Rihanna and Jay-Z: All The Details About Their Relationship
Lifestyle News
By STEPHANIE KALOI
Jay-Z Not Sure
Rihanna had just won a beauty pageant in Barbados when producer Evan Rogers spotted her and set up an audition with Jay-Z, the president of Def Jam Records at the time. Jay-Z wasn't fully won over until he actually saw her sing "Pon de Replay" in person, and her performance convinced him that Rihanna was a star.
Affair Rumors
In 2005, rumors insisted Rihanna and Jay-Z had an affair when they first began working together, causing Beyoncé and Jay-Z to split up for a year. However, publicist Jonathan Hay has since admitted to planting the stories in the press after being hired to promote Rihanna's first single, "Pon de Replay."
First Nerves
As a shy teenager from Barbados meeting one of the most famous and powerful people in the music industry, Rihanna was very nervous at her audition with Jay-Z. As she put it, "I remember being extremely quiet. I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies. I'm sitting across from Jay-Z. Like, Jay-Zee. I was star-struck."
The Advisor
Jay-Z advises Rihanna about any number of topics. When asked if he ever steps in when she does something he doesn't like, he said, "That's not my place, no, again, I can't control the outcome of her life. I can't intervene, I can give advice when asked and that's it. I can provide information and then life has to play out, life has to happen."
Three Friends
Despite the rumors about the three of them years ago, Rihanna is good friends with Jay-Z and Beyoncé, and they've all had a hand in one another's success throughout the years. Producer L.A. Reid said he didn't see Rihanna's appeal until Beyoncé told him, "That Rihanna girl ... she's a beast."