''I'm Right Here'' is the debut studio
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. by American singer-songwriter, rapper and musician
Chris Rene
Christopher Rene (previously René; born December 25, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He was in a band called Diversion and also had a solo career, releasing the album ''Soul'd Out''. Chris auditioned for the fi ...
released on October 2, 2012 through
Syco
Syco Entertainment is a British media entertainment company, headquartered in London, founded and owned by British entrepreneur and record executive Simon Cowell. The company focuses on TV production. The company was formed in 2005 through So ...
and
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
. This is Rene's first
major label
A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produc ...
project, and second studio work overall, after he released his 2009 independent studio album, ''
Soul'd Out
Soul'd Out (usually styled as SOUL'd OUT) was a Japanese hip-hop trio, consisting of Diggy-MO' (MC), Bro.Hi (MC/Human Beat Box), and Shinnosuke (DJ). Their name is a portmanteau of "soul" and "sold out", and the group is sometimes referred to by ...
''. Rene, a third-place finalist from the inaugural season of the U.S. version of
The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
, was signed to Epic by his mentor,
L.A. Reid
Antonio Marquis "L.A." Reid (born June 7, 1956) is an American record executive, A&R representative, and record producer. He is the founder and served as co-chairman of Hitco Entertainment. He also previously served as the chairman and CEO of Ep ...
. Rene began production on his album in December 2011, and completed recording by June 2012. The record boasts assistance on writing and productions from Alex Lambert, Brandyn Burnette, busbee, Christian Rich, Chuck Harmony, Claude Kelly, J. Bonilla, J.R. Rotem, Jon Levine,
Lauren Evans
Lauren Evans (born February 3, 1983) is an American singer and platinum-selling songwriter. She is an ASCAP Award Winner and has written hit singles for Alexandra Burke, Monrose, Jordin Sparks, and Camila. As a songwriter, Evans has achieved f ...
, Marlin "Hookman" Bonds, Marty James, Mitchum Chin, Peter Biker, Supa Dups and Talay Riley, along with compositions from Rene's brother and sister, Gabriel and Gina.
The album debuted at #55 on the
''Billboard'' 200 charts, selling around 9,000 units in its first week. It dropped off the chart after just two weeks and has sold over 22,000 copies as of 2013.
Young Homie
"Young Homie" is the debut single written and performed by American singer-songwriter Chris Rene. It is the first single from Rene's debut studio EP ''I'm Right Here''. Following its release, the song debuted at number one on the New Zealand sing ...
was issued as the official first single from the album in March 2012. Though the song failed to chart on the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100, it did land at #1 on both the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
chart and the U.S. Billboard
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
, #26 on the U.S.
Top 40 Pop chart, #72 on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
chart and is certified platinum in New Zealand. The single also sold 293,000 units in digital download sales in the U.S., according to Nielsen Soundscan. The second official single released from the album is the reggae-tinged pop song
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
. The single debuted at 100 on the US Hot 100 Airplay charts and is certified gold in New Zealand.
Development
![L](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/L.A._Reid_crop.jpg)
Chris Rene's journey began in June 2011 when he auditioned for the debut season of the US version of The X Factor. By then, Rene was just 70 days clean and sober, fresh out of a
Santa Cruz rehabilitation center from a drug and alcohol addiction. Rene ultimately finished the season in third place,
behind runner-up
Josh Krajcik
Joshua Andrew Krajcik ( ) is an American singer-songwriter who currently resides in Columbus, Ohio. He began his career as a solo artist and later went on to form the Josh Krajcik Band with Corey Gillen and Mitch Pinkston. He was the runner-up ...
and winner
Melanie Amaro
Melanie Ann Amaro (born June 26, 1992) is an American singer who won the first season of ''The X Factor USA'' in 2011, securing a $5 million recording contract with Syco Music and Epic Records. Amaro was also the youngest contestant to win the c ...
, though Rene proved to be a memorable and influential figure from the show. Rene, along with season one The X Factor winner Melanie Amaro, and fellow finalists
Marcus Canty
Marcus Canty (born January 22, 1991) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B and soul music, soul singer and dancer. He finished in fourth place in the The X Factor (U.S. season 1), first season of ''The X Factor (U.S.), The X Factor USA''.
Earl ...
and Astro, were signed to mentor L.A. Reid's revamped label
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America
Sony Corporation of America (SONAM, also known as SCA), is the American arm of the Japanese conglomerate Sony Group ...
in December 2011,
a day after the X-Factor finale. Rene's contract would reportedly be worth $150,000 to $500,000 with the label, which stands to reason since he finished in third place.
Rene immediately entered the studio in Los Angeles with writer
Marty James
Marty James Garton Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Chico, California.
He has released albums and singles as the front man and producer of Scapegoat Wax and One Block Radius.Birchmeier, Jason (2011)One Block Radius ...
and producer
J.R. Rotem to rework his popular song, "
Young Homie
"Young Homie" is the debut single written and performed by American singer-songwriter Chris Rene. It is the first single from Rene's debut studio EP ''I'm Right Here''. Following its release, the song debuted at number one on the New Zealand sing ...
", to be released as his official first single under the label.
Over the next few months, Rene would travel between California and New York to record his new project, with assistance on writing and production from heavyweights
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly (born December 27, 1980)Shirley Halperin and Bob Love"THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers,"''The Hollywood Reporter'', February 6, 2013. is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a ...
,
Matthew "Boi-1da" Samuels,
Carsten "Soulshock" Schack,
Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin-Quee,
Livvi Franc
Olivia Charlotte Waithe (born 31 May 1988), better known by her stage name Livvi Franc, is a British Barbadian singer-songwriter.
Early life
Franc was born in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England to an English mother and a Bajan father. Franc' ...
, Ali Tamposi,
Chuck Harmony
Charles T. Harmon (born 1979),Gerrick D. Kennedy''Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2015. better known as Chuck Harmony, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time Gram ...
, Jon Jon Traxx,
Christian Rich
Christian Rich is an American-born Nigerian production and DJ duo consisting of twins Kehinde Hassan and Taiwo Hassan.
Early life and career
The identical twin brothers were born in Chicago and raised in Nigeria for exposure to their father's Y ...
,
busbee
Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...
, J Bonilla,
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It aired on Fox from June 11, 2002, to Ap ...
semi-finalist
Alex Lambert
Alexander Don Lambert (born December 10, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter from North Richland Hills, Texas, who was a semi-finalist on the American Idol (season 9), ninth season of ''American Idol'' and starred on a web show, ''If I Can D ...
and more.
Composition
Chris Rene's musical style is described as both "current and easily identifiable."
Rene draws his influences from
rock 'n' roll
Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm an ...
,
reggae
Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, " Do the Reggay" was the first popular song to use ...
,
blues
Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
,
punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
and
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
, and is inspired by artists such as
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
,
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...
,
Billy Joel
William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
,
Kanye West
Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer.
Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
,
Eric Clapton
Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...
,
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
,
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
,
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony,
Eminem
Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...
,
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are ci ...
and more. Chris uses a vocal blend of rapping and singing, which he calls "ringing," a term coined by his sister Gina Rene.
Rene confirms that the album, sonically, will sound diverse. "
ere's a little of everything; you got pop songs, rap songs, a mixture of rap-singing, rapping...".
The album features themes such as love, women, overcoming obstacles and spreading a positive message through his motto, "love life."
Release and promotion
''I'm Right Here'' was released on October 2, 2012 through Epic Records and Syco Music in physical and digital download formats.
It debuted at number 55 on the
''Billboard'' 200. Fans who pre-ordered the album on iTunes, Amazon or Walmart were treated to exclusive bonus contents: the bonus track "Tidal Wave" if ordered on iTunes, the bonus track "I Made It" if ordered on Amazon, and an autographed booklet if ordered on Walmart.
Rene has promoted singles and the album with appearances on
The Ellen DeGeneres Show
''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was prod ...
,
Vh1's Big Morning Buzz Live, Anderson Live and the Ricki Lake Show. Rene embarked on a U.S. radio promotional tour, concert appearances with
Austin Mahone
Austin Harris Mahone (; born April 4, 1996) is an American singer, songwriter and professional wrestler. Mahone gained popularity performing covers of pop songs on YouTube. He released three albums to date. Famous releases include " Say Somethi ...
,
Sean Kingston
Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), better known by his stage name Sean Kingston, is an American-Jamaican singer and rapper. He is known for his hit songs " Beautiful Girls", "Fire Burning", " Take You There", and his collaboration wit ...
,
Cher Lloyd
Cher Lloyd (born 28 July 1993) is an English singer. She finished fourth place in the seventh series of ''The X Factor'' in 2010. Following the seventh series finale, Lloyd was signed to Syco Music. Her debut single, " Swagger Jagger", was r ...
,
Karmin
Karmin was an American pop duo consisting of Amy Renee Noonan and Nick Noonan. Starting as a novelty act that released covers on YouTube, they signed in 2011 with Epic Records. In May 2012, Karmin released their debut EP ''Hello'', which spa ...
,
Flo Rida
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single " Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital dow ...
,
Cody Simpson
Cody Robert Simpson (born 11 January 1997) is an Australian swimmer and singer-songwriter. Since his debut, he has released four solo studio albums: ''Paradise'' (2012), '' Surfers Paradise'' (2013), '' Free'' (2015), and ''Cody Simpson'' (20 ...
,
The Wanted
The Wanted are a British-Irish boy band consisting of group members Max George, Siva Kaneswaran, Jay McGuiness and Nathan Sykes and, until his death in 2022, Tom Parker (singer), Tom Parker. The group was formed in 2009 and signed a worldw ...
,
Carly Rae Jepsen
Carly Rae Jepsen (born November 21, 1985) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. After studying musical theatre for most of her school life and while in university, Jepsen garnered mainstream attention after placing third on the fifth season of ...
,
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It currently consists of lead vocalist Adam Levine, keyboardist and rhythm guitarist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, drummer Matt ...
and more.
"
Young Homie
"Young Homie" is the debut single written and performed by American singer-songwriter Chris Rene. It is the first single from Rene's debut studio EP ''I'm Right Here''. Following its release, the song debuted at number one on the New Zealand sing ...
" was released as the album's
lead single
A lead single (also known as a debut single) is the first single to be released from a studio album by an artist or a band, usually before the album itself is released and also occasionally on the same day of the album's release date.
Release s ...
on March 13, 2012.
Rene previewed a first listen to fans online via
SoundCloud
SoundCloud is an online audio distribution platform and music sharing website that enables its users to upload, promote, and share audio. Founded in 2007 by Alexander Ljung and Eric Wahlforss, SoundCloud is one of the largest music streaming se ...
on February 23.
An accompanying music video followed the release on March 20, 2012. The video was directed by Jeremy Rall and premiered on
VEVO
Vevo ( , an abbreviation for "Video Evolution", stylized as VEVO until 2013) is an American multinational video hosting service, best known for providing music videos to YouTube. The service is also available as an app on selected smart TVs, di ...
.
Though the song failed to chart on the U.S.
''Billboard'' Hot 100, it did land at #1 on both the
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
chart and the U.S. Billboard
Bubbling Under Hot 100
Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles (also known as Bubbling Under the Hot 100) is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. The chart lists the top songs that have not yet charted on the main ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Chart ...
, #26 on the U.S.
Top 40 Pop chart, #72 on the
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music industry record chart in Canada for songs, published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine. The Canadian Hot 100 was launched on the issue dated March 31, 2007, and is currently the standard record chart in Canada; a n ...
chart and is certified platinum in
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
. The single also sold 261,000 units in digital download sales in the U.S., according to Nielsen Soundscan. "
Trouble
Trouble may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Trouble'' (1922 film), an American silent comedy-drama film directed by Albert Austin
* ''Trouble'' (1933 film), a British comedy film
* ''Trouble'' (1977 film), a Soviet drama film
* ''Trouble'' ...
" was released as the album's second official single. It impacted radio stations June 26, 2012.
The music video, which features model Tyri Rudolph as Rene's leading lady, premiered on VEVO August 13, 2012.
The single debuted at #100 on the
Billboard Hot 100 Airplay
The Radio Songs chart (previously named Hot 100 Airplay until 2014 and Top 40 Radio Monitor until 1991) is released weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and measures the airplay of songs being played on radio stations throughout the United States acr ...
charts.
It is also certified gold in New Zealand. The song has sold 51,000 units in digital download sales in the U.S. to date, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
Track listing
(*) Denotes co-producer
;Sample credits
*"Young Homie" contains a sample of "I Like Funky Music" composed by Walter Murphy and Gene Pastilli.
Credits and personnel
Credits for ''I'm Right Here'' adapted from
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
.
*Anzo – engineer
*Victoria Aronson – grooming
*Stellina Bickers – A&R
*
Peter Biker
Peter Biker (born 10 May 1961) is a Danish record producer and songwriter. He is also a musician drummer and keyboard player. He has produced or written for many local Danish and international acts. He was on the judging panels of shows like '' ...
– arranger, composer, instrumentation, producer
*Marlin "Hookman" Bonds – composer
*J. Bonilla – composer, producer, programming
*Anita Marisa Boriboon – art direction
*Delbert Bowers – assistant
*Brandyn Burnette – background vocals, composer
*
Busbee
Michael James Ryan Busbee (June 18, 1976 – September 29, 2019), known professionally as Busbee, was an American songwriter, record producer, publisher, record label executive, and multi-instrumentalist. He is known for his work in both po ...
– bass, background vocals, composer, engineer, instrumentation, piano, producer, programming, strings, ukulele
*Ben Chang – engineer
*Mitchum Chin – composer, producer
*Chin-Quee – composer
*
Lauren Evans
Lauren Evans (born February 3, 1983) is an American singer and platinum-selling songwriter. She is an ASCAP Award Winner and has written hit singles for Alexandra Burke, Monrose, Jordin Sparks, and Camila. As a songwriter, Evans has achieved f ...
– composer
*Mike Flynn – A&R
*Chris Gellard – assistant
*
Chuck Harmony
Charles T. Harmon (born 1979),Gerrick D. Kennedy''Los Angeles Times'', February 24, 2015. better known as Chuck Harmony, is an American music producer, musician, songwriter and entrepreneur, based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is a three-time Gram ...
– composer, producer
*Trehy Harris – assistant
*
Marty James
Marty James Garton Jr. is an American singer-songwriter and record producer from Chico, California.
He has released albums and singles as the front man and producer of Scapegoat Wax and One Block Radius.Birchmeier, Jason (2011)One Block Radius ...
– composer
*Jaycen Joshua – mixing
*JP Robinson – creative director
*
Claude Kelly
Claude Kelly (born December 27, 1980)Shirley Halperin and Bob Love"THR Names Music's 35 Top Hitmakers,"''The Hollywood Reporter'', February 6, 2013. is an American singer, songwriter and music producer. He is a four-time Grammy Award nominee, a ...
– background vocals, composer, producer, vocal producer
*Gelly Kusuna – engineer
*Dave Kutch – mastering
*Tyson Kuteyl – mixing
*
Alex Lambert
Alexander Don Lambert (born December 10, 1990) is an American singer-songwriter from North Richland Hills, Texas, who was a semi-finalist on the American Idol (season 9), ninth season of ''American Idol'' and starred on a web show, ''If I Can D ...
– background vocals, composer
*Jon Levine – composer, engineer, producer, programming
*Manny Marroquin – mixing
*Conrad Martin – production coordination
*Morgan O'Malley – A&R
*Dwayne "Supa Dups" Chin Quee – producer
*
Chris Rene
Christopher Rene (previously René; born December 25, 1982) is an American singer-songwriter, musician and producer. He was in a band called Diversion and also had a solo career, releasing the album ''Soul'd Out''. Chris auditioned for the fi ...
– composer, primary artists, vocals (background)
*Gabriel Rene – composer
*Gina Rene – composer
*April Roomet – stylist
*Carsten "Mintman" Mortensen – add. Keyboard
*
J.R. Rotem – producer
*Carsten Schack – composer
*
Soulshock
Carsten Schack (born 1968 in Gug, Denmark) and better known by his stage name Soulshock is a Danish record producer and songwriter.
Beginnings
Carsten Schack was born in the Aalborg suburb of Gug, the son of economics professor Bent Schack and p ...
– arranger, instrumentation, mixing, producer
*Carlos Taylor – production coordinator
Release history
References
External links
*
{{Chris Rene
2012 EPs
Albums produced by busbee
Albums produced by Chuck Harmony
Albums produced by J. R. Rotem
Albums produced by Supa Dups
Chris Rene albums
Epic Records albums
Albums produced by Jon Levine