Real Name: Robyn Rihanna Fenty
Won a Beauty Pageant contest at her school. She also preformed Mariah Carey's "Hero" in a school talent show. One day Rihanna's life changed forever when one of her friends introduced her to Evan Rodgers, a producer from New York. Then she left the small island she called home to go to New York to meet Jay-Z CEO of Def Jam. He heard her sing and he knew that she was going to be big and believed she was more than a song. She was 16 when she was signed to Def ...Since the turn of the century, every American summer has seemed to produce one or two Caribbean-styled dance-pop hit sensations, and the summer of 2005 was no different, as the relentless dancehall-lite booming rhythms of Rihanna's "Pon de Replay" seemed as omnipresent as sunshine. Like Daddy Yankee("Gasolina") and Sean Paul("Get Busy") in summers prior, Rihanna emerged initially as an unknown superstar, known far more for her song than for herself. Unlike Daddy Yankeeand Sean Paul however, she is a woman -- a young and beautiful green-eyed one, to be more specific. Born Robyn Rihanna Fenty in the St. Michael parish of Barbados a brief 17 years before she reached the Top Two of Billboard's Hot 100 chart (held back from the number one spot by the undisputed song of the summer, Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together"), Rihanna always exhibited a special quality, winning beauty and talent contests as a schoolchild. But because she lived on the fairly remote island of Barbados in the West Indies, she never foresaw the sort of stardom that would later befall her.
That stardom came courtesy of a fateful meeting with a man named Evan Rogers. The New Yorker was vacationing in Barbados with his wife, a native of the island, when someone turned him on to Rihanna. Since Rogers had spent years producing pop artists -- including superstars like *NSYNC, Christina Aguilera Jessica Simpson Kelly Clarkson, Laura Pausini and Rod Stewart--
he offered her the opportunity to record some music after he recognized her talent and potential. Along with Rogers' production partner, Carl Sturken (the other half of Syndicated Rhythm Productions), Rihanna recorded some demos that sparked the interest of the Carter Administration -- that is, Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. This led to an audition and, in turn, an on-the-spot offer to sign with Def Jam, which Rihanna indeed inked on the spot.
Come summer 2005, Def Jam rolled out "Pon de Replay," the lead single of Music of the Sun, which was produced almost entirely by Rogers and Sturken and which synthesized Caribbean rhythms and beats with urban-pop songwriting. "Pon de Replay" caught fire almost immediately, challenging "We Belong Together"'s half-summer reign atop the Billboard chart before Music of the Sun even saw release. Her sophomore release, A Girl Like Me, appeared in 2006. All Music Guide
Rihanna seeks return of $1.4 million in jewelry
The pop star's lawyer files a motion seeking the return of three rings and a pair of earrings that were seized the night Chris Brown was arrested, allegedly for assaulting her.
A lawyer for R&B star Rihanna filed a motion in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Tuesday requesting a return of $1.4 million in jewelry the singer was wearing the day she was allegedly assaulted by Chris Brown.Attorney Donald Etra said he has made several requests for three designer rings and a pair of earrings that were lent to Rihanna to wear to the Grammy Awards and were seized as evidence more than two months ago."The investigating officer gave me his opinion that photographs would be sufficient, and the D.A. said to write her a letter and they'd consider returning it," Etra said. "I have heard nothing since the last letter to the D.A."
Etra said that although the four designers who lent the jewelry were initially sympathetic to the situation, the delay has cost them money and they have begun to make daily inquiries about their property.Sandi Gibbons, a spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, said the delay may have something to do with the fact that there hasn't been a preliminary hearing in the case.Etra said Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, signed an agreement with the jewelry companies agreeing to return each piece the day after the Grammys.Brown was arrested Feb. 8 and charged with felony assault and making criminal threats against Rihanna.
