Undoubtedly the only scruffy, little white guitarist signed to Ca$h Money Records, Kevin Rudolf was weaned on a mix of rock and dance music, and like so many aspiring musicians, taught himself how to mix and engineer on his personal computer. Unlike other would-be stars, though, Rudolf had the good fortune of crossing paths with guru producer Timbaland, who in typically impulsive fashion invited Rudolf to lay down some guitar on Lil’ Kim’s 2003 single “The Jumpoff.”
Rudolf’s Timbaland connection would lead him to recording sessions with Justin Timberlake, the Black Eyed Peas, David Banner and Nelly Furtado, and eventually to that unlikely contract with Ca$h Money Records, thanks in no small part to ardent rock enthusiast Lil Wayne, who saw potential in the singer and ensured his success by lending his own stardom to Rudolf’s jock jam of a single, “Let It Rock.” Like most everything Wayne touched last year, the song became a hit, shooting up the charts and finding some fitting placement in teen-themed television shows like “90210” and “The Hills,” and as the suitably amped-up theme song for the 2009 WWE Royal Rumble.
Rudolf’s debut album, In The City, treads closely to formula that track laid out. Rudolf brings the rock, moaning like a Joanis Brother doing his best Bon Jovi impression, while others bring the rapRick Ross and Nas drop verses, and The Neptunes buff his beats to a metallic sheen, creating the kind of super-sized, Katy Perry arena-pop that Top 40 radio can’t resist. Rock!
