Monday, February 9, 2009

Who is Robyn Rihanna Fenty ?


Who is Robyn Rihanna Fenty? The world knows her as Rihanna, she is a Barbadian singer. She also serves as the cultural ambassador for Barbados.[1] She is the first Barbadian artist to win a Grammy Award.[2][3]a[›] Rihanna is currently signed to the Def Jam Recordings label.[4] She has attained four Billboard Hot 100 number ones thus far ("SOS", "Umbrella", "Take a Bow", "Disturbia").[5]
Rihanna broke into the recording industry in 2005 with the release of her debut album, Music of the Sun, which features the hit single "Pon de Replay". Less than a year later, Rihanna released A Girl Like Me and earned her first number-one single, "SOS". In 2007, Rihanna released her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The album has yielded seven singles, including "Umbrella", "Don't Stop the Music", and "Take a Bow".

Rihanna was born February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados to parents Ronald Fenty and Monica Fenty. She has two younger brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty.[6] Her mother, a native of Guyana, is black and her father is of mixed race.[7]
Rihanna went to Charles F. Broome Memorial School, a primary school in Barbados, and then on to the Combermere School, where she formed a musical trio with two of her classmates at the age of fifteen. In 2004, she won the Miss Combermere Beauty Pageant.[8]







Rihanna and her two bandmates received their big break in 2003 when friends introduced them to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist." She eventually moved to Connecticut to live with Rogers and his wife. Rogers, along with his partner, Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record material in the U.S. to send to various recording companies. Rihanna's demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited her to audition for the label's then-President Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.[8][9][10]







Rihanna cites Beyoncé,[11][12] Mariah Carey,[11][13][12] Alicia Keys,[11][12] Celine Dion,[13] Brandy,[14] Gwen Stefani,[15] Whitney Houston,[13] Destiny's Child,[13] and Fefe Dobson[12] as musical influences.

Rihanna released her debut album, Music of the Sun, on August 30, 2005 in the United States. The album reached number 10 on the Billboard 200.[16] As of 2009, the album is certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, denoting shipments to US retailers of over 500,000 units.[17] The album received mixed reviews by music critics. Rolling Stone magazine rated it 2.5 out of 5 stars and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of US R&B inflecting upon her "caribbean charm".[18]
Music of the Sun yielded two singles, the first being "Pon de Replay", which was peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100.[19] It also became a global hit where it peaked within the top 10 across 15 countries as well as achieving top 20 chartings on 20 charts around the world. The single written by Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers was described by Rolling Stone magazine as a "poppy piece of dancehall reggae with slapping, syncopated beats recalling big-band jazz."[17] However, despite "Pon de Replay"'s commercial chart success, the album itself was rated 2.5 out of 5 stars by Rolling Stone Magazine and described as lacking the replay value, ingenuity and rhythm of the single with "generic vocal hiccups and frills" of U.S. R&B inflecting upon her "caribbean charm". Since its release, the album reached the top 10 in both U.S. and Canadian charts, gaining gold certification from the RIAA from selling 500,000 units and subsequent platinum certifications for selling 2 million units in various other countries. The second single, "If It's Lovin' That You Want" was less successful than "Pon de Replay", having managed a peak position of number 36 in the United States.[19] In Australia, Ireland and New Zealand the single proved to be well-received reaching the top 10 in those countries. Overall the single became a top 40 hit on 11 charts around the globe. Despite the album not having huge promotion and only releasing two singles Music of the Sun managed to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States and 2 million worldwide.

Less than eight months after the release of Music of the Sun, Rihanna released her second album, A Girl Like Me, in April 2006. The album reached number five on the Billboard 200[16] and has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having shipped over one million units.[17][20] The lead single, "SOS", peaked at number one on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming her first number-one in the United States.[19] The second single, entitled "Unfaithful", was written by R&B singer Ne-Yo. The song became her third top ten hit in the U.S. and in the UK. The third single, "We Ride", was not as successful as her previous releases, failing to chart on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, however, it became her fifth UK top 20 single, where it peaked at number 17 on that chart and peaked at number one on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart. Rihanna's fourth single from the album, "Break It Off" featuring Sean Paul, had already climbed to number 45 on the Billboard Hot 100 based solely on airplay. It was released as a digital download on February 19, 2007, which made the song jump from number fifty-two to number ten and then eventually peak at number nine. A Girl like Me's sales were significantly stronger, selling over 1 million in the U.S.
When Rihanna received an endorsement deal from Clinique, she recorded a song written by Ne-Yo entitled "Just Be Happy" as part of the deal to promote their Happy fragrance. Rihanna also recorded a song called "Winning Women" with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger for P&G's female deodorant Secret. During this time Rihanna made her acting debut in a cameo role to the film Bring It On: All or Nothing, released on August 8, 2006.

Rihanna went into the studio in early 2007 with Ne-Yo, Stargate, and Timbaland among others to record her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad. The album was released on June 5, 2007.
The album so far has yielded eight hit singles, including the worldwide number one hit "Umbrella", featuring Jay-Z. In addition to reaching number one in various countries, "Umbrella" was the number one single in the United Kingdom for 10 consecutive weeks, making it the longest-running UK number-one single since Wet Wet Wet's single "Love Is All Around" spent 15 weeks in 1994.[21] Her other singles, "Shut Up and Drive" and "Don't Stop The Music" were able to mirror the success of "Umbrella", with "Don't Stop the Music" reaching number three on the Billboard Hot 100 while peaking at number one in various countries.
With the re-issue of her third album, titled Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded, which was released on June 17, 2008,[22] Rihanna released the singles "Take a Bow" — which became a worldwide number-one hit — , the duet with Maroon 5, "If I Never See Your Face Again," and "Disturbia", the latter of which also peaked at the number-one spot on the Hot 100 chart, giving the artist her fourth number-one singles. Rihanna has five Billboard Hot 100 number ones hits both as a lead artist thus far ("SOS", "Umbrella", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia"), as well as T.I.'s "Live Your Life", on which she is featured. This makes her one of the two female solo artist with the most number ones this decade, with the other being Beyonce. Good Girl Gone Bad has shipped over two million units in the United States, receiving a two-time platinum certification from RIAA; this gave Rihanna her best-selling album, to date.[17]
Starting September 12, 2007, Rihanna toured Canada and the United States in support of the album with several shows and then crossed to Europe. The tour was called called the Good Girl Gone Bad Tour, and was the first tour headlined by her alone. A documented performance at Manchester Evening News Arena on December 6, 2007 was released as a DVD on June 17, 2008. Rihanna won Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist and Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist at the 2008 American Music Award.[23]
On December 24, 2008 Rihanna stated that she would be back in the recording studio in early 2009 to resume working on her fourth studio album. She expects the album to be released in 2009.[24] There are conflicting reports about her next album. MTV.com reported that Rihanna has now gone into the studio to start recording her fourth album.[25]

Rihanna created her Believe Foundation in 2006 to help terminally ill children.[26] Rihanna has performed a number of concerts to raise funds for both charities and the Foundation. She is also a 2008 Cartier LOVECHARITY Bracelet Ambassador, performed at Madonna’s Raising Malawi fundraiser, and was lauded for her efforts to help a woman find a bone marrow donor.[27]
In September 2008, Rihanna joined other female pop, rock, R&B & country singers such as Carrie Underwood, Ciara, Beyoncé, Leona Lewis, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, and Fergie to record "Just Stand Up!", the theme song to the the anti-cancer campaign Stand Up to Cancer and its theme song.




Rihanna has teamed up with H&M and other celebrities like Timbaland and Good Charlotte for "Fashion against AIDS". The collection is designed to spread awareness about HIV/AIDS. It was released at H&M in early February 2008.[28] She went on the Glow in the Dark Tour with Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and N.E.R.D.[25]









Rihanna was also selected as the spokesmodel for Gucci’s first UNICEF ad campaign. She will appear in the fashion house’s Tattoo Heart campaign, premiering in December. Rihanna will be photographed in series of special edition print ads with UNICEF items, twenty-five percent of sales will benefit the children’s charity.[29]
In New York, Rihanna was then enlisted by Gucci's Frida Giannini along with Madonna to light the UNICEF Christmas snowflake. Rihanna, dressed head to toe in Gucci, is now the face of the fourth annual Gucci Campaign to Benefit UNICEF, which aims to raise funds for children in Africa through the sale of its Tattoo Heart collection of bags.[30]



Rihanna was scheduled to perform at the 2009 Grammys. At short notice her appearance was canceled because of what her publicist described as "a traffic mishap".[31] Reports later surfaced regarding an alleged altercation with her boyfriend, singer Chris Brown, who was arrested on suspicion of making criminal threats.[24]



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