However it would be another few years before her real breakthrough working with various British drum & bass and dubstep artists. Ora's powerful vocals brought her to the attention of Jay-Z's Roc Nation label, to which she signed in 2009, making cameos in videos for both Jay-Z and Drake.
However, music was her first love and she started performing at open mic nights across London while supplying guest vocals on dance tracks including Craig David's 'Awkward' and Tinchy Strider's 'Where's Your Love.' During this period, she auditioned for 'Your Country Needs You' (BBC, 2009) in a bid to become the UK's entry in the upcoming Eurovision song contest, but withdrew from the series as she didn't think it was the right fit for her urban style. Before becoming more famous as a singer, as a teenager she earned acting credits including the TV drama series 'The Brief' (ITV, 2004-05) and the crime thriller 'Spivs' (2004). The Sylvia Young Theatre School has proved a successful training ground for a number of actors and musicians in the U.K., including teen actress turned pop superstar Rita Ora.
