Rihanna | |
|---|---|
 Rihanna in 2018 | |
| Born | Robyn Rihanna Fenty February 20, 1988 |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2003–present |
| Organisation | |
| Net worth | US$600 million (2019 estimate) |
| Awards | Full list |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts | |
| Barbadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary | |
| Assumed office September 21, 2018 | |
| Website | rihanna |
Robyn Rihanna Fenty (/riˈænə/ ree-AN-ə;[1][n 1] born February 20, 1988)[2] is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna was discovered by American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the United States to record demo tapes. After signing with Def Jam in 2005, she soon gained recognition with the release of her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl like Me (2006), both of which were influenced by Caribbean music and peaked within the top ten of the US Billboard 200 chart.
Rihanna's third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop and established her status as a sex symbol in the music industry. The chart-topping single "Umbrella" earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award and catapulted her to global stardom. She continued to mix pop, dance, and R&B genres on her next studio albums, Rated R (2009), Loud (2010), Talk That Talk (2011), and Unapologetic (2012), which became her first Billboard 200 number one. The albums spawned a string of chart-topping singles, including "Rude Boy", "Only Girl (In the World)", "What's My Name?", "S&M", "We Found Love", "Diamonds", and "Stay". Her eighth album, Anti (2016), showcased a new creative control following her departure from Def Jam. It became her second US number-one album and featured the chart-topping single "Work". Rihanna has released collaborative hit singles with artists such as Drake, Eminem, and Calvin Harris.
With sales of over 250 million records worldwide, Rihanna is one of the best-selling music artists of all time. She has earned 14 number-ones and 31 top-ten singles in the US and 30 top-ten entries in the UK. Her accolades include nine Grammy Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 12 Billboard Music Awards, and six Guinness World Records. Forbes ranked her among the top ten highest-paid celebrities in 2012 and 2014; as of 2019, she is the wealthiest female musician, with an estimated net worth of $600 million. Time magazine named her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2012 and 2018.
Aside from music, Rihanna is known for her involvement in humanitarian causes, entrepreneurial ventures, and the fashion industry. She is the founder of the nonprofit organisation Clara Lionel Foundation, cosmetics brand Fenty Beauty, and fashion house Fenty under LVMH. Rihanna has also ventured into acting, appearing in major roles in Battleship (2012), Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017), and Ocean's 8 (2018). She was appointed as an ambassador of education, tourism, and investment by the Government of Barbados in 2018.
Early life
Robyn Rihanna Fenty was born on February 20, 1988 in Saint Michael, Barbados. She is the daughter of accountant Monica (née Braithwaite) and warehouse supervisor Ronald Fenty.[3][4] Rihanna has two brothers, Rorrey and Rajad Fenty, and two half-sisters and a half-brother from her father's side, each born to different mothers from his previous relationships.[5][6] She grew up in a three-bedroom bungalow in Bridgetown and sold clothes with her father in a stall on the street. Her childhood was deeply affected by her father's alcoholism and crack cocaine addiction, which contributed to her parents' strained marriage. Rihanna's father used to physically abuse her mother, and Rihanna would try to get in between them to break up fights.[7]
As a child, Rihanna had many CT scans for the excruciating headaches she suffered, recalling, "The doctors even thought it was a tumor, because it was that intense."[5] By the time she was 14, her parents had divorced, and her health began to improve.[4][8] She grew up listening to reggae music.[5][9] She attended Charles F. Broome Memorial Primary School and Combermere School, where she studied alongside future international cricketers Chris Jordan and Carlos Brathwaite.[10][5] Rihanna was an army cadet in a sub-military programme, where the later Barbadian singer-songwriter Shontelle was her drill sergeant.[11] Although she initially wanted to graduate from high school, she chose to pursue a musical career instead.[12]
- ↑ "Rihanna shows AJ Hammer how to pronounce her name". HLN. Retrieved 2 May 2017 – via YouTube.
- ↑ ""Happy Birthday to a Real BOSS," See Who's Wishing Rihanna's A Happy 29th Birthday". BET. 20 February 2017.
- ↑ Spivey, Lisa (January 2007). "Rihanna, The New Cover Girl". Los Angeles Sentinel. 72 (23): B.5. ISSN 0890-4340.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Rihanna: Biography — Part 1 & 2". People. Archived from the original on 17 December 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2008.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Watson, Margeaux (22 June 2007). "Caribbean Queen: Rihanna". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 27 November 2008.
- ↑ Clark, Noelene (18 April 2011). "Rihanna's secret family: two half-sisters, a half-brother — and two nieces". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ↑ Ross, Scott; Daniel Macht (6 November 2009). "Rihanna: My Dad Used to Hit Mom". www.nbcdfw.com. NBC Universal Inc. Retrieved 31 May 2019.
- ↑ "Rihanna 1988–". Biography Today. 17 (2). Omnigraphics: 90. 2008. ISSN 1058-2347.
- ↑ Vena, Jocelyn (16 November 2010). "Rihanna Says Loud's 'Man Down' Is 'Gangsta'". Viacom International Inc. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
- ↑ Venugopal, Arun (15 May 2017). "As a kid, I was giving throwdowns to Lara, Chanderpaul and Hooper". ESPN Sports Media Ltd. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
- ↑ "Talking Shop: Shontelle". BBC. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 5 March 2009.
- ↑ DePaulo, Lisa (January 2010). "Good Girl Gone Badass". GQ. Archived from the original on 23 November 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2011.
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