From creating Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” and many more – to the success of his new single “Boom Boom” – RedOne is one notably talented and Grammy award-winning producer/artist.
Over the 2018 Grammy weekend, BMI hosted the panel “How I Wrote That Song” with four incredible artists including Faith Evans, Mark Batson, Tory Lanez and RedOne at the Apollo Theatre. They all shared stories, inspirations (and secrets) to some of their biggest hits.
During the panel, RedOne recounted how he met Lady Gaga in the Sony building in New York, way before anyone knew who ‘Lady Gaga’ was. She reminded him of an artist called “Laila” who had this crazy aesthetic vibe. RedOne showed Gaga “Laila” and Gaga loved her and was open to experimenting with this different sound that was inspired by Laila. RedOne wanted to take it to the next level. Together, they ended up creating an iconic catalog of music.
We spoke to RedOne before the panel and he shared some interesting advice and insight.
The Knockturnal: What’s one piece of advice that you would give to aspiring artists and songwriters?
A: To work really, really hard. Do your research on music and what other people have done before and why they did it. Keep working hard and being better and better. Be nice to everybody. Be and respectful and work hard until it happens, don’t give up.
The Knockturnal: What do you think is the hardest part about being an artist?
A: To keep up with everything and the process, but then when you make it, it’s even harder. Fame is a very hard thing to experience. A lot of people can’t handle it, which is normal for a human being to not be able to handle the way people change around you from family, friends to “new” friends and it just becomes crazy.
The Knockturnal: Did you have to cut people off because you didn’t know what their intentions were?
A: Eventually, you will. You will have to and it’s sad because a lot of people make themselves cut from your life because of how they change around you. Sometimes you fight and you have to convince them that you haven’t changed but they changed because they think you changed, and it just becomes this weird thing. Then, it becomes emotional and a lot of people start to call you who didn’t call you before and just – pressure, pressure, money, money, please, please – and it becomes chaos. Then, you have to deal with doing the job and be smiling and laughing. It’s very heavy for a lot of artists and I understand. It’s not a good thing when they start doing drugs and stuff like that but I understand why it goes there. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke but a lot of artists I’ve seen them finding a way to calm themselves or to be able to sleep and then it goes heavier.
The Knockturnal: Who’s the most fun person you’ve worked with?
A: Fun?! It has to be Enrique Iglesias and Mark Anthony, it’s crazy fun.