Rihanna - Urban Belle Magazine

That Was Fast: Rihanna Working on New Album Already?

May 222013

Photo Credit: @badgalriri Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Is Rihanna working on her new album already? When Rihanna is not dealing with her very over the top and on and off again relationship with Chris Brown, she’s keeping herself very busy and expanding her opportunities. Although music is clearly her first priority, she’s not dabbled into cosmetics with her successful partnership with MAC, she has her own fashion line with River Island, and she’s the Executive Producer of a reality show geared towards fashion (Styled to Rock). At age 25, it doesn’t appear as if she plans on slowing down anytime soon. In fact, some people feel Rihanna deserves to a take a little break since she’s been so busy touring and launching her many projects outside of music. But if there’s any truth to the latest reports, she isn’t taking a break and she’s already working on her eighth album. Vibe reports:

Hit producer Rodney “Darkchild:” Jerkins told the Source that he was working with a slew of music’s finest including Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Jennifer Lopez, including some potential material for the bad gal’s next project.

“I just finished a couple songs with Jessie J over in London and I also wrote a couple of songs that are being considered for Rihanna’s new album, so there’s a lot of good stuff happening so we’ll see,” he said.

While Rih confirmed her return to the studio after posting a flick with rapper Wale, Rih’s creative process for her eighth effort still seems to be in its infancy.

Rihanna Thinks Chris Brown Used Her to Become Relevant Again

entertainment, Gossip, Music 24 Responses »

May 202013

Photo Credit: @badgalriri Instagram

By: Taren Vaughan

Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship timeline has been filled with break-ups, make-ups and plenty of drama as both Rihanna and Chris have been rather open about what they have going on with each other. And Rihanna and Chris Brown’s relationship has faced much scrutiny as people won’t let Chris Brown move past his assault on Rihanna while they were together back in 2009. Not caring much about public opinion, Rihanna and Chris Brown ended up getting back together and didn’t try to hide their rekindled romance from anyone at all, boasting about how happy they were with each other and how much they had grown since they last dated. As for their parents, Rihanna’s dad was all for her getting back with Chris while Chris Brown’s father had a very different opinion on his son’s relationship and said that he felt Chris’ romance with Rihanna could led to nothing but more drama and even death. Though Chris wasn’t faced with death, his father was apparently on to something as Rihanna and Chris Brown broke up again and shaded each other post break-up. And now a source has revealed to British magazine Star that Rihanna is very upset with herself for giving her romance with Chris another try and feels he used to her to gain his relevancy again:

“Rihanna took a massive risk with Chris, letting him back into her life after his conviction, learning to trust him again, then going public with their romance again.

“She took more than her share of flack for staying with a man who beat her, and all the while Chris has been reviving his career. He was virtually blacklisted by the industry after what he did, and with Ri’s support – and their publicity their relationship has brought – found respectability.

“Rihanna is angry that she let herself invest so much time in Chris again and is sick of him constantly letting her down. She feels like he takes her for granted and forgets what they’ve been through and what she’s done for him – she basically put him back on the map.”

Rihanna and Chris Brown’s break up is still fresh but it didn’t take long at all for both of them to get linked to other people as Rihanna was rumored to be dating NBA star J.R. Smith while Chris and ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran continue to fuel the talk of them getting back together.

JR Smith Responds to Rihanna’s Instagram Diss

sports 13 Responses »

May 172013

Photo Credit: @therealjrsmith Twitter

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

JR Smith isn’t having the best luck these days. In fact, he went from looking amazing on the basketball court to letting his team, the New York Knicks, down pretty terribly during the majority of the playoffs. Smith’s disappointing performance is being blamed on his many nights of late night partying, however, some fans of the basketball team were hoping they could place some of the blame on Rihanna. The singer was spotted on a few occasions in the same clubs as JR, causing many to speculate that they were rekindling their former romance. So when one of the Knicks biggest fans accused her of “distracting” the basketball player during the playoffs, Rihanna went off and had a few words for the fan and JR Smith too. She wrote:

f*ck you and your wack a*s team!! Nobody dont want that desert thirsty n*gga!! He f*ckin up cus (sic) his a*s be hungover from clubbing every night during playoffs!! So your issue ain’t with rasshole me

JR Smith has cut out a lot of his social media activity down these days but he did respond to Rihanna’s digs when asked by reporters how he feels about her rant. Zags Blog reports:

Rihanna might be coming after J.R. Smith on Instagram, but he’s not taking the bait.

“I’m not worried about Instagram, I’m worried about the playoffs,” Smith said after going 4-for-11 for 13 points in the Knicks’ 85-75 win in Game 5 that kept their season alive for at least one more game.

Perhaps that’s the best response to prevent a Twitter/Instagram war with Rihanna.

Rihanna and JR Smith Dating? Singer Drags the NBA Star

entertainment, sports 28 Responses »

May 162013

Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rihanna and JR Smith dating? Chris Brown and Rihanna haven’t even been over for a full month yet, and both have already been romantically linked to their former flames. Chris has been spending lots of time with Karrueche Tran and therefore sparking rumors suggesting they are back on, meanwhile, Rihanna has been spotted partying in the same clubs as her former flame NBA player JR Smith. Smith was starting to definitely prove his worth on the basketball court, but it didn’t take long for his reign to go cold. And to most of his critics, the reason he’s not delivering on the basketball court and coming through for the Knicks is because he’s been spending way too much time partying. And since Rihanna was in attendance for some of Smith’s late nights, many are attempting to place the blame on the Diamonds singer when it comes to why JR Smith’s productivity has diminished so quickly.

Rihanna is known for being very vocal and raw on her Twitter and Instagram accounts, so it should come as no surprise that she went completely off on a follower when they accused her of ruining JR Smith’s hot streak on the basketball court.

Not only did Rihanna slam the follower for blaming her for Smith’s lackluster playoff performance, but she also made it clear that she’s not interested in him and he’s actually the one pursuing her. Rihanna writes:

Meanwhile, JR Smith is not blaming Rihanna for his performance as of late, and says he’s solely responsible for not holding it down for his team.

Looks like yet another rumor about who Rihanna is smashing/dating has been debunked by Rihanna herself.

Chris Brown and Karrueche Back Together? Ex Girlfriend Spotted on Set of Music Video

entertainment 34 Responses »

May 162013

Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Chris Brown and Karrueche back together? Chris Brown and Rihanna may be over for now and still taking jabs at each other on their Twitter accounts, but apparently things aren’t so nasty between Chris and his other ex girlfriend Karrueche Tran. As we recently reported, Chris was spotted partying with Karrueche close to his birthday and it’s been reported that the former couple was also spotted partying together a couple of nights ago. While that’s nothing new and Chris did have more people with him in addition to his ex, but people are questioning just why on earth Karrueche was hanging around on the set for one of his recent music videos. According to Bossip, Karrueche was all smiles and on deck for the shooting for Tank’s single “Shots Fired,” which features Chris Brown. The site reports:

Reunited and it feels so good? It hasn’t been long that Chris Brown has cut ties with Rihanna but it looks like he’s already calling on his old faithful steady Karrueche! BOSSIP sources tell us the blasian beauty was spotted on the set of his video for “Shots Fired” grinning like a Cheshire cat and we’ve got the photos to prove it!

Here’s the photo of Karrueche on the set and all smiles obtained by Bossip:

So are these two back together? We seriously doubt it. If anything, we’re thinking Chris Brown and Karrueche are just still good friends and by Chris’ admission in a recent interview, it doesn’t sound like he wants to be in another committed relationship anytime soon.

Rihanna Starts Working on Her Second River Island Collection (Video)

entertainment, fashion 8 Responses »

May 132013

Photo Credit: @badgalriri Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rihanna’s on and off romance with Chris Brown may be over for now and it’s been a pretty nasty one so far if their behavior on their social media accounts are any indication, however, she’s still keeping busy on tour and taking advantage of numerous business opportunities thrown her way. Just several days after selling out of her new MAC lipstick RiRi Woo in three hours online, the singer is now reportedly working on her second fashion collection with River Island. She debuted her first collection with the label several months ago, and considering how big of a hit its been in sales, it’s no wonder the company has already started working with Rihanna again to launch a second collection. In a new video released by the label, Rihanna is seen working with designers and approving concepts for the next installment. She says:

“I needed to make clothes for fat days that I have.

“I made a piece for everybody in my crew, we all have different body types and different tastes. Some are braver than others, but you know, I think like that because that’s how all the women in the world are. We’re all different, we all like different things, we all have different occasions, different moods, different body types.”

The second collection is reportedly hitting shelves on May 25, and Rihanna has also partnered with designer Adam Selman for the Fall and Winter lines. The singer promises to make clothes for everyone, from those that are a little more reserved, to those that consider themselves to be more edgy style wise.

Check out the video below:

Rihanna’s Camp Says She’s Done with Chris Brown For Real This Time

Music 14 Responses »

May 112013

Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Chris Brown and Rihanna are over for now, but fans of the couple aren’t convinced things are done for good considering that they do have a tendency to break up and make up quite a bit. Chris himself even made it seem like the split this time around is more so due to the fact that they are too young to commit, and he’d rather focus on his career at the moment and love her from a distance in the meantime. However, Rihanna took to her Twitter account to subtly tell her fans things ended this time because Chris wasn’t being faithful. Either way, insiders close to Rihanna tell the Chicago Sun Times that Rihanna is finally done with Chris and doesn’t plan to ever take him back again:

While Rihanna and Chris Brown have made their latest breakup very public with dueling tweets, I’ve also learned that RiRi used a more old-fashioned approach to express her outrage at Brown: She picked up the phone and called him.

A source close to Rihanna told this column Thursday, “She really blasted him, using language that made it sound like she never will get back with him again — no matter what people think.”

The singer was especially infuriated by Brown’s comment in an interview that he wasn’t ready to be “wife-ing” someone as young as Rihanna.

“She really thought that was a sexist, degrading thing for him to say,” added the source, “Especially after all Rihanna endured after he beat her and all that.”

In related news, Rihanna and Chris had yet another round of subliminal shading, as both seemed to take more shots at one another on their social media accounts. Rihanna started it off with this photo:

Chris responded with:

And Rihanna reloaded with these:

Rihanna is Producer’s First Choice to Portray Josephine Baker in New Biopic

entertainment 13 Responses »

May 102013

Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rihanna has clearly proven she is a force to be reckoned with when it comes to the current state of the music industry, as she continues to be one of the most successful singers on the scene right now. And as hot as she is right now, great opportunities continue to knock at her door, and it appears that she could be one step closer to getting serious about becoming an actress. According to reports, a new biopic for Josephine Baker is in the works, and the producer of the film says his first choice for an actress to play Josephine is none other than Rihanna herself. Belfast Telegraph reports:

The chart-topping singer, who made her film debut in action thriller Battleship, is producer W Lance Reynolds’ first choice to play the late American-French singer and actress in an upcoming biopic.

“Rihanna is one of the most talented performers of this millennium and with her unique acting and performing abilities, I have no doubt she will bring Josephine back to life on the big screen,” he said.

Based on the autobiography Josephine, the film rights have been bought by Noosa Films.

Of course this won’t be the first Josephine Baker biopic to be made, as the last one starred legendary actress Lynn Whitfield. Whitfield’s portrayal of Baker on the small screen was praised by most film critics, and happens to still be considered one of her best moments in her long acting career. The producer of the new biopic is hoping Rihanna will have the same success if she takes him up on the offer to star in the film.

Ratings: Rihanna’s 777 Documentary Flops

Music 27 Responses »

May 092013

Photo Credit: @badgalriri Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rihanna is without a doubt one of the biggest artists in the music industry as of right now, and when she usually adds her name to something, it’s expected to be a success. Rihanna has already had lots of success with her fashion collection with River Island in which pieces sold like crazy online and at retail stores, but she had an even bigger week with her partnership with MAC Cosmetics as her signature “RiRi Woo” lipstick sold out online in only three hours. Clearly, Rihanna’s fans are loyal and we totally understand why she has decided to affectionately refer to them as the Navy, so it’s shocking to learn that her 777 Documentary which just aired a couple of days ago on FOX did pretty dismal in ratings. Although many expected Rihanna’s numbers to be higher than Beyonce’s were for her HBO documentary Life is But a Dream considering that Rihanna’s special aired on a major network, Rihanna fell short. Hip Hop Wired reports:

Rih Rih’s mini-documentary snatched 1.8 million in the target demo, a ratings massacre in comparison to NBC’s The Voice, which had 11.9 million viewers. Overall the Fox network finished a distant fourth place among its network competitors.

Aside from being a “flop,” 777 didn’t fare well with critics either. The Hollywood Reporter noticed that one very big part of the tour (the journalists on board going crazy) was given a new flip. “Instead of revealing the entertaining tumult that characterized the 777 Tour, the documentary crew has chastened the experience in the editing room, glossing over the rioting incident and the long hours spent waiting around for Rihanna to finish lingerie shopping in Paris.”

Rihanna Hints Breakup with Chris Brown Was Due to Him Cheating?

Music 24 Responses »

May 072013

Photo Credit: Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Rihanna and Chris Brown may be over for now, but that doesn’t mean the former lovebirds won’t take to their social networking accounts to take jabs at one another. As we reported recently, Chris Brown confirmed the romance was over in a recent interview in which he basically claimed he couldn’t focus on Rihanna romantically because they are too young to be serious. When discussing his birthday plans, he said in a recent interview on The Kyle and Jackie Show:

“I’ve actually got three birthday parties scheduled, I got one in L.A., one in Vegas and one in New York so we can gon’ have fun, and I’m just trying to have, you know, the best time with my fans and all the people in the club.

“Imma do it solo. I mean, at the end of the day, shawty doing her own thang, she on the road. It’s always gonna be love. I’m a grown man, just gotta fast forward.

“I’m always gonna love that person. I can’t be focused on wife-ing someone that young. I need to be the best Chris Brown I can be.”

This revelation comes just days after Chris was spotted partying with ex girlfriend Karrueche in Los Angeles. So we can’t say we’re too surprised Rihanna had some shade to throw her former lover, right after he tweeted about love. Chris tweets:

Rihanna obviously wasn’t impressed with Chris’ tweet about loving her from a distance, so she decided to tweet her followers about not settling when someone isn’t loyal. Sounds like she’s referring to Chris considering his tweet and the timing. She tweets:

Rihanna Booed by Boston Fans for Being Three Hours Late to Concert

Music 16 Responses »

May 072013

Photo Credit: @badgalriri Instagram

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Fresh from her most recent breakup with Chris Brown, it appears Rihanna may have ruffled her fans’ feathers for reportedly showing up to her concert extremely late. According to reports, the singer showed up to her rescheduled Boston appearance three hours late. Rihanna had to reschedule her show in Boston in March after suffering from laryngitis, but it appears the concert last night didn’t start off so smooth. The Daily Mail reports:

She left her fans disappointed in March when illness caused her to cancel her Diamonds World Tour in Boston.

But after rescheduling her concert for Monday night, Rihanna further angered her patient fans by turning up to the stage three hours late – causing them to boo the singer as she performed.

And with no opening act for the show at the TD Garden venue, concertgoers were quick to take to Twitter to voice their frustrations over the singer’s tardiness.

One fan wrote: ‘Boston waited 2 months and then Rihanna was 3 hours late to her packed concert. She deserved to get booed! We were mad as hell.’

Another wrote: ‘@rihanna just showed up over three hours late in Boston for a make up show since she canceled a few months back due to sickness. Im over her.’

And while no reason was given for Rihanna’s lateness, many speculated that it was because the basketball fan was watching the Chicago Bulls take on Miami Heat in the opening contest of the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals.

One Twitter user wrote: ‘@rihanna 2-3 hrs late for your show in Boston, huh??! #disrespectful #noexcuse basketball was more important huh?? Don’t come back.’
And another added: ‘Thank you @rihanna for playing an hour long concert and lip syncing the whole thing. I’m glad u “balled out” for Boston.’

Others suggested that the singer could be finding things hard to cope with following Chris Brown’s admission that the pair were no longer together over the weekend.

The publication goes on to state that Rihanna made no apology for showing up late, however, plenty of her fans also took to Twitter to show support despite her tardiness, and claimed the performance was well worth the wait.

Chris Brown Goes on Another Twitter Rant, Confirms Breakup with Rihanna

Music 28 Responses »

May 062013

Photo Credit: @chrisbrown Twitter

By: Amanda Anderson-Niles

Did Chris Brown and Rihanna break up? Chris Brown celebrated his 24th birthday yesterday, and after being spotted partying with ex girlfriend Karrueche Tran on Friday night, many are speculating that his romance with Rihanna may be over. It also didn’t help that both of the stars are no longer following each other on Twitter, just days after Rihanna was busted publicly for following Chris’ nemesis Drake on Instagram. Last night things got even more bizarre for Chris as he had a late night Twitter rant that just reeked of frustration. We’re thinking his most recent Twitter episode is related to the recent news surrounding his now confirmed relationship status with Rihanna. Over the weekend, Chris had an interview with The Kyle and Jackie Show and said that he and Rihanna are no longer together when asked if he was going to be bringing in his 24th with the “Diamonds” singer:

“I’ve actually got three birthday parties scheduled, I got one in L.A., one in Vegas and one in New York so we can gon’ have fun, and I’m just trying to have, you know, the best time with my fans and all the people in the club.

“Imma do it solo. I mean, at the end of the day, shawty doing her own thang, she on the road. It’s always gonna be love. I’m a grown man, just gotta fast forward.

“I’m always gonna love that person. I can’t be focused on wife-ing someone that young. I need to be the best Chris Brown I can be.”

And if that wasn’t clear enough, Chris also said for his birthday he wanted peace and plenty of girls to keep the fun times rolling in:

“Just peace – centre of your zen, whatever peace you need, a clear mind, but I’m 24, I’m going to be in Vegas, so I want to really see as many girls as possible.”

Not too long after Chris’ interview started to make its rounds on the Internet, he ranted on Twitter about no longer trying to please the public:

For now it seems like Chris Brown and Rihanna are back off but we wouldn’t be surprised if these two kiss and make up, and post all of that to Instagram later on today.

Check out the interview below:

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