In the wake of Sean “Diddy” Combs‘ arrest, people are speculating about which prominent entertainer will be exposed next.
Several conspiracy theories suggest that person could be Jay-Z. In addition to typical rumors and accusations he groomed his wife Beyoncé, resurfaced interviews are prompting people to question the origins of his working relationship with Rihanna.
Jay-Z signed the Barbados-born singer to Def Jam Recordings in 2005. At the time, he was the label’s president. Rihanna was 16 when her career was launched. Her debut album “Music of the Sun” was released that same year, following the success of her first single, “Pon de Replay,” which she had already recorded prior to her stardom.
However, her reflections about her first meeting with the hip-hop icon have come under scrutiny. Also in 2005, Ri Ri appeared on “The Tyra Banks Show,” where she performed her first massive U.S. hit and spoke about the night she became a signed recording artist.
Among remembering that she was riddled with nerves before meeting HOV, she recalled two specific comments he allegedly made. One of them being, “We don’t sign songs here; we sign artists,” and the other being, “‘There are two ways to leave here. I go through the door with the deal signed or through this window, and we’re on the 29th floor.’” The audience audibly let out groans of disbelief.
As the clip has gained new views on social media, several people expressed this shocking in the tactics Jay-Z used to sign the “ANTI” singer
Another comment read, “Now, imagine you have a 16 year old daughter and an older man said this to her… Man or woman; would you be ok with it? I don’t even have a daughter and it’s a hard ‘NO’, for me….!!!! To those that see this behavior and stand behind it; you are part of the problem.”
A second clip, also from 2005, explains Jay-Z’s account of the first meeting. In an interview with host Sway for MTV, the Grammy Award winner said, “When she walked in the office, I was like (speechless). You know, she just had just something about her,” he told Sway.
After she performed, the artist-turned-label executive said he spoke with Rihanna, learning about her work ethic until he was convinced that she would not be a one-hit wonder.
“We signed her that night. We didn’t let her leave the office. Three in the morning is when that contract got signed. So from the meeting around three, four in the afternoon, we signed it by three in the morning that day. I was absolutely certain,” he said. This too, sparked concern on social media.
“Whether Jay was joking or not, to say that to a young impressionable teenage girl with no other adult in the room is f—ked up. Smh,” said a skeptical viewer. Someone else remarked, “Time to start blaming parents. Y’all let the parents get away with not being around the teenagers while this type stuff is happening.”
And a third person shared, “If you listen, Jay says “WE didn’t let “her” leave the office”. Meaning that it was him, her and obviously at least someone else there. These clips and people’s lack of comprehension skills are a serious problem.”
jay z “dated” foxy brown when she was 15 & took her virginity, he was 23.
— 〽️ (@drizzyys) September 12, 2024
jay z was going out with aaliyah when she was 15/16/17 & he was 26/27/28.
jay z met beyoncé at 16 & started dating her when she was 18/19 & he was 30.
jay z signed rihanna at 16 & she said in a interview… pic.twitter.com/i6VFytcSXu
In an extended video of the interview, the “99 Problems” artist explained that his business partner Jay Brown was acquainted with Rihanna’s lawyer at the time, who set up the meeting.
He does not mention how many people were present for the audition or how many people may have been present when the deal was signed.
Jay-Z stepped down as president of Def Jam after four years in 2009. Rihanna released seven albums with the label co-founded by Russell Simmons before she left it in 2014. She followed her mentor and signed with Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z in 2008.
