The Rise And Rise Of Rita Ora
From the daughter of Kosovan refugees to a platinum-selling pop star managed by Jay-Z, it's been one heck of a journey for Rita Ora...
Rita Ora/InstagramRita Ora’s come a long way – and not just in her career. Born in 1990 in Pristina, Kosovo to her Kosovan-Albanian parents, she moved to the UK when she was just one year old.
Rex Features“When we got to London, my dad started working in restaurants,” she said during an interview with a British tabloid back in 2012. “My mum was a doctor back home but couldn’t speak any English. She had to re-study everything, learn English and raise me, my brother and sister. I really admire her for that. Now she’s a psychiatrist and has her own ward in London.”
PA PhotosShe grew up in Portobello Road in West London, where she attended the St Cuthbert With St Matthias CE Primary School, before scoring a place at the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School.
PA Photos“My earliest memory of music is my dad playing songs by Sadé and my mum playing all the hits from her time while we danced along in the living room,” she told us during an exclusive interview back in 2012. “The first album I bought was the Spice Girls, ha ha.”
WennThe star began flexing her vocal muscles from a young age and was soon performing in bars and clubs all over London.
Rex FeaturesHer first musical appearance was on the Craig David track Awkward back in 2007 at the age of 16. She also appeared on David’s track Where’s The Love, which featured Tinchy Stryder in 2008.
Rex FeaturesAnd it wasn’t long until she started attracted some even more serious attention. “I was playing gigs when an A&R in London saw me,” she told us exclusively last year. “He called up one of the Roc Nation guys in front of me and told them they had someone perfect for them and put me on the phone! He asked me to send over a demo and come to NYC to meet him and Jay-Z. At the time, I worked in a trainer store so I told them I’d only have enough money to come over for two weeks. They laughed and told me they’d get the ticket. So I went over, met the team and they signed me! And gave me a suitcase full of trainers, ha ha ha…”
Rex Features“I was a fan [of Jay-Z] before I was signed to Roc Nation, so from that perspective he was a big influence on me first and foremost,” she told us last year. “Now, the influence is from a different angle. I respect him a lot – who better to take advice from that someone who’s had 11 No.1 albums?”
Bigpicturesphoto.comThe year 2009 marked a real turning point for the star, not only because she found herself auditioning to be the UK Eurovision entry: “It was fun at the time. But I knew that it wasn't right as I got further down the line. It was an experience,” she said. But the year also saw her falling in love with a little known singer/songwriter…
PA Photos… Bruno Mars. Speaking to German magazine Bravo in 2013, she said: “It was love at first sight, such a great experience. We met in 2009. I was 18 and starting out at Roc Nation. Bruno was unknown back then too. He was a struggling songwriter hired to write songs for me. I thought: ‘Wow, that's just the world's greatest guy! Our time together was wonderful. But once we got famous, work got in the way. We ended it last year, but we remained close.”
PA PhotosThe same year, she made a cameo appearance on Jay-Z’s music video, Young Forever, as well as on the track Over by Drake. She also starred in an advertising campaign for Jay-Z’s Roc Nation + Skullcandy Aviator headphones.
Rex FeaturesShe quickly became part of the Roc Nation family, and was soon listing the likes of Beyoncé among her key mentors. “[Her advice was] to be yourself and listen to yourself, and coming from Beyoncé, you have to listen to her! Ha ha. She's amazing - definitely an idol of mine and such an amazing role model.”
Rex FeaturesFast forward two years, and Rita was working on her debut album with the likes of Kanye West, Drake, will.i.am, The-Dream and Stargate, posting video clips of her progress. “I was blessed to work with all of them, even to meet them,” she said. “There's no way I could choose [a favourite], as they all inspire me in different ways.”
Rex FeaturesThe videos soon went viral and the pop starlet found herself with an army of loyal supporters, who she would later christen Ritabots.
Rex FeaturesBut it was in December that year, when DJ Fresh finally unveiled his Rita Ora-starring music video for his smash hit, Hot Right Now, that she started to gain some serious commercial air time.
Rex FeaturesThe single was released on 12 February 2012, and quickly topped the charts. Later that month, Rita premiered her debut solo single, How We Do (Party) , on New York’s Z100 radio station during an on-air appearance with Jay-Z.
Rex FeaturesBack in the UK, her first official solo single release was actually R.I.P featuring Tinie Tempah, which hit the shelves on 6 May 2012. The track, which was produced by Chase & Status, flew straight to the top of the charts, and became Rita Ora’s first solo No.1.
PA PhotosThe same month, she also enjoyed a stint as a guest judge on The X Factor UK during the London leg of the show.
Rex FeaturesWhile she was on tour with Coldplay, she revealed that her debut album would simply be called Ora, and it was finally released it on 27 August 2012. It debuted at No.1 in the UK Album Charts and confirmed that (as predicted) she was set to follow in the mega successful footsteps of her Roc Nation peers, MIA and Rihanna.
Rex FeaturesDespite her newfound success, Rita made it clear she hadn’t forgotten her humble roots, and chose her native Kosovo as the location for her music video for Shine Ya Light.
PA PhotosA string of awards nominations quickly followed. Rita notched up an impressive three nods at the 2012 MTV European Music Awards, including for Best New Artist. She won Best New Artist at the MOBO awards that year, and received several mentions at the BRIT Awards, the Urban Music Awards, the BET Awards, the Kids’ Choice Awards and the World Music Awards.
Rex FeaturesThe start of 2013 saw Rita embark on the eight-date headlining Radioactive Tour, where she played to packed-out, heaving crowds of Ritabots up and down the UK.
Rex FeaturesShe also revealed that she had already started work with super-producer Dev Hynes on her second studio album, due out sometime this summer.
PacificCoastNews.comOn 30 April 2013, Rita hit the headlines once again, this time for the music video for her new song Facemelt, which not only guest starred her “wifey” – and the hottest supermodel of the moment – Cara Delevingne, but was also shot by iconic fashion photographer Rankin.
And that brings us right up to now, where she is continuing to be honoured for her artistry, her determination, her charisma and her vocal talents. A phenomenal rise indeed. Rita Ora, we salute you.
