Ester Dean is responsible for penning some of pop’s biggest hits in the last year, and now she’s forging ahead with her career as a recording artist. The hitmaker has inked a management deal with Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.

Dean, whose writing credits include Rihanna’s “Rude Boy,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” and Nicki Minaj’s “Super Bass,” kicked off the new year by announcing her addition to the Roc roster, which includes Rihanna, J. Cole, and Willow Smith.

“I’m so Grateful 4 my Team Past and Present! Bringing in the New Year with my new Team @RocNation 2012,” tweeted the Oklahoma native.

In 2009, the singer-songwriter scored a hit of her own with her Chris Brown-assisted single “Drop It Low.” Her debut album is due later this year on Interscope Records.

2012 is shaping up to be another big year for Dean, who will also star in the comedy Pitch Perfect and lend her voice to the animated film Ice Age: Continental Drift.

Machine Gun Kelly laces up with Ester Dean on his empowering single “Invincible.” The Bad Boy signee reps for the underdogs, while the “Drop It Low” singer provides a powerful hook over the drum-heavy beat, produced by Alex Da Kid. If the song sounds familiar, that’s because it’s featured in the HTC Rezound commercial.

“What happens when the hourglass of love runs out/ Under one roof of one house/ And everything becomes so cold?” asks Tinie Tempah on “Love Suicide,” his emotionally-charged duet with Ester Dean off his U.S. debut Disc-Overy (May 17). The British lyricist opens up about a failed relationship over a guitar-laced melody from Stargate, while a fragile Dean expresses her pain, singing, “I’m all out of tears/ Tell me get out of here/ You made it very clear/ You did it on purpose.”

Ester Dean shakes it up fast on the island-flavored “Take You to Rio,” included on the soundtrack to the animated film Rio. “Let me take you to Rio/ Fly over the ocean like an eagle/ Then we can chill in my gazebo,” sings the hitmaker, whose songwriting credits include Rihanna’s “S&M” and Katy Perry’s “Firework.” Escape to the tropical paradise with the Stargate production.

Ester Dean has penned tracks for everyone from Rihanna and Nicki Minaj to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, but her songs don’t always end up where they’re supposed to. Her 2009 solo smash, “Drop It Low” featuring Chris Brown, was originally intended for another R&B songstress.

“‘Drop It Low,’ honestly, was for Ciara, but she didn’t come get the song. And then Britney [Spears] wanted it,” the hitmaker told the Los Angeles Times. “During the demo [Polow Da Don] kept telling me, ‘You’ve gotta believe it’ as I was singing it. A week later he asked if I wanted to hear my new single.”

The 24-year-old singer-songwriter is parlaying the single’s success into her upcoming debut, with songs like the Euro-flavored “Gimme Money” and pop ballad “Hero” already in the can. But if another artist happens to come along and like what she’s got, she isn’t averse to passing off a hit.

“Look, these songs are for me, but I ain’t stupid,” she explained. “If somebody wants them, they can have them.”

Dean is currently seeing success on the chart with songwriting credits on Rihanna’s “S&M” and “What’s My Name?” as well as Katy Perry’s “Firework.”

Ester Dean sings on the demo for the artist formerly known as Young Jeezy. Beyoncé will reportedly be featured on the final version of “Mama Told Me,” the first official single from Jeezy’s Thug Motivation 103 album. The Middle Eastern-tinged production was co-written by Dean, whose stock is quickly rising with credits on Rihanna’s “Rude Boy” and Christina Aguilera’s upcoming single “Not Myself Tonight.”

Download: Jeezy f/ Ester Dean – “Mama Told Me” (Demo)

Audio source: dajaz1

Chris Brown drops another joint with singer-songwriter Ester Dean called “I Love U.” The folksy Polow Da Don production can be found on the deluxe edition of Graffiti. Brown will sit down with Robin Roberts for another interview airing December 8 on ABC’s “20/20.”

Download: Chris Brown f/ Ester Dean – “I Love U”

Lil Wayne has his eye on Ester Dean. “Ms. Ester Dean, you can get it,” Weezy raps on the remix to “Drop It Low,” which also references Seabiscuit and journalist Connie Chung (“I make that booty talk, Connie Chung for me”).

Download: Ester Dean f/ Lil Wayne – “Drop It Low (Remix)”

Ester Dean has more bragging rights. A track penned by the singer-songwriter has made Rihanna’s new album.

“I just found out a couple days ago,” Dean told Rap-Up.com about making the cut. An official tracklisting for Rihanna’s fourth album Rated R, which also includes contributions from Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Ne-Yo, Young Jeezy, will.i.am, and Slash, was released by Def Jam on Monday.

Track number eight, otherwise known as “Rude Boy,” was written by Dean, who’s penned hits for artists including Mary J. Blige, Pussycat Dolls, and Keri Hilson, and also has a hit of her own with “Drop It Low” featuring Chris Brown. The Rihanna track was produced by Stargate, she informed Rap-Up.com.

Dean additionally revealed that she is the writer behind Robin Thicke’s new song “Shakin’ It for Daddy” featuring Nicki Minaj. Her vocals can also be heard on the record.

Ester Dean is climbing the charts with “Drop It Low,” her collaboration with Chris Brown from the More Than a Game soundtrack. The rising star was bubbling with excitement as she shared the experience of recording with her famous peer.

“Chris Brown’s like a brother to me,” the songwriter behind Mary J. Blige’s “Stronger” and Keri Hilson’s “Make Love” tells Rap-Up.com. “I wanted him on ["Drop It Low"] after he wrote it and he said yes. We did a lot of songs together.”

Dean describes their sessions as electric. “Oh my God! There’s so much energy in there because him and his artist Scooter Smiff, all they do is dance. They’re sweating and they’re dancing,” she laughed. “It’s like a circus in there. It’s so much fun!”

But when they leave the studio, the friends try to avoid the pap’s flashing lights. “I don’t do the whole paparazzi thing. Chris came to my skate party. I like to hang with him inside places. I’m not used to all that.”

As for Brown, Dean says he has been keeping his head up through his recent troubles. “He’s been taking it like a man. His fans are very supportive of him and of course, we are too. We block it out. He has to deal with it himself. Our job is to keep everything positive.”