Date of Birth: September 21, 1989
Height: 6’0″
Hometown: Miami, Florida, United States
Best Quotes:
“If you think you’ve already made it, that’s when you can fall short and go backwards. I’m constantly pushing forward and chasing the element of perfection.”
“I don’t think I can ever escape from music.”
“I want somebody like my mom. My mom is a very charitable woman. She’s the sweetest woman in the world. I’m looking for the second sweetest woman in the world. I’m looking for honesty and a big heart.”
With a knack for finding new angles to tried-and-true R&B trends, Jason Derulo launched his career while still in his teens, first as a songwriter for other artists and later as a solo performer. Born to Haitian parents in Miramar, Florida, he started singing at an early age. He attended performing arts schools in Florida and took some early stabs at music composition, writing his first song at the age of eight. His writing skills began attracting attention, and by his teenage years, Derulo had begun composing tracks for artists like Lil Wayne, Pitbull, and Pleasure P. He also wrote “Bossy” for Birdman, a New Orleans-based rapper, and made a guest appearance on the song, highlighting his ability as a vocalist.
After signing to a subsidiary of Warner Bros., Derulo began making the transition from behind-the-scenes songwriter to mainstream performer. His first hit arrived during the summer of 2009, when he wrapped a sample of Imogen Heap’s “Hide and Seek” (a song made popular by its appearance in the second season finale of The O.C., as well as the Saturday Night Live sketch Dear Sister) around a sleek modern soul beat. Titled “Whatcha Say,” the song topped the Billboard charts and cracked the Top Ten in multiple foreign countries, including Canada, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K. A second single, “In My Head,” peaked at number five in America, and Derulo’s full-length debut album arrived in early 2010. Future History followed in 2011, along with its hit single “Don’t Wanna Go Home.”
At the start of 2012, he embarked on the Future History Tour, but broke one of his vertebrae during rehearsals. As a result of his neck injury, he canceled the entire tour. Recuperating and reflecting upon his injury, he announced details of his new album and released the single “The Other Side” in April 2013. Derulo’s follow-up, “Talk Dirty,” featuring 2 Chainz, shot to number three on the pop chart during the summer of 2013, and the album Tattoos was released in September in most territories. The U.S. received a retooled version of the album in 2014 titled Talk Dirty. It featured several new tracks, including “Wiggle” featuring Snoop Dogg, which reached the Top Ten in the summer of 2014. With guest spots from Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Lopez, Keith Urban, and others, Everything Is 4 followed in 2015. The album featured the Top 10 single “Want to Want Me” and coincided with Derulo’s new job as judge on the 12th season of So You Think You Can Dance. ~ Jason Thurston & Andrew Leahey, Rovi.
