Kevin Rudolf | |
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.jpg) Rudolf performing in 2009 | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Kevin Winston Rudolf |
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| Born | (1983-02-17)February 17, 1983 (age 42) New York City, U.S. |
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| Years active | 2000–present |
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| Website | kevinrudolf |
Kevin Winston Rudolf (born February 17, 1983) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 2008 debut single "Let It Rock" (featuringLil Wayne), which peaked at number five on theBillboard Hot 100 and receivedquadruple platinum certification by theRecording Industry Association of America (RIAA). He signed withBirdman'sCash Money Records, an imprint ofUniversal Republic Records to release the song along with the parent album of which it preceded,In the City (2008). The album received mixed reviews and underperformed commercially at number 94 on theBillboard 200, along with his third albumTo the Sky (2010), which peaked at number 78. Prior, he released histhen-eponymous debut album (2001)—under the nameBinocular—throughMadonna's record labelMaverick.
As a record producer for other artists, Rudolf has amassed production credits on albums for fellowpop oralternative rock acts includingLifehouse,Cobra Starship,Hollywood Undead,Jesse McCartney,Big Time Rush,Selena Gomez & the Scene,Keith Urban,Gavin DeGraw, andMy Darkest Days, among others.
Kevin Winston Rudolf was born on February 17, 1983, inNew York City to Ellyn, an American singer, and Stephen, aDJ originally from the United Kingdom and ofEnglish extraction. He grew up an only child on theUpper East Side, his parents divorcing while he was still very young.
Rudolf has said that his first musical memory is of listening to the song "Jump" byVan Halen, while jumping around the apartment in which he grew up.[1] His skills on the instrument improved rapidly. "My mother actually said something really smart to me. She said, 'Whatever you put in, you'll get out,' so I thought, that makes sense...I started practicing a lot."[2]
Rudolf played with several local bands, including analternative rock group known as Paint, but soon found himself frustrated with the tensions and internal squabbles associated with a band situation. Taking matters into his own hands, Rudolf began creating his own beats and musical tracks, as well as writing the material.[2]
In 2000, Rudolf began work on the group of songs that, nine months later, would form the basis for hismajor label debutBinocular. Written, produced and engineered by Rudolf, and mixed byMark Saunders, the album took nine months to complete.[3] Rudolf was signed toMadonna's record label,Maverick, which released the album under thepseudonym, Binocular. A song from the album, "You", was used in the TV showSmallville in 2001, and a song not appearing on the album, "Maybe You're Gone" (written by Danny Scherr), was later used over the end credits of the movieThe Girl Next Door in 2004.[4] Despite receiving positive reviews, the album went largely unnoticed in the United States.[5]
Rudolf's solo career took a detour in 2003, when recording engineerJimmy Douglass introduced him to producerTimbaland. Rudolf was invited to watch a recording session, but, at Timbaland's urging, soon found himself participating, by playing guitar onLil' Kim's 2003 hit "The Jump Off." Rudolf remembers, "At first I just went into the studio to absorb what I could. I brought my guitar as sort of peace offering so I wasn't feeling completely useless. Soon I was playing parts on songs." Rudolf has stated that his time spent with Timbaland influenced his own attitude in making records. "Working with Timbaland, I was amazed by his work ethic and just how much he would work on something until he got the results he wanted."[6] He would go on to collaborate with Timbaland on many songs, including those by TheBlack Eyed Peas,Justin Timberlake,Nelly Furtado, andDavid Banner.[1]
Rudolf continued to work on his solo material throughout 2007, while still working with Timbaland. During one memorable session, he metBryan "Birdman" Williams andRonald "Slim" Williams, brothers and co-CEO's ofCash Money Records. "I played them a couple of records I produced and wrote and they liked them for one of their artists. Then I played them my solo stuff and they flipped out over this song called 'Coffee and Donuts'. We built from there, and a few months laterLil Wayne got on "Let It Rock" and they signed me, and the rest is history."[1]
When Rudolf was signed to a record deal by Cash Money, he became the first white artist, as well as the firstrock artist, signed to a label previously known for releasing records by African-Americanrap artists, including, most famously, Lil Wayne. CEO Slim Williams explained, "we love one-of-a-kind artists, and Kevin rolls that way in everything he does...we are always looking at the next step, the next level we can take our audience. I knew his work with other artists, but when he played me his solo stuff, we just knew we had to partner up."[7]
"Let It Rock", the initial single from Rudolf's then-upcoming album,In the City, was released on June 16, 2008. Written and produced by Rudolf, and featuring Lil Wayne, the song met with immediate success, debuting at number 5 onBillboard magazine's influentialHot 100 chart.[8] Noted music critic David Jeffries predicted that fans would find the song "a near-perfect highlight,"[9] while critic Rick Florino called Rudolf's voice "sexy and bombastic" and noted his "diverse set of pipes."[9] The song became a staple of sporting events, listed byBMI as the second most-played song inNFL,MLB andNHL arenas and stadiums.[10]
With "Let It Rock" already a massive hit, fans and media still noted a sense of "mystery" surrounding Rudolf. "There really was no mystery," he said. "The song just blew up faster than we could catch up with it. But it was great that the music was given a chance to speak for itself. People truly felt it--it wasn't anything fake. And with me, music always comes first. Unlike some artists, I don't want the attention to be put on myself as much as my music."[6]
Rudolf's first studio album released under his own name, titledIn the City, was released on November 24, 2008, and was produced and co-written by Rudolf, with the exception of one song, "She Can Get It", which was co-produced bythe Neptunes. Rudolf explained that the album was about "growing up inNew York City when the city was wild... it felt like there were no rules and you could be anyone you wanted. That is the landscape of this album."[7]The album was noted for Rudolf's distinctive merging of musical styles, namely, rock and hip-hop. "It's about taking rock attitude vocally, hip hop drums, synths, and guitars and sharpening the edges of everything in a sense. You bring it together. That's how I do it."[11]
Rudolf's penchant for "genre-bending" was noted in many reviews of the album. "'In the City' cribs tricks from both rap androck 'n' roll, not in the pursuit of a bastardisedLimp Bizkit-type hybrid, but with the intention to produce a crossover rock record with modern hip-hop tools...it's hard to deny Rudolf is a man with some big ideas."[12]
With lead single "Let It Rock" still garnering the most attention, other songs from the album also began to have impact. "Welcome to the World (Kevin Rudolf song)", the album's second single featuringKid Cudi, went gold and was featured prominently in advertisements forWrestleMania XXVI.[13][14][15] His song "N.Y.C." featuringNas was heard on an episode ofCSI: NY.[16]
Throughout most of 2009, Rudolf performed songs fromIn the City live, including appearances onThe Jimmy Kimmel Show,Dancing with the Stars, theMiss USA 2009 peageant and the2009 NBA All-Star Game.[17]
On June 15, 2010, Rudolf's studio album,To the Sky, was released. The album consists of 11 tracks with a total running time of 37 minutes. The first single from the album, "I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)" featuring Birdman,Jay Sean and Lil Wayne, was released on February 2, 2010, in advance of the album, becoming Rudolf's secondplatinum single.[13] It was followed, on September 14, by the single "You Make the Rain Fall" featuringFlo Rida. Critical reviews were mixed, with one saying, "this isIn the City evolved...to a higher level,[18] while others noted the "good songwriting," but lamented that "without a worthy "Let It Rock" successor, this is hard to recommend over his debut."[19]
Responding to a question about his song, "I Made It (Cash Money Heroes)", Rudolf elaborated on his own feelings regarding success. "I think that 'making it' is something that you do in stages. There's a certain feeling of 'I made it' when you have a hit on the radio for the first time and people are feeling it and buying it and reacting to it at shows. But I've also set new goals since then."[20]
On July 2, 2013,Perez Hilton premiered Rudolf's video for his upcoming single, "Here's to Us." Hilton stated, "'Here's to Us' will be the lead single off his upcoming third album. We seriously got goosebumps watching this video! It has such a positive message. We just LOVE Kevin's outlook on life!" On July 26, Rudolf announced via his officialTwitter page that the single, "Here's to Us" would be available oniTunes as of Tuesday, July 30.[21] The song was also featured on the soundtrack of the video game2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil.[22]
On January 13, 2015, Kevin Rudolf announced that he had completed his contract with Cash Money Records and now he was an independent artist.[23] After being released from his record deal with Cash Money Records in January 2015, Rudolf could no longer release music under his own name for a period of three years, therefore Rudolf created a new project under the alias Space Rock.[24]
After signing withPrimary Wave Music in July 2015, Kevin dropped the name Space Rock and went back to Kevin Rudolf usingSpace Rock as the album title instead.[25] On May 21, 2015, Kevin released the first single fromSpace Rock, titled "That Other Ship". The single was re-released on June 22 under Kevin Rudolf as the artist.
On June 22, 2015, Rudolf released a song called "Blaze Of Glory", featured on theWWE Tough Enough soundtrack. On July 7, 2017, he released the single "Nobody Gets Out Alive". On May 19, 2023 Rudolf released a single titled "That's the Way It's Supposed to Be".
In September 2009, having finished two solo albums, Rudolf moved fromMiami toLos Angeles to concentrate on co-writing and producing records for several LA-based artists, including Amanda Kay (nowAva Max),Cobra Starship,Leona Lewis,Lifehouse,Natasha Bedingfield,Selena Gomez andWeezer.[26] "I spent a lot of time in L.A. after a couple of my records blew up, and I got into producing and writing for a lot of other artists out there. I got into that whole game. Then when I got back to New York—I grew up in New York—I felt completely inspired all over again. I felt like I had done enough of writing songs for other people, that I wanted to really say something. I think what music's lacking right now is there's really no message. No one's saying anything...I just felt like I really wanted to put something back in the world that inspires people, says something, and means something."[27]
In 2013, Rudolf took a break from recording his own album to co-write a song with country artistKeith Urban and country songwritersBrad and Brett Warren called "Little Bit of Everything", which Urban debuted on May 16, 2013, on theseason 12 finale ofAmerican Idol.[28]
Having grown up inNew York City, the only child of divorced parents, Rudolf has stated that he has found greater inspiration and a stronger sense of belonging in his adopted city ofMiami. Rudolf first lived temporarily in Miami while doing session work with producerTimbaland. After relocating to Los Angeles in 2010 while writing and producing for several artists, Rudolf returned to New York for a brief time in 2012 to begin work on his upcoming album, then moved permanently to Miami.[29]
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