There’s no doubt that Lady Gaga’s talent and style were the primary reasons for her meteoric rise to the top, but if it weren’t for producer/songwriter RedOne, hits like “Just Dance,” “Poker Face,” and “Bad Romance” would have sounded quite different. 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; then 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 and earned RedOne much clout with Universal Music Group. The two parties announced their joint venture, the 2101 Records label, in 2010.
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