While many artist are comfortable with sitting in the background and making that publishing money, sometimes the desire to be in those flashing lights take over.
While many of these singers are still writers, most of them were song writers way before they could even dream of being on MTV.
However, some of the industries best songwriters have traded in the pen for a mic and have now started their singing careers.
Peep the page #’s below to see which of today’s hottest singers were originally songwriters for people you may not of known.
Lonny Breaux (Frank Ocean)
Christopher “Lonny” Breaux is a singer-songwriter, he is assigned to write hits like “fast” (feat. Brandy) by John Legand and “1st & Love” by Brandy.
He has helped pen tracks for Justin Bieber, John Legend, Brandy, and Beyonce Knowles over the last few years.
Keri Hilson
Hilson’s songwriting was responsible for numerous hit singles, including Mary J. Blige’s “Take Me as I Am”, Omarion’s “Ice Box”, “Crazy in Love, the Pussycat Dolls’ “Wait a Minute”, Britney Spears’ “Gimme More”, Nas’s “Hero”,and also Ciara’s “Like A Boy.”
Ke$ha
Ke$ha sang the hook on Flo Rida’s chart-topper “Right Round.”
Her songwriting credits include The Veronicas’ “This Love,” Miley Cyrus’ “The Time of Our Lives,” and a variety of tracks off of Britney Spears new album.
Skylar Grey
Skylar co-wrote the three versions of “Love the Way You Lie” with Alex da Kid, who signed her to his Wonderland Music label.
She was featured as a guest vocalist on Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go” and “Be Somebody”, Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home”, Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor” and Lupe Fiasco’s “Words I Never Said”.
Ne-Yo
Ne-yo contributed songs to American singer Teedra Moses’s 2004 album Complex Simplicity, Christina Milian’s It’s About Time, and the American boy band Youngstown, though all of which failed to give Ne-Yo much attention from the mainstream.
Ne-Yo has also contributed songs to USA singers Mary J. Blige, B2K, Faith Evans and Musiq, among others.
He has written number 1 hits for Beyonce, Rihanna, and many more of today’s top pop charters.
Ester Dean
Ester is noted for writing Rihanna’s latest hit’s Rude Boy and S&M.
Dean has also written songs with many artists including Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Mary J Blige, Christina Aguilera, Ciara, Nicole Scherzinger, Usher, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em.
Kaleena and Dawn
The duo have penned for many artists, such as Christina Milian’s “Peanut Butter & Jelly”, Charlotte Church’s “Moodswings (To Come at Me Like That)”, Aretha Franklin’s “Put You Up on Game”, Pussycat Dolls’ “Painted Windows” and Ciara’s “Pucker Up”.
Additional credits include, Maino (Don’t Say Nothing), Three 6 Mafia (Shake My), Ciara (Kiss My Swag), Trina (Let them Hoes Fight) and Dirty Money (Love Come Down).
They have been featured on the movie soundtracks to “Phat Girls” (Stronger) and “Confessions of a Shopaholic” (Big Spender).
Tiny
In 1999, Cottle and fellow former Xscape band member Kandi Burruss were honored with a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song for penning TLC’s hit single “No Scrubs”.
Cottle’s other accomplishments include an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award in the R&B and Pop Music categories for “No Scrubs”, as well as the ASCAP Rap Award for her work on the Sporty Thievz track “No Pigeons.”
Cottle has also worked with T.I., 8Ball & MJG, Lil’ Kim and Bow Wow.
The Dream
In addition to working with Nivea and Rihanna, The-Dream also began writing for numerous artists, most notably J. Holiday’s “Bed”, Usher’s “Moving Mountains”, Yung Joc’s “Coffee Shop” and Jesse McCartney’s “Leavin'”.
He also co-wrote Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body”, Ciara’s “High Price,” and took part in co-writing a majority of Mary J. Blige’s 2007 Growing Pains album, including the smash hit “Just Fine”.
Recently he featured in Drake Drizzy’s/Drake (entertainer)’s album Thank Me Later the song “Shut It Down”.
Kandi
After the disbanding of Xscape, Burruss began to focus on production and songwriting. In 1999, Burruss teamed with bandmate Tameka “Tiny” Cottle to score the international number one hit “No Scrubs” for TLC.
That same year, Burruss scored a hit for Destiny’s Child on their second album, “The Writing’s on the Wall”. “Bills, Bills, Bills”, also topped the Billboard “Hot 100” chart & was followed by their second single “Bug a Boo”, also penned by Burruss.
Kandi would go on to work with then newcomer Pink by penning her debut single “There You Go” off Pink’s debut album “Can’t Take Me Home”.
Kandi’s writing credits continued to grow by penning for the likes of Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Boyz II Men, Da Brat, NSYNC, N-Toon, Solo, Usher, Fantasia, Mýa, Joe, MC Lyte and Whitney Houston.
Bruno Mars
After an unsuccessful stint with Motown Records, Mars signed with Atlantic Records in 2009.
He became recognized as a solo artist after lending his vocals and co-writing the hooks for the songs “Nothin’ on You” by B.o.B, and “Billionaire” by Travie McCoy.
He also co-wrote the hits “Right Round” by Flo Rida featuring Kesha, “Wavin’ Flag” by K’naan, and “Fawk You!” by Cee Lo Green.
