Everything We Know About Kanye West And Rihanna's Relationship
Kanye West and Rihanna are friends, colleagues, and collaborators. Occasionally, rumors of romance come and come and go. It doesn't take much: Kanye's arm around Ri-Ri's shoulder or a cold look from Kim Kardashian starts the rumor mills churning in earnest.
But the likelihood is that their "relationship" is mostly professional. Kanye's tendency to see himself as Rihanna's advisor, friend, and (yes) bulldog, lend weight to those pesky romance rumors.
The simple fact is that Kanye and Rihanna are two talented musical artists whose collaborations win awards and sell lots and lots of records. Their musical styles and thoughtful approach to their work make them very well suited to one another.
Here are 15 facts that kind of define the relationship between Kanye and Rihanna. It is a close one, a lucrative one, and a satisfying one professionally. Although it's far from perfect.
15 Rihanna Announced Support For Kanye As President
While Kanye West has maintained that he will support Trump in 2020, Rihanna long ago said if the rapper/businessman decided to run for President in 2020, she would support him. The one person who could never count on her vote in a million years? You got it in one! Trump.
14 Kanye Has Always Been There To Mentor Her
Rihanna was discovered by Jay-Z when she was only 16-years-old! Knowing she came from a poor background, with little formal training in music, Kanye has always been there to give encouragement and technical advice. Both Kanye and Rihanna were mentored by Jay-Z, but by the time Rihanna was discovered in 2005, Kanye had nearly 15 years of experience in the music biz. He executive produced one of her albums.
13 Big Brother? She Is 7 Years Younger Than Kim
Rihanna, at 32, is 7 years younger than Kim Kardashian West. So, does Kanye feel like a big brother to little Ri-Ri? Almost certainly, at the least. There's has been hailed as a great working relationship between Rihanna and Kanye West, but in some quarters (as we will see later) there is fear and talk of more going on. What on earth could they be talking about?
12 Kanye Appreciates Ri-Ri's Work Ethic
Kanye is strictly middle-class, with a professor for a mother and a journalist for a father. Rihanna grew up in an abusive household, in Barbados with a crack-cocaine addicted father. She has gotten where mega-stardom due to her considerable talent, a little luck, and damned hard work. And Kanye admires and respects that. Her net worth is (conservatively) pegged at $400 million.
11 Kanye Kept An Eye On Things When She Dated Travis Scott
In 2018, Kylie Jenner saw fit to defend rapper boyfriend and baby daddy Travis Scott against rumors of feuds with her brother-in-law Kanye West. West doesn't care much for Scott. Seems he never has had much time for Travis. Back in 2015 when Scott and Rihanna were hot and heavy for a month or so, Kanye kept a quiet, but watchful eye on things, for Rihanna's sake.
10 That Viral Tape Of Kanye Staring Lovingly At Rihanna
It was an awkward moment at the 2016 MTV Video Music Awards. There were wifey Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in the audience, while Rihanna sang and danced and revealed quite a bit of skin. The grin on Kanye's face! Kim, probably embarrassed, captured it on video. Of course, the clip went viral!
9 Constant Rumors Of Kim's Jealously of Rihanna
Rumors of a Kardashian/West divorce have made the rounds almost since the pair said: I do". And occasionally, Rihanna figures in those rumors. The story goes something like this: Kim is jealous because Rihanna is younger. Kim is resentful because Ri-Ri is thinner. Kayne is paying too much attention to Rihanna and Kim is on the verge of filing for divorce. Hasn't happened. Well, not yet, anyway.
8 They Are Both Big Fans Of One Another's Musical Talent
They have collaborated on a number of occasions. Both have a work ethic that won't quit. Their musical styles differ but blend well together. Rihanna has always looked up to both Jay-Z and Kanye. And Kanye? He who has continually reinvented himself throughout his career admires Rihanna's ability to do the same thing. It's about staying fresh and up to date. And they each appreciate that in the other.
7 Rihanna Trusts His Advice
An example? Kanye West brought aging rocker Paul McCartney in on a songwriting gig. WHAT? Must have been collaborator Rihanna's reaction. But, as we will see it worked. Kanye seems to have a sense of blending and mixing styles and musical styles that is (usually) pretty close faultless. And Rihanna has learned to rely on his instincts.
6 That Tiff Over Kanye's Adoration Of Trump
The only fly in the ointment when it comes to Rihanna's and Kanye's relationship is Kanye's almost rabid support of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Two years ago, she and other celebs unfollowed Kanye on Twitter because of his pro-Trump rants. Let's put it this way: The two don't see eye to eye politically.
5 The Rihanna/Kanye Tour That Never Was
News flash for Kim K. You think you don't like Rihanna? Well, the feeling is totally mutual. Rolling Stone used the word "aversion". There was great excitement over the winter of 2014-15 when rumor had it the Rihanna and Kanye would stage a mega-tour. It never happened? Why? Well, Rihanna's aversion to Kim was part of it. And, it seems Ri-Ri was afraid Kanye would hijack the whole thing. Another crack in the relationship, it seems.
4 Collaboration Number One: Run This Town
Jay-Z, Rihanna, and Kanye collaborated on the single "Run This Town". It was so good that it got the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the Grammy Awards in 2010. Says hotnewhiphop.com "When you bring out Kanye West (and Rihanna, NBD) for verse and hook duty, it’s hard to go wrong." Everything went as right as rain.
3 Collaboration Number Two: All The Lights
"All the Lights" is a song from West's 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The collaboration with Rihanna on the song and its video earned Kanye a Grammy in 2012 for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. The flashing lighting in the video earned it an Epilepsy Warning because it could have potentially triggered seizures.
2 Biggie Collab Number Three: FourFiveSeconds
Paired back and mellow, FourFiveSeconds is a rock, pop, soul, fusion song that combined the efforts of an unlikely trio: Namely Sir Paul McCartney, Kanye West, and Rihanna. West and McCartney wrote and (in conjunction with others) produced it. Its mellow, soulful tune and lyrics captured the imagination of the world. It was a sensation. A quiet sensation.
1 Kardashian/West At War In Quarantine - More Talk Of Divorce
The stories of the feuding unhappy Kardashian/West family in lockdown abound. One story has it that Kanye is leaving Kim and moving to Wyoming with the kids. He is reportedly tired of her nagging. They are supposedly living at separate ends of their massive mansion. Is divorce real this time? Maybe. Maybe not. But it could change the whole Rihanna and Kanye vibe if it is true.
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