Rihanna

Rihanna was born as Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Barbados on February 20, 1988. Her interest in music began at an early age and she left high school to pursue a career in the United States.

In 2004, she auditioned for Jay Z and L.A. Reid, and they signed her to Def Jam Recordings. Her debut single, “Pon de Replay,” came out the following year, along with her first album, “Music of the Sun.” Rihanna’s second album, “A Girl Like Me,” was released in 2006, featuring the single “Unfaithful.”

It wasn’t until her third record, 2007’s “Good Girl Gone Bad,” that Rihanna truly broke out as one of the top stars of her time with the songs “Shut Up And Drive,” “Don’t Stop The Music, and “Umbrella,” which featured Jay Z, and won them a Grammy Award.

In 2009, Rihanna went on to collaborate with Jay Z and Kanye West on their song “Run This Town,” which garnered another Grammy win. That same year, she released her fourth album, “Rated R,” with the hit, “Rude Boy.” In 2010, she and Eminem had a smash with “Love The Way You Lie,” and Rihanna dropped her fifth record, “Loud.” That album included the successful singles “Only Girl (In The World),” “S&M,” and “What’s My Name?,” featuring Drake.

Rihanna continued her rapid output with 2011’s “Talk That Talk” (and the song “We Found Love”) and 2012’s “Unapologetic,” with the hits “Diamonds” and “Stay.” Naturally, more Grammy wins piled up, bringing her count to six, along with a total of 13 number one songs. As of early 2015, she is still working on what will be her eighth studio album.

In addition to music, Rihanna has also explored an interest in acting, making her film debut in “Battleship.” She also voices the lead character in the upcoming animated movie, “Home,” which is slated to be released in March. Additionally, Rihanna has worked on a number of fashion lines. And in late 2014, she hosted her first Diamond Ball, benefiting the Clara Lionel Foundation, which was named after her grandparents, and supports education and the arts.

In 2009, Rihanna’s personal life made headlines worldwide when then-boyfriend Chris Brown was arrested for brutally beating her after a pre-Grammys party. Brown ultimately pled guilty to felony assault, and she was granted a restraining order against him. It was later modified, and the stars briefly resumed a romantic relationship in 2012-2013, even though he still remained on probation. Aside from Brown, Rihanna has also dated Drake and baseball player Matt Kemp.