One of the most successful producers of his generation, he took on record production, singing and songwriting, and mainly the juiciest A-listers in the music field.
Swedish-Moroccan Nadir Khayat is young and full of music... and he goes by his stage name RedOne.
From Lady Gaga, to Jennifer Lopez, Shakira and Pitbull, Khayat has worked with the music world's most iconic stars.
In an interview with StepFeed, the award-winning record maker told us about his early beginnings, inspiration, and career.
He also shared details of the "Boom Boom Challenge", an exciting competition he recently launched worldwide.
On the launch of his career
Khayat was drawn to music even at the youngest of age. When asked to share the defining moment he realized he wanted to become a musician, he said:
"Growing up in Morocco, I was the youngest of nine brothers and sisters so I was always listening to the music that they bought. Then one day I heard the song 'The Final Countdown,' and it changed my life. I had played guitar and stuff before I came across it, but that was the day I realized I wanted to be a musician."
Though he initially launched his career as a musician, Khayat turned to music production soon after.
"I started as an artist first and at one point I had too much music in my head and the only way I could get it all out is to produce for other artists," he explained.
On overcoming obstacles
When asked about the major challenges he faced while building up his international career, Khayat said:
"Everyday has obstacles on different levels. One of the main obstacles I faced when I started out, was not having enough money to eat and not having a place to sleep. All the while knowing I didn’t want to give up the music and go back to Morocco as a loser. On most days, and as every hour went by, I got close to the same question: 'Where am I going to spend the night?' So that was one of them."
"And then it’s all obstacles. From getting my first song cut, to pleasing the record label, to pleasing the radio. In a way, everyday is a new obstacle that you need to overcome. But that’s life," he added.
On collaborating with Arab musicians
Khayat told StepFeed he listens to Arabic music often and is interested in collaborating with its creators.
His favorite Arab artists and the ones he enjoys listening to are Saad Lamjarred and Hussain al Jassmi, as he told us.
When asked to name three of his favorite tracks out of the ones he produced during his career, Khayat said he couldn't, because to him, every song he made holds a personal, significant meaning.
"All my songs are my babies and they each represent a certain time in my life, so they all mean something to me," he elaborated.
On his latest single and upcoming projects
Khayat's most recent song "Boom Boom," which features Daddy Yankee, French Montana, and Dinah Jane, has been topping international charts since its release.
As part of promoting it, Khayat launched a worldwide social media challenge that sees people sharing their own versions of the hit single. The challenge has also launched in the Middle East.
About his upcoming projects, the music producer shared details of his super busy schedule.
"Right now I am focusing on promoting my single 'Boom Boom.' I am also collaborating with Enrique Iglesias, Daddy Yankee among others, and I’m developing some new talent that might be tomorrow’s biggest stars," he explained.
On his message to young Arab musicians and producers
When asked what his message to young Arab musicians and producers would be, Khayat shared some powerful words of advice.
"They need to work hard on their skills and find their own way. They have to believe in themselves and never lose hope and faith," he said.