Kevin Rudolf takes it 'To the Sky'

How does a guy with a distinct rock background get signed to one of the biggest hip-hop labels in the game today, and end up writing and producing a song for a teen queen?

Well, if you are musician/producer/writer Kevin Rudolf, it's just a normal day in the office.

"You Make the Rain Fall," his latest single featuring Flo Rida, was just released this week off his sophomore album, "To The Sky." Rudolf is also riding high as a producer, having a song currently in the top 20 on iTunes with Disney star Selena Gomez.

The musician sat down with CNN recently to chat about his latest work, and he explained how his Disney star hit came to be. Turns out, the song was something he wrote after working with FeFe Dobson, but the sound was a little too "dance" for Dobson, Rudolf said. But when he played it for Selena Gomez and her record label, they loved it.

"She was in Budapest working with Nicole Kidman on a movie and I couldn't go there because I was on tour," Rudolf said. "But she cut the vocals and sent them back. I finished up the record and that's how it happened."

“Round and Round” was released the first week of July and immediately was a hit, debuting at #24 on the Hot 100 chart.

The multidimensional Rudolf is proud of his work on "To the Sky" as well, having written and produced the entire album, in addition to playing all the instruments.

Collaborations are a big part of what makes Rudolf tick, and he works hard to bring in artists from all around the musical spectrum to work with him.

His most frequent collaborator is Cash Money label mate Lil' Wayne, but you can also hear Birdman, Rivers Cuomo from Weezer as well as Three 6 Mafia, the Oscar-winning rap act from Memphis.

Making a name for himself in an era where people buy songs rather than albums and base their song choices on what they hear in commercials, on video games and at sporting events, Rudolf is well aware of what needs to be done to catch consumers' attention. "You have to make something that hits them right away with a really strong catchphrase," Rudolf explained.

Despite the music industry's rough patch, Rudolf plans to continue working and making music, no matter how he has to do it.  Through his various ways of being involved in the business, he thinks it will give him longevity.

"I've got so many things going on," he added, "I'm never worried about going away."