| Ester Dean | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Ester Renay Dean |
| Born | 15 December 1987 [1] Muskogee, Oklahoma, U.S. |
| Genres | R&B, hip hop, pop |
| Occupations | Singer-songwriter, rapper, record producer |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active | 2009–present |
| Labels | Interscope, Polydor, Zone 4 |
| Associated acts | Katy Perry, Monica, Chris Brown, Beyoncé, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Ciara, Usher, Lloyd, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Tinie Tempah |
| Website | EsterDean.com |
Ester Renay Dean (frequently seen as Esther Dean born on December 15, 1987)[2] is an American singer and songwriter, and record producer signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. She is most notable for her dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture (2011) and her 2009 US hit single "Drop It Low", which featured singer Chris Brown. Dean has also written songs with many artists including Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah and Lil Wayne.
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Ester Dean was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma in 1987, but lived in Tulsa, Oklahoma, then in her late teens, she moved to Omaha, Nebraska. After graduating from Omaha North High School, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia, until relocating to Los Angeles, California.
When Dean relocated to Los Angeles, California, she became a successful songwriter, and was introduced to Polow da Don, and later signed to Zone 4 Records/Interscope Records. During her tenure, Dean has amassed a catalog of songs she has written or co-written for other artists, such as Britney Spears, Rihanna, Mary J. Blige, Monica, Keri Hilson, Keyshia Cole, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Katy Perry, Trey Songz, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, Usher, Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, Pia Toscano, Ginuwine, Teyana Taylor, Scotty McCreery, Beyoncé Knowles, and Christina Aguilera, among others.
Dean recorded and released her first single, "Drop It Low" which features singer Chris Brown, from the LeBron James documentary, More Than a Game (2009), which peaked at #38 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first US Top 40 single. The song received positive reviews, and the song was remixed by artists such as Lil Wayne, Trey Songz and Diddy. Dean has co-written songs featured on the Step Up 3D Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010) and Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2010). She also co-wrote "Super Bass", a bonus track for Nicki Minaj's debut album Pink Friday (2011). The song was received well, with many fans stating it was better than some of the main tracks, and should have been on the standard edition of the album. "Super Bass" was released as a single and after becoming Minaj's first top ten placement as a lead artist[3] has gone on to achieve the position of number three on the Hot 100.[4] The song's title is included as part of the title of a UK Deluxe edition of the album, Pink Friday (Super Bass Edition).[5] Dean has a dual appearance on Rio: Music From The Motion Picture (2011) with "Let Me Take You To Rio" and "Take You To Rio".
Dean is working on her debut studio album set to be released in early 2012. Ester told billboard "We're working on picking songs right now," Ester tells The Juice. Ester is shooting for a sound that suits her unique voice, which she calls "hard" and "raspy."[6] In January 2012 Dean took to twitter to announce that she has signed to Roc Nation “I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012,”[7]
Dean made an appearance in Ice Age: Continental Drift. "I'm just excited," Dean says of playing her character, the Sloth Siren. "On August 23, I go put my voice down. And my character gets to sing." Ester is one of many musicians in the Ice Age: Continental Drift cast. Drake, Nicki Minaj, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Lopez are lending their voices to the film.[8]
Dean was featured on the song "Invincible" by American rapper Machine Gun Kelly (rapper), for a commercial for the HTC ReZound. The song was released on iTunes December 17, 2011. It is the second single from his debut album.
| Title | Year | Peak chart positions | Certifications | Album | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | US R&B | US Pop | ||||
| "Drop It Low" (featuring Chris Brown) |
2009 | 38 | 33 | 32 | More Than a Game OST | |
| Year | Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | "I Think I Love Her" | The State vs. Radric Davis | Gucci Mane |
| 2009 | "Birthday Sex (Remix)" | Jeremih | Jeremih |
| 2009 | "I Love U" | Graffiti | Chris Brown |
| 2010 | "Hot Tottie" | Versus | Usher |
| 2010 | "Grammy" | The DeAndre Way | Soulja Boy |
| 2010 | "I Know You Got a Man" | Battle of the Sexes | Ludacris |
| 2010 | "Super Bass" | Pink Friday | Nicki Minaj |
| 2010 | "Love Suicide" | Disc-Overy | Tinie Tempah |
| 2011 | "Invincible" | Lace Up | Machine Gun Kelly |
| Year | Film | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | Ice Age: Continental Drift | Sloth Siren | Voice Role |
| 2012 | Pitch Perfect | Cynthia Rose | Character Role |
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