Rita Ora was born in 1990 in Pristina, SFR Yugoslavia (now Kosovo[a]) to Kosovar-Albanian parents and moved to the United Kingdom when she was 1. She grew up around Portobello Road in West London,[5] and attended St Cuthbert with St Matthias CE Primary School in Earls Court, following which she graduated from Sylvia Young Theatre School and then St Charles Catholic Sixth Form College. Today she lives inKensington, London.[5] Ora began singing from a young age.[6][7]
In 2007, Ora had her first music release when she appeared on Craig David's track titled "Awkward"[8] and then again in 2008 on "Where's Your Love" featuring Tinchy Stryder, for which she also appeared in the music video.[9] She has appeared in 2 songs of James Morrison's album Songs for You, Truths for Me as backing vocal. Ora began singing in bars in and around London.[10]
She auditioned for Eurovision: Your Country Needs You on BBC One to be the British contestant for the 2009 Eurovision Song Contest[11][12] but later withdrew from the competition after a few episodes as she did not feel ready.[11] Her manager, Sarah Stennett (CEO of Turn First Artists, who also worked with Ellie Goulding, Jessie J and Conor Maynard), later told HitQuarters that Ora had entered the competition because at the time she had felt it was her only chance at finding success.[13] Her withdrawal followed her first meeting with her manager when she was reassured that she had genuine potential to make it as a pop star and that performing in Eurovision would hinder rather than help her chances.[13] Stennett got in touch with Jay Brown of Roc Nation and told him about Ora. Brown asked Ora to fly out to New York where she met withJay-Z.[13][14] Ora signed with Roc Nation in December 2009, within 48 hours of her arrival in the United States.[13] The same year, she made a cameo on Jay-Z's video for "Young Forever".[15] In 2010, Ora made a cameo on "Over" video by Drake.[16]
