J.R. Rotem
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Rotem in 2007 at Hollywood Life Magazine's 7th Annual Breakthrough Awards
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Reuven Rotem |
| Born | 1975 (age 48–49) South Africa |
| Origin | Moraga, California, U.S. |
| Education | Berklee College of Music (BM) |
| Genres |
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| Occupation(s) |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels |
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| Website | belugaheights |
Jonathan Reuven Rotem (born 1975) is a South African-born American record producer, songwriter and music publisher.
Rotem was born in 1975[1] in South Africa to Jewish[2] Israeli immigrant parents.[1] He moved to Canada at the age of two and 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]
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 recently represented rapper Rakim as well as music 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 explained,
This was a time where most of the people were beat makers, they didn't really play instruments. J.R. 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 banner, signing songwriter Evan "Kidd" Bogart.[8] Under a newly formed joint venture with Warner Bros. Records, the label signed R&B sensation Jason Derulo, 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 return to honored by BMI as Songwriter of the Year alongside Lady Gaga and Jason Derulo. His trademark is a horn that goes after with a stylized "J-J-J-J-J-R" and/or "Beluga Heights" at the start or end of records with which he has been associated.
In 2015, Rotem worked alongside Ne-Yo and Timbaland on the music for Season 2 of Fox's Empire. On October 17, 2015, Gwen Stefani premiered "Used to Love You", co-written and produced by Rotem at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City which was Stefani's first single. Rotem has ten songs on Stefani's album, This Is What the Truth Feels Like which was released on March 18, 2016.
| Year | Artist | Song | Chart position | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | GER | AUS | |||
| 2006 | Rihanna | "SOS" | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Lil' Kim | "Whoa" | 104 | 43 | – | – | |
| Rick Ross | "Push It" | 57 | – | – | – | |
| Paris Hilton | "I Want You" | – | – | – | – | |
| Sean Kingston | "Beautiful Girls" | 1 | 1 | 10 | 1 | |
| "Me Love" | 14 | 32 | 48 | 11 | ||
| "Take You There" | 7 | 47 | – | 34 | ||
| Ashley Tisdale | "He Said She Said" | 58 | 155 | 17 | – | |
| JoJo | "The High Road" | – | – | – | – | |
| Kevin Federline | "America's Most Hated" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2007 | Chamillionaire feat. Slick Rick | "Hip Hop Police" | 101 | 50 | – | – |
| The Cheetah Girls | "Fuego" | 122 | – | – | – | |
| Britney Spears | "Everybody" | – | – | – | – | |
| Lil Scrappy | "Livin' in the Projects" | – | – | – | – | |
| Jada feat. Sean Kingston | "I'm that Chick" | – | – | – | – | |
| Nicole Scherzinger feat. will.i.am | "Baby Love (Remix)" | 108 | 14 | 5 | 58 | |
| Baby Bash feat. Sean Kingston | "What Is It" | 57 | – | – | – | |
| Plies | "1 Mo Time" | – | – | – | – | |
| "I Am the Club" | – | – | – | – | ||
| Fabolous | "Can You Hear Me" | – | – | – | – | |
| Mýa feat. Snoop Dogg | "Walka Not A Talka" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2008 | The D.E.Y. | "Give You the World" | 119 | – | – | – |
| Rick Ross feat. T-Pain | "The Boss" | 17 | – | – | – | |
| Flo Rida feat. Sean Kingston | "Roll" | 59 | – | – | – | |
| Plies feat. Ne-Yo | "Bust It Baby Pt. 2" | 7 | 93[9] | – | – | |
| Bun B feat. Sean Kingston | "That's Gangsta" | 122 | – | – | – | |
| Gorilla Zoe feat. Sean Kingston | "On The Corner" | – | – | – | – | |
| Mann feat. Sean Kingston | "Ghetto Girl" | – | – | – | – | |
| Leona Lewis | "Better in Time" | 11 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| Vanessa Hudgens | "Sneakernight" | 88 | 164 | 98 | 94 | |
| Jesse McCartney | "My Baby" | – | – | – | – | |
| James Fauntleroy | "Strength" | – | – | – | – | |
| E-40 feat. The Game & Snoop Dogg | "Pain No More" | 111 | – | – | – | |
| Cory Gunz feat. Jason Derulo | "Gamble on Me" | 125 | – | – | – | |
| Plies feat. Ashanti | "Want It, Need It" | 96 | – | – | – | |
| Mike Jones feat. Nae Nae | "Next to You" | 63 | – | – | – | |
| 2009 | Anastacia | "Defeated" | – | – | – | – |
| Maino | "However Do U Want It" | 124 | – | – | – | |
| Piles | "Becky" | 104 | – | – | – | |
| Iyaz | "Replay" | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| "Solo" | 32 | 3 | 25 | 48 | ||
| "So Big" | – | 40 | – | – | ||
| Mann feat. Jason Derulo | "Text" | – | – | – | – | |
| Tynisha Keli | "Lights Out" | – | – | – | – | |
| Auburn | "Superman" | – | – | – | – | |
| Sean Kingston feat. Lil Wayne | "I'm at War" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2010 | Dima Bilan | "Changes" | – | – | – | – |
| Jason Derulo | "Whatcha Say" | 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 | ||
| JLS | "Everybody in Love" | – | 1 | – | – | |
| Lindsay Lohan | "Too Young To Die" | – | – | – | – | |
| The Ready Set | "Love Like Woe" | 27 | – | – | – | |
| B.o.B feat. T.I. | "Not Lost" | – | – | – | – | |
| Sean Kingston | "Secret" | – | – | – | – | |
| "She Moves" | – | – | – | – | ||
| Auburn feat. Iyaz | "La La La" | 51 | – | – | – | |
| Romance on a Rocketship | "Skin & Bones" | – | – | – | – | |
| Sarah Connor | "Fall Apart" | – | – | – | – | |
| Fefe Dobson | "Stuttering" | – | – | – | – | |
| Ilya | "Preapproved" | – | – | – | – | |
| Cheryl Cole | "Better to Lie" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2011 | Kat Graham | "I Want It All" | – | – | – | – |
| Mann feat. 50 Cent | "Buzzin'" | 73 | 6 | – | – | |
| Nicki Minaj feat. Rihanna | "Fly" | 19 | 16 | – | 18 | |
| Nicki Minaj | "Girls Fall Like Dominoes'" | – | 24 | – | 99 | |
| Mann feat. Snoop Dogg and Iyaz | "The Mack" | – | 28 | – | 68 | |
| Iyaz feat. Travie McCoy | "Pretty Girls" | 43 | – | – | – | |
| Cover Drive | "Lick Ya Down" | – | 9 | – | – | |
| Big Time Rush | "Invisible" | – | – | – | – | |
| Jason Derulo | "Pick Up the Pieces" | – | – | – | 37 | |
| "Dumb" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Be Careful" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2012 | Mann feat. T-Pain | "Get It Girl" | – | – | – | – |
| Chris Rene | "Young Homie" | 101 | – | – | – | |
| Nicki Minaj | "Marilyn Monroe" | 104 | 121 | – | – | |
| Machine Gun Kelly feat. Cassie | "Warning Shot" | – | – | – | – | |
| Maroon 5 | "Wipe Your Eyes" | 80 | – | – | – | |
| 2013 | Jessica Sanchez | "Don't Come Around" | – | – | – | – |
| Sean Kingston feat. T.I. | "Back 2 Life (Live It Up)" | 109 | – | 70 | – | |
| Sean Kingston | "Bomba" | – | – | – | – | |
| "Ordinary Girl" | – | – | – | – | ||
| Sean Kingston feat. Busta Rhymes | "How We Survive" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2014 | Mike Jay feat. YG & Too $hort | "For a Week" | – | – | – | – |
| Fall Out Boy | "Centuries" | 10 | 22 | 71 | 55 | |
| 2015 | Meghan Trainor | "No Good for You" | – | – | – | – |
| Fifth Harmony | "Like Mariah" | – | – | – | – | |
| Empire | "Born To Love U" | – | – | – | – | |
| "Do It" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Mimosa" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Runnin" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Powerful" (feat. Jussie Smollett and Alicia Keys) | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Miracles" | – | – | – | – | ||
| Gwen Stefani | "Used to Love You" | 52 | 157 | – | 57 | |
| Who Is Fancy feat. Ariana Grande & Meghan Trainor | "Boys Like You" | 118 | – | – | – | |
| 2016 | Panic! at the Disco | "Don't Threaten Me with a Good Time" | – | – | – | – |
| Empire | "Crown" | – | – | – | – | |
| "Freedom" | – | – | – | – | ||
| Rick Ross feat. Mariah Carey | "Can't Say No" | – | – | – | – | |
| Charlie Puth | "Dangerously" | – | – | – | – | |
| Gwen Stefani | "Naughty" | – | – | – | – | |
| "Red Flag" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Getting Warmer" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Rocketship" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "War Paint" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Me Without You" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Splash" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Obsessed" | – | – | – | – | ||
| "Loveable" | – | – | – | – | ||
| 2017 | Linkin Park | "Talking to Myself" | 109 | – | 73 | – |
| Marteen | "Sriracha" | – | – | – | – | |
| Weezer | "Feels Like Summer" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2018 | Ciara | "Level Up" | 59 | – | – | – |
| 2019 | Dinah Jane | "Heard It All Before" | – | – | – | – |
| Avril Lavigne | "Birdie", "Bright" (Currently Unreleased) | – | – | – | – | |
| Chris Brown feat. Nicki Minaj & G-Eazy | "Wobble Up" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2020 | Bad Bunny | "En Casita" | – | – | – | – |
| Netta | "Cuckoo" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2021 | OMB Peezy | "Right Here" | – | – | – | – |
| Enrique Iglesias feat. Pitbull | "Move To Miami" | – | – | – | – | |
| 2022 | Subliminal | "Yeye" | – | – | – | – |
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