RedOne

Grammy-winning Moroccan-Swedish producer RedOne is a pop songwriter and recording artist whose prominence was cemented through his work with <a href="spotify:artist:1HY2Jd0NmPuamShAr6KMms">Lady Gaga</a>. Some of his most notable songwriting hits include <a href="spotify:artist:1HY2Jd0NmPuamShAr6KMms">Gaga</a>'s "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" and <a href="spotify:artist:0hCNtLu0JehylgoiP8L4Gh">Nicki Minaj</a>'s "Starships."

Born Nadir Khayat in Tétouan, Morocco, RedOne left his homeland at 19 and headed for Sweden in search of music stardom, citing the country's holy trinity of <a href="spotify:artist:0LcJLqbBmaGUft1e9Mm8HV">ABBA</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7Js6Lde8thlIHXggv2SCBz">Europe</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2SHhfs4BiDxGQ3oxqf0UHY">Roxette</a> as his inspiration for the move. His first big success came in 2005 when his work on the song "Step Up," from singer <a href="spotify:artist:1rKFeRryEci6cxNkdvHzNr">Darin</a>, helped the track top the Swedish singles chart. In 2006, his track "Bamboo" was named Official Melody of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. A year later, his focus shifted to the U.S., where he began collaborating with singers like <a href="spotify:artist:0z4gvV4rjIZ9wHck67ucSV">Akon</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:0bOlhT8OcoC1lCpN69NcFP">Kat DeLuna</a>. His 2008 work on <a href="spotify:artist:1HY2Jd0NmPuamShAr6KMms">Lady Gaga</a>'s debut effort, The Fame, helped the album become an international smash. It earned RedOne much clout with <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Universal+Music+Group%22">Universal Music Group</a>, and the two parties subsequently launched a joint venture, a boutique label called <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%222101+Records%22">2101 Records</a>, which supported a handful of artists like <a href="spotify:artist:1EVWYRr2obCRDoSoD6KSuM">Havana Brown</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:2DlGxzQSjYe5N6G9nkYghR">Jennifer Lopez</a>. Through 2014, RedOne collaborated with those acts, as well as with <a href="spotify:artist:1HY2Jd0NmPuamShAr6KMms">Gaga</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0TnOYISbd1XYRBk9myaseg">Pitbull</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:0hCNtLu0JehylgoiP8L4Gh">Nicki Minaj</a>, and then moved his label to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Capitol%22">Capitol</a> and renamed it RedOne Records. Also signed to <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Warner%22">Warner</a> as a solo act, RedOne released the single "Don't You Need Somebody" in 2016. Featuring <a href="spotify:artist:5EvFsr3kj42KNv97ZEnqij">Shaggy</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:7qG3b048QCHVRO5Pv1T5lw">Enrique Iglesias</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:3N3R2mEESjTYM3W6ye2bod">Serayah</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4TH4BHy0LdBi3dpBW4P2UX">R. City</a>, it became a Top Ten pop hit in Sweden. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi