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Working with RedOne
Date range assessed by the fact that RedOne says that “he’s spending a lot of time in Las Vegas these days, supposedly working on an album with Michael Jackson” in a “Las Vegas Sun” article dated May 16, 2008.
RedOne, producer, “Las Vegas Sun” (May 16, 2008) (archived)
Producer RedOne is spending a lot of time in Las Vegas these days, supposedly working on an album with Michael Jackson, which he can’t talk about.
“Honestly, I’m not allowed to talk about Michael at all,” says RedOne, who was born Nadir Khayat in Morocco and now calls Los Angeles home. “I just love him. I’m a big fan of his. There’s something going on, but I can’t talk about it.”
What RedOne can say is he’s spending a lot of time in the recording studio at the Palms.
“The studio, it’s incredible. The sound is amazing,” he says. “And so is Las Vegas. I love Las Vegas. We get a lot of peace of mind in Las Vegas. It’s very nice. It feels good working in Vegas. It’s very convenient, so close to L.A. It’s like a dream world that helps you musically and creatively.”
RedOne also can say he’s working on an album with Toni Braxton, who has been canceling shows at the Flamingo lately because of an undisclosed illness. She’s booked in the showroom until September, when Donny & Marie take over.
The producer also says he is helping to navigate the return of the New Kids on the Block. (After an absence of 14 years, maybe the former boy band should be called New Old Guys on the Block.) And he is working on projects with Akon and Lady GaGa (“Big Boy/Big Girl”).
Reuters (January 21, 2010) (archived)
The 37-year-old producer, born in Morocco and steeped in European pop and rock after spending several years in Sweden, recorded with the “king of pop” in Las Vegas in 2008 and 2009 and in Los Angeles in 2009, before Jackson’s death aged 50.
While the results are far from the finished product, RedOne, whose real name is Nadir Khayat, believes he has enough material to work on for a record, although any release would have to involve agreement with Jackson’s record label and estate.
“I have big plans,” he told Reuters at a recording studio in London, where he has been working with other artists.
“There is material that could come out (from the Jackson sessions),” he added.
“In case I’m going to release something, I would do it for charity, for something that he would have been proud of, because you always felt like everybody wanted to take advantage of him though his life,” said RedOne, considered one of the world’s top producers after his partnership with Lady Gaga.
Recalling his collaboration with Jackson, he said: “The music we were doing was good, really good ... very energetic, uplifting. It’s sad that we never finished the material.
“Michael always has been focused on having hits, not having songs, so he always records a lot of songs and takes the best of them and that’s his formula which I love. We were doing good quality music and it’s never been finished.”
RedOne has been nominated for four Grammys — the music industry’s top honours — ahead of the Jan. 31 ceremony, where stars will perform a tribute to Jackson.
Khaleej Times: You've worked with so many amazing artists, who has been the most exciting to work with on a personal level?
RedOne: ...on a personal level, it's Michael Jackson and U2.
KT: What can you tell us about your time working with Michael Jackson?
RedOne: From the musical aspect, he's a genius. He knew everything there is to know about music. A lot of times, I tend to direct the artist, but with Michael, before I was about to say what I was about to say, he knew what I was going to say. The second part of him was the human side. What a human being. What a humble person. He didn't care how talented you are, he cared about how you are as a person, he wanted to know about your brothers and sisters, your mum, your country. He told me he'd been to Morocco, he loved Morocco. He told me he loved Moroccan food and wanted to meet my mum; he said he wanted to meet the mum who made this person, because (he said) you're a beautiful person and he said he wanted to taste her food. So, after London, where he was supposed to have a concert, he was supposed to come to Morocco to visit me and my family. But unfortunately that didn't happen.