OneRepublic is an American pop rock band formed in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 2002 consisting of lead vocalist Ryan Tedder, guitarist Zach Filkins, guitarist Drew Brown, bassist and cellist Brent Kutzle, and drummer Eddie Fisher. The band first achieved commercial success on Myspace as an unsigned act. In late 2003, after OneRepublic played shows throughout the Los Angeles area, a number of record labels approached the band with interest, but the band ultimately signed with Velvet Hammer, an imprint of Columbia Records. They made their first album with producer Greg Wells during the summer and fall of 2005 at his studio

Big Time Rush (also known as BTR) was an American pop music boy band formed in 2009. The group consisted of Kendall Schmidt, James Maslow, Logan Henderson, and Carlos Pena Jr. The group starred in Nickelodeon's television series Big Time Rush and signed to a record deal with Nick Records simultaneously with the television series, and then the group was eventually signed to Columbia Records. The show ran from November 28, 2009 to July 25, 2013. The pilot episode featured the group's first promotional single, "Big Time Rush". They have released three studio albums which all achieved success.

Jason DeFord, known professionally as Jelly Roll, is an American rapper known for his collaborations with Lil Wyte, Haystak and Struggle Jennings. He gained national and international attention after a legal dispute with Waffle House. DeFord grew up in Nashville, particularly the Southside community of Antioch. He received the nickname "JellyRoll" from his mother and kept it to honor an incarcerated friend. DeFord was incarcerated himself at age 14, which precipitated an ongoing cycle of incarceration until 2009 which included a drug possession conviction.