Rihanna Biography

Rihanna signed a six-album deal when she was only 16!

Courtesy of Universal Music

Birthdate: February 20, 1988
Birthplace: St. Michael, Barbados

If you haven't heard of this Barbadian beauty by now, you've been living under a rock. Crawl on out cuz Kidzworld has the 411 on the girl who brought you hits like Pon De Replay and Unfaithful! Get the goods on Rihanna right here.

Rihanna - Caribbean Childhood

The daughter of a Barbadian father and a Guyanese mother, Rihanna grew up as Robyn Rihanna Fenty in Saint Michael, Barbados. Despite her simple upbringing, she already showed signs of promise - Rihanna attended Combermere High School where she won both the talent and beauty contests in 2004. She loved to sing for her family and friends but never really thought a career in the music industry would be possible for a small town girl like herself.

Rihanna - Opportunity Knocks

When a friend introduced Rihanna to a vacationing American music producer, Evan Rogers (who has worked with Christina Aguilera, *NSYNC, and Jessica Simpson), and his Barbadian wife, Jackie, her life changed forever. Evan Rogers, along with his business partner Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna produce a demo album (which included the song Pon De Replay) and sent it off to various record labels. Rihanna moved to New York to be closer to the action - and then crossed her fingers that someone would sign her.

Rihanna - A Star is Born

When Jay-Z got his hands on Rihanna's demo, he knew he'd found a star. He convinced Rihanna to sign to his label, Def Jam Recordings, in a meeting that dragged on until 4:30AM. The six-album deal led to the release of her debut CD, Music of the Sun, in August 2005. Her follow-up album, A Girl Like Me, was released in April 2006 and quickly achieved gold status.