J.R. Rotem

J.R. Rotem

Rotem in 2007 at Hollywood Life Magazine’s 7th Annual Breakthrough Awards
Background information
Birth name Jonathan Reuven Rotem
Born (1975-09-01) September 1, 1975
Johannesburg, South Africa
Origin Moraga, California
Genres Pop, hip hop, R&B, Reggae fusion
Occupation(s) Record producer, songwriter, music publisher
Instruments Piano, Keyboards, Pro Tools, synthesizer
Years active 2001–present
Labels Beluga Heights
Associated acts Iyaz, Maroon 5 , Britney Spears, Sean Kingston, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, Jason Derulo, Rick Ross, Usher, JoJo, 50 Cent, Ne-Yo, Leona Lewis, Dr. Dre, Skylar Grey
Website belugaheights.com/jr

Jonathan Reuven "J.R." Rotem (born September 1, 1975) is a South African record producer, music publisher, and songwriter.

Biography

Early life

Rotem, who is Jewish,[1] was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant parents in 1975.[2] He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California at the age of twelve.[3][4][5]

Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano instruction at a young age.[6] 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.[4][6]

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.[6] Nevertheless, further success was not forthcoming and for years Rotem struggled to make further headway in the industry.[6]

A significant breakthrough came when, through mutual friend Evan Bogart, he attracted the attention of former 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.[7] 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."[6] 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."[7]

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.[8] 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.

J.R. Rotem is managed by Pulse Management, a division of Pulse Recording. In 2015, Rotem worked alongside Neyo and Timbaland on the music for Season 2 of Fox's Empire (2015 TV series). On October 17, 2015, Gwen Stefani premiered Used to Love You - co-written and produced by J.R. Rotem - at Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City which was Gwen's first single. J.R. has 10 songs on the forthcoming Gwen Stefani album to be released on March 18, 2016.

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 - - - -
"America's Most Hated" Kevin Federline - - - -
"Hip Hop Police" Chamillionaire featuring Slick Rick 2007 101 50 - -
"Fuego" The Cheetah Girls - - - -
"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[9] - -
"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" - - - -
"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" - - - -
"Be Careful" - - - -
"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 - - -
"Don't Come Around" Jessica Sanchez 2013 - - - -
"Back 2 Life (Live It Up)" Sean Kingston featuring T.I. 109 - 70 -
"Bomba" Sean Kingston - - - -
"Ordinary Girl" - - - -
"How We Survive" Sean Kingston featuring Busta Rhymes - - - -
"For a Week" Mike Jay featuring YG & Too $hort 2014 - - - -
"Centuries" Fall Out Boy 10 22 71 55
"No Good for You" Meghan Trainor 2015 - - - -
"Like Mariah" Fifth Harmony - - - -
"Born To Love U" Empire (2015 TV series) - - - -
"Do It" - - - -
"Mimosa" - - - -
"Runnin" - - - -
"Powerful (feat. Jussie Smollett and Alicia Keys)" - - - -
"Miracles" - - - -
"Used to Love You" Gwen Stefani 52 157 - 57
"Boys Like You" Who Is Fancy featuring Ariana Grande & Meghan Trainor 118 - - -
"Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time" Panic! at the Disco 2016 - - - -
"Crown" Empire (2015 TV series) - - - -
"Freedom" - - - -
"Can't Say No (feat. Mariah Carey)" Rick Ross - - - -
"Dangerously" Charlie Puth - - - -
"Naughty" Gwen Stefani - - - -
"Red Flag" - - - -
"Getting Warmer" - - - -
"Rocketship" - - - -
"War Paint" - - - -
"Me Without You" - - - -
"Splash" - - - -
"Obsessed" - - - -
"Loveable" - - - -

References

  1. "A ‘good Jewish boy’ seeks the spotlight in LA". The Jerusalem Post - JPost.com.
  2. Lamb, Bill. "Jonathan "J.R." Rotem". About.com: Top40/Pop. Retrieved 2010-07-15.
  3. de Silverio, Victoria (July 2007), "Pimpin' Ain't Easy", Blender (60), pp. 100–104
  4. 1 2 Small, Mark (Summer 2006). "Jonathan Rotem: A Piano Man Finds His Beat". Berklee Today 18 (1).
  5. "J.R. Rotem". Beluga Heights. Retrieved March 30, 2011.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview With JR Rotem". HitQuarters. April 4, 2010. Retrieved April 19, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Interview With Zach Katz". HitQuarters. May 3, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2010.
  8. "'Awkward pop' singer signs deal – Bristol Evening Post". Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  9. "The Official UK Singles Chart for the week ending 23 August 2008". ChartsPlus (Milton Keynes: IQ Ware Ltd) (365): 1–4.

External links

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