ARTIST ON OUR RADAR: Jason Derülo
Raised in a two-parent home in Florida, Derulo took to performing in school plays, and composed his first song, “Crush On You” on piano at age 8.
“I grew up as a huge Michael Jackson fan, studying his videos, copying all his moves. I’d practice singing Usher and Justin Timberlake songs while doing their moves.”
As a teen, Derulo moved to New York to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy and competed at the legendary Apollo Theater, winning the Apollo’s 2006 season Grand Championship. Derulo kept writing, and at age 17, Jason wrote and sang the chorus to “Bossy”, a song on southern rapper Baby’s album Five*Stunna (Cash Money/Universal). This credit opened the floodgates, as Derulo became a sought-after tunesmith on songs by hip hop star Lil Wayne, Bad Boy R&B singer Cassie and girl group Danity Kane.
Meanwhile super-producer J.R. Rotem’s label Beluga Heights had launched the platinum career of Sean Kingston. After Rotem’s younger brother Tommy found Jason on Myspace, the Beluga Heights team flew Derulo out to L.A. to write songs for Sean Kingston’s second album. Due to Jason’s writing prowess, he had been avidly courted by many labels all looking to sign him. But in Rotem, Derulo had found his musical match. So 2009, after Rotem inked a joint venture deal between Beluga Heights and Warners Bros., American Idol judge and Warner Bros. Records Senior Vice President of A&R Kara DioGuardi signed Derulo as the flagship artist to launch the new venture.
“Jason is one of those guys who can have a career like Ne-Yo, who writes songs for other people but has a career of his own,” says Rotem. “He can write female pop songs, male R&B, he can write ballads. He’s very eclectic. He’s really inspired us.”
As “Watcha Say” continues to garner tons of radio play, Jason Derulo’s self-titled debut album is slated for release the first quarter of 2010, will be entirely produced by hit guru J.R. Rotem, and will feature a new genre which fuses Pop, Euro Dance, and remarkable songwriting to create a groundbreaking sound. Until then, he joins Lady Gaga’s “Monster Ball” tour as the opening act for Lady Gaga nD Kid Cudi starting December 27th. This is guaranteed to be the hottest ticket this winter. To hold you over, check out Jason’s “Watcha Say” video below:
