Rihanna was just 15 when she got to audition in front of rap superstar, Jay-Z, who was so impressed by the Bajan singer that he signed her to a record deal the same day he met her. While situations like these are pretty rare, it appeared as if the Hard Knock Life hitmaker saw true potential in RiRi, who has sold over 60 million albums and 215 million singles throughout her career so far. Not to mention, she's also worth a whopping $600 million.
Aside from signing Rihanna to her first record deal, Jay-Z became her mentor and close friend, who taught her everything she now knows about career longevity, smart business decisions, and a strong work ethic. In 2015, she was one of many celebs who teamed up with Jay-Z for the launch of his streaming company, Tidal, after purchasing a stake in the firm prior to its launch.
The two are also frequent collaborators in the recording studio, having released a number of hits, including Umbrella and Run This Town. But what else do we know about Rihanna and Jay-Z's friendship?
11 She Auditioned For Jay-Z
At the age of 15, Rihanna had the opportunity to audition in front of Jay-Z, who was the president of Def Jam at the time. Despite her nerves before meeting the legendary rapper, RiRi did such a great job that Jay didn’t want her to leave without signing a record deal.
10 Jay-Z Gave Rihanna Her First Record Deal
On the very same day, Jay-Z gave Rihanna two options: leaving through the door after signing her deal, “or through this window ...' And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering,” she told her millions of fans on Instagram.
9 They Both Had Troubled Upbringings
It’s no secret that Rihanna’s life was far from the fairytale it seems to be today. She grew up in an abusive household, faced racism from an early age, but still managed to secure a life-changing opportunity when she was just 15. Jay-Z, who shot his brother at 12, started dealing drugs in his mid-teens and affiliated with gangs certainly had no easier path to success himself.
8 Their Hit Song Was Intended For Mary J. Blige
When Rihanna released her smash hit ‘Umbrella’ in March 2007, the singer’s career skyrocketed and cemented her place in the music industry as one of R&B’s biggest stars. But the track was originally offered to Mary J. Blige, who reportedly took too long to confirm whether she wanted to keep the song after having shown interest in the demo.
Once the song was officially obtained by RiRi, Jay-Z was keen to drop a verse of his own, which ended up making the final cut before the track’s release.
7 They Were Plagued By Dating Rumours
Since the beginning of her career, there have been rumors about Jay-Z and Rihanna sharing more than just a close friendship and business partnership. It’s often speculated whether the two were secretly seeing one another following the news that Beyonce and Jay separated for a year over the music mogul’s cheating affairs, but Rihanna has never shied away from saying that she’s just good pals with Jay. Nothing more, nothing less.
6 He Helped Train Rihanna’s Voice
When Rihanna landed her record deal, just like any new artist who isn’t familiar with operating in a recording studio, she needed vocal training, and Jay-Z was willing to offer that to the Bajan beauty. According to reports, he would teach her breathing techniques to control her voice as they began working on music together.
5 One Of Her Favourite Songs Happens To Be From Jay-Z
Rihanna isn’t just good friends with Jay-Z, she’s also a huge fan of his impressive discography. One of her favorite songs that the rapper has recorded in his career is his 2009 hit, ‘Empire State of Mind,’ featuring Alicia Keys. Listening to the song makes her wish she was in New York whenever she hears it. FYI: Rihanna considers the Big Apple her second home.
4 He’s Collaborated With Her On Multiple Occasions
Their song, ‘Umbrella,’ isn’t the first time that Rihanna and Jay-Z have collaborated on a track together. The duo has also joined forces on ‘Run This Town,’ ‘Talk That Talk,’ and 2010’s ‘Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour). And given their track record, fans shouldn’t be surprised to see them team up again soon for another hit.
3 He Supported Her Diamond Ball In 2017
In 2012, Rihanna launched the Clara Lionel Foundation, which is a non-profit organization raising funds for education, response programs, and emergency preparedness worldwide.
In 2014, she started hosting the Diamond Ball, in association with her foundation, as some of the wealthiest celebs came together to raise money for much-needed essentials around the globe. And by 2017, she had power couple Jay-Z and Beyonce in attendance to show their support for its third occurrence.
2 She Called Jay-Z A 'Sellout' For His NFL Deal
In August 2019, it was announced that Jay-Z had inked a deal with the NFL that would see him become their “live music entertainment strategist,” despite previously supporting Colin Kaepernick during his fiasco with the football league.
In November 2019, Rihanna, who was unaware of Jay-Z’s partnership with the NFL - since the interview was done months before the issue’s release - the Fenty Beauty CEO said she “couldn’t be a sellout” by performing for a firm who treated Kaepernick so poorly.
She didn’t know about Jay’s deal before making those comments, but she meant every word of what she said, regardless of whether she had any knowledge about the situation beforehand or not.
