Jay-Z Gives Flowers To Rihanna, Says She's 'One Of The Most Prominent Artists Ever. Self-Made In Business And Entertainment'

Our prayers have been answered. Rihanna will be returning to the music arena for Super Bowl LVII.

On Sept. 25, Apple Music, the NFL, and Roc Nation announced that Rihanna would hit the stage for the Super Bowl Halftime Show at Super Bowl LVII, on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, in Glendale, AZ.

The announcement was felt by many from all corners of the world who started showering her with praise, including her mentee Jay-Z.

The Roc Nation founder praised Rihanna for her accomplishments across both business and entertainment in a statement upon breaking the news.

“Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment,” said Jay-Z in a press release.

Jay-Z has witnessed Rihanna blossom and set industry standards since first signing the artist to Def Jam in 2005.

Apparently, the rapper was so convinced that Rihanna would be a promising artist in the industry at just 17-years-old that he made sure she signed a deal before she left Def Jam’s Office, Complex reports.

“When Rihanna first signed her record deal with Def Jam in 2005, she said then-label-president Jay Z wouldn’t let her out of the office until the 17-year-old signed on the dotted line. Six months later her debut album Music of the Sun hit the charts. Since then, she released all seven of her albums—including 2012’s Unapologetic—on Def Jam,” the outlet reported back in 2014.

Ahead of her final album under Def Jam, Rihanna had sold at least 100 million records by 2012 and sold over 60 million digital singles globally, BET reports.

It was clear the world had gained the next global pop star. Rihanna then further solidified herself in the industry through her eighth studio album — “ANTI” — released under Jay-Z’s Roc Nation in 2016.

The album scored Rihanna her second No. 1 album and was streamed over 15 billion times, according to reports, leading Rihanna to become the first Black woman to spend 300 weeks on the Billboard 200.

The album is a clear winner among The Navy as it has remained in the conversation since it first dropped.

While the recent news may hint at the possibility of new music, it doesn’t look like her business moves will slow down anytime soon.

But, can we blame her?

As AfroTech previously told you, Rihanna has amassed success that has elevated her to billionaire status, thanks to her ventures including Fenty Beauty, Savage Fenty, and most recently Fenty Skin in 2021.