He may not say anything dirty directly, but platinum-selling artist Jason Derulo has a lot to say.
Derulo, real name Jason Derulo, shot to fame in 2009 with the Imogen Heap-sampling “Whatcha Say.” The song went triple platinum, peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and, as a symbol of the era, racked up over 12 million plays (and his 4 million downloads) on Myspace.
But that didn't necessarily mean it would be Derulo's debut. The singer-songwriter originally wrote the song for Sean Kingston, but when Sean Kingston turned it down, Derulo ended up releasing the song himself.
“I thought, 'Is this my song?'” Derulo said in an auditorium packed with more than 1,500 high-achieving millennials on the Create Stage at the third annual Forbes Under 30 Summit in Boston. he said.
Known early on for his trademark drop of “Jason Derulo” at the beginning of each song, Derulo's tactic of saying his name and reminding people who's playing has garnered attention. It was helpful. “Even though I'm retired, people keep saying that,” Derulo said with a laugh, speaking at Harvard Business School's Baden Hall.
Born in Miami, Florida, Derulo studied dance and music from an early age and wrote his first song, “Crush On You,” at the age of eight, addressing a childhood crush. His early career included being a member of Forbes magazine's Five List and Cash Money showman Birdman. He reportedly wrote “Bossy” for Birdman in 2007 and has also written hits for Diddy, Sean Kingston, Lil Wayne, and more. Did those Cash Money checks arrive? “No comment,” laughed Derulo. “I love all those guys.”
But he wasn't always going to be a hit machine.Derulo majored in musical theater at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy in Manhattan. rent on Broadway.
“I used to eat four bananas a day to save money,” Derulo recalled. I became constipated, but I found out about that later.
With dreams of becoming a solo artist in mind, he gave up on performing on Broadway. Derulo, who joined the Music Under 30 list in 2016, recalls, “It was, 'Do I go down this path or do I continue with this dream?'”
He decided to take a chance, and since then, this versatile performer has produced hit after hit. His 2014 earworm “Talk Dirty” peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. Despite his auto-tune perfect vocals, he actively uses real instruments to create catchy hooks. “Talk Dirty” includes a horn break sampled from Balkan's Beat His Box saxophone. Oli Kaplan featured the recorder that most listeners remember from elementary school on “The Wiggle” and an actual brass player on “Trumpet.”
Derulo's clever move earned him a small role as a judge in the film. So, do you think you can dance? What is his inspiration? Michael Jackson is probably the greatest singer and dancer of all time.
“I didn't understand what a singer was. I just wanted to be Michael Jackson,” Derulo said of his childhood. “I was in front of the TV mimicking moves and singing songs. Then I started watching other music videos and getting attached to other artists.”
Behind the scenes, Derulo's Just for You Foundation built a hospital in Haiti (where his parents immigrated). He also flips the house upside down. It didn't always work out that way. Derulo recalled that he had to buy a million dollar home.
But he has no intention of giving up. Next up is the clothing line. Avid fashionistas have a specific vision for their clothes: futuristic, sexy, and classy.
His fans are waiting.
