Out "Me, Myself & I"
2016 Iggy Azalea Digital Distortion "Team"
"Three Day Weekend"[32][33]
Martin Garrix
(with Bebe Rexha)		 TBA "Name of Love"[34]
Nick Jonas Last Year Was Complicated "Under You"

Awards and nominations

Year Event Prize Nominated work Result
2015 Teen Choice Awards Best Collaboration "Hey Mama" Nominated
MTV Europe Music Awards Best Collaboration
2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards Dance Song of the Year
Billboard Music Award Top Dance/Electronic Song Pending

Tours

Co-headlining
Opening act

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Bebe Rexha talking about being Albanian and songwriting (Ebro Darden Interview)" – via YouTube.
  2. ↑ "Bebe Rexha In Studio" – via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "Creating a Monster: How Bebe Rexha's Song Became Eminem's Chart-Topping Hit | Pigeons & Planes". Pigeonsandplanes.com. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  4. ↑ Zyla, Julian (April 17, 2014). "Bebe Rexha, bashkautorja e këngës "The Monster"". Voice of America in Albanian. Retrieved April 17, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Bebe Rexha name tweet". twitter. September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Who is Bebe Rexha, Blacck Cards lead singer? Videos, audio, photos and bio!". Starcasm.net. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  7. 1 2 Bebe Rexha: "Classical Songs Make Me Cry". January 21, 2016 – via YouTube.
  8. ↑ Bebe Rexha Interview - Zach Sang Show. March 23, 2016 – via YouTube.
  9. ↑ Samantha Cox. BMI.
  10. ↑ SUMMER BREAKOUT INTERVIEW #1: Bebe Rexha. Alternative Press. August 8, 2015 – via YouTube.
  11. ↑ Reykon y Bebe Rexha – via YouTube.
  12. ↑ Journeys - Blowin Up w/ Bebe Rexha – via YouTube.
  13. ↑ "Bebe Rexha "Comeback Kids"". hitsdailydouble.com. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  14. ↑ "Cash Cash - Chart history | Billboard". billboard.com. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Cash Cash's 'Take Me Home' Acoustic Video: Exclusive Premiere | Billboard". billboard.com. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Bebe Rexha - "I Can't Stop Drinking About You" | NYLON MAGAZINE". Nylonmag.com. March 21, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  17. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Teases New Single "I’m Gonna Show You Crazy": Listen To A Snippet Of The Fiery Anthem - Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com". Music News, Reviews, and Gossip on Idolator.com.
  18. ↑ "iTunes - Musik – "Gone - Single" von Bebe Rexha". iTunes.
  19. ↑ "iTunes - Music - I Don't Wanna Grow Up - EP by Bebe Rexha". iTunes Store (US).
  20. ↑ Bebe Rexha - "Me, Myself & I" Acoustic | Elvis Duran Live. 16 March 2016 – via YouTube.
  21. ↑ Bebe Rexha Tells Origin Story of G-Eazy’s “Me, Myself & I”. 4 February 2016 – via YouTube.
  22. ↑ Bebe Rexha talks wanting to be Kanye West, song writing & connecting with G Eazy – via YouTube.
  23. ↑ "Bebe Rexha On "No Broken Hearts" - AOL BUILD". AOL. May 2, 2016.
  24. ↑ "GETTING COACHELLA READY WITH BEBE REXHA". The Coveteur. April 15, 2016.
  25. ↑ "From the other night in studio". Instagram. December 12, 2016.
  26. ↑ "INTERVIEW: Bebe Rexha Performs LIVE + Premieres New Single "No Broken Hearts"". Elvis Duran iheartradio. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  27. ↑ "Bebe Rexha - "No Broken Hearts" ft. Nicki Minaj (Official Music Video)". YouTube. 2016-04-07. Retrieved 2016-04-07.
  28. ↑ "Bebe Rexha Feat. Nicki Minaj - No Broken Hearts". Discogs.
  29. ↑ "Iggy Azalea talking about Bebe Rexha".
  30. ↑ "Martin Garrix Debuts Bebe Rexha Collaboration "Name Of Love" At Ultra Music Festival". March 21, 2016.
  31. ↑ "Bebe Rexha (production credits)". Discogs. Retrieved December 26, 2015.
  32. ↑ "BMI Repertoire THREE DAY WEEKEND (Legal Title)". BMI.
  33. ↑ "Iggy Azalea's new album Digital Distortion out in June". Breatheheavy.
  34. ↑ "Martin Garrix feat. Bebe Rexha - Name Of Love". Youtube.
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