Grammy-winning Moroccan-Swedish producer RedOne is a pop songwriter and recording artist whose prominence was cemented through his work with
Lady Gaga. Some of his most notable songwriting hits include
Gaga's "Just Dance" and "Poker Face" and
Nicki Minaj'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
ABBA,
Europe, and
Roxette as his inspiration for the move. His first big success came in 2005 when his work on the song "Step Up," from singer
Darin, 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
Akon and
Kat DeLuna. His 2008 work on
Lady Gaga's debut effort, The Fame, helped the album become an international smash. It earned RedOne much clout with
Universal Music Group, and the two parties subsequently launched a joint venture, a boutique label called
2101 Records, which supported a handful of artists like
Havana Brown and
Jennifer Lopez. Through 2014, RedOne collaborated with those acts, as well as with
Gaga,
Pitbull, and
Nicki Minaj, and then moved his label to
Capitol and renamed it RedOne Records. Also signed to
Warner as a solo act, RedOne released the single "Don't You Need Somebody" in 2016. Featuring
Shaggy,
Enrique Iglesias,
Serayah, and
R. City, it became a Top Ten pop hit in Sweden. ~ David Jeffries, Rovi