| J. R. Rotem | |
|---|---|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jonathan Reuven Rotem |
| Born | September 1, 1975 Johannesburg, South Africa |
| Genres | hip hop, pop, R&B |
| Occupations | Record producer |
| Instruments | Keyboard |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Beluga Heights |
| Associated acts | Big Time Rush Dr. Dre, Game, 50 Cent, Jason Derulo, Rihanna, Sean Kingston, Iyaz, Auburn, Usher, Lil Kim, Rohff, Plies Jim Jones, Mann, Nicki Minaj, Ashley Tisdale |
| Website | belugaheights.com/jr |
Jonathan Reuven Rotem (born September 1, 1975)[1] is an American record producer.
Contents |
Rotem was born in South Africa to Israeli immigrant Jewish parents. He moved to Toronto at the age of two and finally to Moraga, California when he was twelve.[2][3][4]
Rotem's entry point into music was in receiving classical piano tuition at a young age.[5] 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.[3][5]
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.[5] Nevertheless, further success was not forthcoming and for years Rotem struggled to make further headway in the industry.[5]
A significant breakthrough came when, through mutual friend Evan Bogart, he managed to attract the attention of manager Zach Katz, a former music attorney who had previously represented rapper Rakim.[6] 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."[5] 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 - everything was based on samples. 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 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."[6]
Rotem's next major cut was Rihanna's "SOS" in 2006. In 2006, together with Katz, Rotem started his own record label, Beluga Heights, inking a joint deal with Epic and Koch. Sean Kingston, a young Miami-based R&B artist, was their first signing. Rotem also started a publishing company under the Beluga Heights umbrella, signing "SOS" co-writer Evan "Kidd" Bogart and United Kingdom-based artist-writer Lolene.[7] Beluga Heights then signed 18-year old R&B singer Auburn from St. Paul, Minnesota,[8] who turned out to be a minor internet sensation.
His trademark is a horn that follows with a stylised "J-J-J-J-J-R" or "Beluga Heights" at the start or end of records with which he has been affiliated.
Rotem currently resides in Beverly Hills, California.
| Song | Artist | Chart position | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | UK | GER | AUS | |||
| "SOS" | Rihanna | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| "Whoa" | Lil' Kim | 104 | 43 | - | - | |
| "Push It" | Rick Ross | 57 | - | - | - | |
| "I Want You" | Paris Hilton | - | - | - | - | |
| "I Want It All" | Kat Graham | - | - | - | - | |
| "Beautiful Girls" | Sean Kingston | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| "Me Love" | 14 | 32 | 48 | 11 | ||
| "Hip Hop Police" | Chamillionaire featuring Slick Rick | 101 | 50 | - | - | |
| "Fuego" | The Cheetah Girls | 122 | - | - | - | |
| "He Said She Said" | Ashley Tisdale | 58 | 155 | 17 | - | |
| "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 | |
| "Take You There" | Sean Kingston | 7 | 47 | - | 34 | |
| "What Is It" | Baby Bash featuring Sean Kingston | 57 | - | - | - | |
| "1 Mo Time" | Plies | - | - | - | - | |
| "I Am the Club" | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Give You the World" | The D.E.Y. | 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 | - | - | - | - | |
| "Superman" | Auburn | - | - | - | - | |
| "Fall Apart" | Sarah Connor | - | - | - | - | |
| "Better in Time" | Leona Lewis | 11 | 2 | 2 | 6 | |
| "Sneakernight" | Vanessa Hudgens | 88 | 164 | 98 | 94 | |
| "My Baby" | Jesse McCartney | - | - | - | - | |
| "The High Road" | JoJo | - | - | - | - | |
| "Strength" | James Fauntleroy | - | - | - | - | |
| "Pain No More" | E-40 featuring The Game & Snoop Dogg | 111 | - | - | - | |
| "Gamble on Me" | Cory Gunz featuring Jason Derulo | 125 | - | - | - | |
| "Defeated" | Anastacia | - | - | - | - | |
| "Want It, Need It" | Plies featuring Ashanti | 96 | - | - | - | |
| "However Do U Want It" | Maino | 124 | - | - | - | |
| "Next to You" | Mike Jones featuring Nae Nae | 71 | - | - | - | |
| "Becky" | Plies | 104 | - | - | - | |
| "Changes" | Dima Bilan | - | - | - | - | |
| "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 | ||
| "Pick Up The Pieces" | - | - | - | - | ||
| "Everybody in Love" | JLS | - | 1 | - | - | |
| "Replay" | Iyaz | 2 | 1 | 7 | 1 | |
| "Solo" | 32 | 3 | 25 | 48 | ||
| "So Big" | - | 40 | - | - | ||
| "Too Young To Die" | Lindsay Lohan | - | - | - | - | |
| "Love Like Woe" | The Ready Set | 27 | - | - | - | |
| "Not Lost" | B.o.B featuring T.I. | - | - | - | - | |
| "Lights Out" | Tynisha Keli | - | - | - | - | |
| "Text" | Mann featuring Jason Derülo | - | - | - | - | |
| "Secret" | Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | |
| "I'm at War" | Sean Kingston featuring Lil Wayne | - | - | - | - | |
| "She Moves" | Sean Kingston | - | - | - | - | |
| "La La La" | Auburn featuring Iyaz | 51 | - | - | - | |
| "Skin & Bones" | Romance on a Rocketship | - | - | - | - | |
| "Stuttering" | Fefe Dobson | - | - | - | - | |
| "Walka Not A Talka" | Mýa featuring Snoop Dogg | - | - | - | - | |
| "Preapproved'" | Ilya | - | - | - | - | |
| "Buzzin'" | Mann featuring 50 Cent | 73 | 6 | - | - | |
| "Fly" | Nicki Minaj featuring Rihanna | 21 | 16 | - | 18 | |
| "Girls Fall Like Dominoes'" | Nicki Minaj | - | 24 | - | 99 | |
| "Can You Hear Me" | Fabolous | - | - | - | - | |
| "The Mack" | Mann featuring Snoop Dogg and Iyaz | - | 28 | - | 68 | |
| "Pretty Girls" | Iyaz featuring Travie McCoy | 43 | - | - | - | |
[[Category:American Jews