Three years ago Chris Brown attacked then-girlfriend Rihanna on their way to a pre-Grammy party, that assault led to five years of probation after being charged with a felony attack. Now three years later Chris Brown is returning to the show that almost ended his career.

Brown was unofficially announced as the Grammy’s newest performer on Monday night by an unidentified source.

Since watching his career nearly hit rock bottom Chris Brown has bounced back with the multi-hit album ”F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies)” which has received three Grammy nodes including best R&B album.  Brown also has nominations in ”Look at Me Now” which which is also nominated for best rap song and best rap performance.

Also performing on Grammy night is Rihanna who has been nominated for four Grammy’s including album of the year for her platinum selling album “Loud.”

Chris Brown has not attended the Grammy awards ceremony since his attack against Rihanna in 2009, even after he was nominated for three awards in 2011.

In February 2011 a judge eased the restraining order against Chris Brown and Rihanna’s lawyer said she didn’t object to the stay-away provisions being halted. The stay-away restriction was lessened from 150 feet to just 30 feet.

CBS will air the Grammy Awards live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

I wonder if there will be any awkward moments shared between the former power couple at the show.

Will you be tuning in to see what Chris Brown can bring to the table after a three year Grammy departure?

Chris Brown To Perform At 2012 Grammy Awards Three Years After Rihanna Incident is a post from: The Inquisitr

Claire Milner was asked to describe the motivation behind the picture:

“I tried to show the glitter of the public life and then the sadness in Marilyn’s eyes. Because of who Rihanna is, everything had to be done through her interior decorators. But they told me afterwards that she loved it. A 100 per cent Swarovski crystal portrait is very luxurious — people stand and stare because it constantly changes colour, sending rainbows round the room.”

This year, in August, will be the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe’s death, at the age of 36. Marilyn Monroe struggled with the pressures of fame and it is said that Rihanna identifies with her. Rihanna is also currently looking to produce and star in her own fashion show. According to MiD DAY, Rihanna is very excited about this project, saying:

“I have been very fortunate to work with some truly amazing designers and stylists throughout my career, and they have been instrumental in making sure my creative vision reaches the stage,” explained the star. I am excited to follow the journey of our aspiring contestants and see how their individuality influences their efforts during the course of the show.”

Source: The Sun

Rihanna Splashes A Hundred Grand On Marilyn Monroe Crystal Portrait is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna is a big Tupac fan. She showed her affection for the slain rapper today by getting “Thug Life” tattooed across her fingers. Tupac Shakur had the same words written across his stomach.

Rihanna posted a picture of her new tattoo today today, saying:

“All these bitches screaming that 2pac back ♫ #THUGLIFE“

The Boom Box reports that Rihanna got her Tupac tattoo from popular tattoo artist Mark Mahoney. It looks like Rihanna got another tattoo during her Tupac ink session. The singer posted another picture of herself lying on a table while Mahoney worked on her lower back. It isn’t clear what Rihanna got for her second tattoo.

TVNZ reports that Rihanna currently has 14 visible tattoos, including a musical note, the word “love,” and a Pisces.

Still, she has a long way to go if she wants to match her new idol.

Tupac formed the rap group Thug Life in 1993. The group released one album “Thug Life: Volume One” which featured the song “All Eyez on Me.”

According to the Urban Dictionary:

“The word Thug Live evolved by the late Tupac Shakur. Commonly mistaken for a Criminal. Thug Life is the opposite of someone having all he needs to succeed. Thug life is when you have nothing, and succeed, when you have overcome all obstacles to reach your aim.”

Here’s a video of Tupac explaining the term Thug Life.

What do you think of Rihanna’s new tattoo?

Rihanna Gets Tupac Tattoo, Lives a ‘Thug Life’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna in lingerie

Rihanna in negligee and knickers

Rihanna in Armani’s new jeans range

What do you think of Rihanna’s new Armani photos?

Rihanna Strips For Armani [Photos] is a post from: The Inquisitr

While it’s probably no surprise that the 23-year-old R&B/Pop sensation had a fantastic year in music, Nielsen SoundScan has revealed that the ‘We Found Love’ singer is the ‘Best Selling Digital Artist’ ever, selling more than 47.5 million virtual copies of her singles over the course of her relatively brief career.

Rihanna’s new record comes after she was recently named the most talked-about singer on Facebook in 2011, pipping Bob Marley and Avril Lavigne to the post.

According to the report, The Black Eyed Peas were the closest contender with 42.4 million, while Eminem took the third slot with 42.3 million. Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift came in at fourth and fifth, respectively, with career digital sales of 42.08 million and 41.82 million.

Katy Perry, Lil Wayne, Beyonce, Kanye West and Britney Spears make up the rest of the top 10.

Check out Nielsen SoundScan’s full list below:

Top 10 Selling Digital Artists of All Time:
1. Rihanna – 47,571,000
2. Black Eyed Peas – 42,405,000
3. Eminem – 42,290,000
4. Lady Gaga – 42,078,000
5. Taylor Swift – 41,821,000
6. Katy Perry – 37,620,00
7. Lil Wayne – 36,788,000
8. Beyonce – 30,439,000
9. Kanye West – 30,242,000
10. Britney Spears – 28,665,000

Watch Rihanna’s Man Down:

Rihanna Named Best Selling Digital Artist of All Time is a post from: The Inquisitr

After a phenomenal year for singer Chris Brown, including Billboard 200 topping album F.A.M.E. and a successful tour under the same moniker, the artist’s management team, headed by the shrewd Tina Davis, has declared that Rihanna’s former boxing partner will be doing zero interviews in 2012.

Zippo. Not a one.

According to Davis, the management-imposed radio silence is for Brown’s own good, saying that their focus is, “not have him do interviews but to concentrate on performing and recording”. She didn’t mention it having anything to do with his May appearance on Good Morning America, when he threw a chair through a window after a question about his ex, Rihanna. Brown, then in the midst of promoting the successful F.A.M.E., caught a bunch of bad press for the stunt, and with his new album Fortune coming soon, Davis is taking a pragmatic’s approach by putting Brown in detention.

“We’re not trying to be rude, selfish or disrespectful to anyone in any way,” she said. “If people are going to judge anything, judge him for his talent. He signed up to sing and entertain. Not to talk about his personal life.”

Other tantrum-prone stars have done the same. Kanye West put on a self-imposed press lockout after several of his own controversies, though he does use Twitter to otherwise vent his frustrations. Brown may be poised to do the same, though he hasn’t tweeted since New Year’s Eve, when he said:

“I LOVE Team Breezy unconditionally! Goodbye 2011. Let 2012 bring as much peace positivity and happiness as possible!”

Now, it’s only been a few days, but maybe Davis has him on a social media allowance and he just throws it away on Googling himself or playing Farmville. Regardless, we won’t be hearing anything but music from Brown in the coming year.

What do you think of the muzzle Chris Brown’s management team has put on him? Is it for the best?

Chris Brown’s Manager Muzzles Singer For 2012 is a post from: The Inquisitr

How would you describe Rihanna? If you’re living in the 21st century you probably wouldn’t use the term that Jackie editor-in-chief Eva Hoeke decided to use. Hoeke decided that the best way to describe Rihanna’s fashion sense was by calling her the “ultimate niggabitch.” Well, the singer has a few choice words of her own for the magazine’s editor who, unsurprisingly, just resigned.

Rihanna wrote on Twitter:

“@evajackie, I hope you can read English, because your magazine is a poor representation of the evolution of human rights!… I find you disrespectful, and rather desperate!! You ran out of legit, civilized information to print! … You paid to print one [article] degrading an entire race! That’s your contribution to this world! Encourage segregation, to mislead the future leaders to act in the past!”

Rihanna, who was recently named the sexiest woman alive, wasn’t finished ripping Hoeke apart. She tweeted later:

“You put two words together with the intent of abasement, that made no sense…’N***A B****’?!….Well with all respect, on behalf of my race, here are my two words for you…F*** YOU!!!

The racial slur understandably made Rihanna furious. But what’s really incredible is that the slur wasn’t hidden somewhere in the middle of the article. It was printed in big, bold letters at the very top.

And who could use such a degrading term as the title of the article and not slip it into a few paragraphs? The article reads:

“She has street cred, she has a ghetto ass and she has a golden throat. Rihanna, the good girl gone bad, is the ultimate niggabitch…”

After the racial slur was printed and the controversy began, Hoeke took to Twitter to explain that her use of “niggabitch” was a joke, saying that you hear the term all the time on the radio and TV. Yesterday, Hoeke apologized for her attempt to brush off the controversy and resigned.

Hoeke said:

 “…because my credibility is now affected, it is better for all parties if I quit my function as editor-in-chief effective immediately. After putting my heart and soul into Jackie for eight years, I realize that these errors — although not intended maliciously — are enough reason for leaving.”

Do you think Jackie will be  able to save face now that Eva Hoeke has resigned?

Rihanna Responds to Magazine’s Racial Slur, Editor Eva Hoeke Resigns is a post from: The Inquisitr

During a recent interview with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres, R&B singer Rihanna revealed that she is unhappy being single and is always on the look out for the perfect man.

“I’m not dating anyone right now, I’m not dating at all,” the 23-year-old We Found Love singer told DeGeneres. “I’m not necessarily happy being single. It’s not really that cool.”

Rihanna, who was recently named Esquire Magazine’s Sexiest Woman Alive, says she hasn’t had a steady boyfriend since she split from baseball star Matt Kemp earlier this year and admits her career has got in the way of her bid to find a new relationship.

“I do put a lot into my job. Most of my time, if not all of it… My personal life is pretty much non-existent, which is not good, not for the long run… That’s why I stay on Twitter a lot. So I can conversate with my fans. Because I don’t get any booty calls.”

In addition to her busy work-schedule, Rihanna admitted that part of her dating problems are due to the fact that men are often intimidated to approach her.

“I can’t have a guy that is intimidated by me,” she explained to Ellen. “I like a man to be sure, to be sure of themselves and know that you’re the man. I’m the lady, and the only way for us to make this work is for us to play our roles.”

Rihanna’s appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show is scheduled to air Monday, November 21st, the same day as her Talk That Talk album’s release. In the meantime, you catch a preview of the episode below:

Rihanna Reveals She’s Unhappy Being Single is a post from: The Inquisitr

While Coldplay has been sampling songs from their upcoming fifth studio album during the bands concert tour over the last year there has been one song that has been elusive, the bands duet with singer Rihanna and now we have the audio from that song.

Titled Princess of China Martin has called it his “favorite song” on the album.

As MTV points out the song starts with standard Coldplay fanfare with Rihanna wailing away “Oh, oh woah woah oh” before the song transforms into an R&B beat to which Martin sings:

“Once upon a time somebody ran/ Somebody ran away saying as fast as I can/ I got to go/ I got to go.”

He’s followed by Rihanna who sings:

“Once upon a time we weren’t right/ All we ever seemed to do is fight/ On and on/ And on and on and on.”

Rihanna then continues on as she dreams about being a princess and finding her king.

With Chris Martin singing in his trademark falsetto voice and Rihanna using her high-range the pair seem like the perfect choice for Coldplay’s first duet track.

Last month Martin said about the song:

“Well, her bit on our record is my favorite bit … when the song came out, it sort of asked for her to be on it … And I think at this point, we have nothing to lose, and so we’ve been trying some new things and trying to break down the perceived boundaries between different types of music. … Because from where we’re sitting, it seems like you can try and sound any way you like nowadays. You don’t have to be in a rock box or a hip-hop box or a pop box, and I think it’s fun when you embrace that idea.”

The album will drop on October 25 and in the meantime here’s the leaked recording:

Will you be running out to pick up or download the new Coldplay record when it finally arrives?

Coldplay/Rihanna Duet ‘Princess of China’ Leaks Online [Audio Track] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna has just been named the sexiest woman alive by Esquire Magazine, who called the singer the “indisputable champion of carnal pop.”

Rihanna’s sex appeal is on display in several images in the new issue of Esquire, but the singer also opened up about being a sex icon and her relationship with Chris Brown.

Rihanna and Brown were once a power couple but the two split after Brown got abusive. Brown, who plead guilty to domestic abuse in 2009, is still serving his probation sentence. But despite their violent past, Rihanna says that she is happy for Brown’s recent success.

“It was too much anger… I’m really excited to see the breakthrough he’s had in his career. It’s incredible to see how he pulled out the way he did… Even when the world seemed like it was against him, you know? I really like the music he’s putting out. I’m a fan of his stuff. I’ve always been a fan. I would never wish anything horrible for him. Never. I never have.”

Rapfix MTV reports that Rihanna requested in February to have Chris Brown’s restraining order reduced to a level one. The new restraining order means that Brown can contact Rihanna and can be in her vicinity, but he’s not allowed to annoy or harass her.

Here are some photos of Rihanna which earned her the sexiest woman alive award.

Here’s a video of Rihanna’s photoshoot with Esquire.

Do you think Rihanna is the sexiest woman alive? A recent video shoot in Ireland did just get shutdown after it was deemed too sexy by a local farmer?

What do you think about Rihanna’s attitude toward Chris Brown?

Rihanna Named Sexiest Woman Alive [Gallery] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna has been immortalized in the form of a wax figure thanks to Madame Tussauds London.

The new wax figure debuted on Tuesday and shows Rihanna with her former curly red hair and a long black dress that exposes her right butt cheek. The dress is the same one she wore last year when performing with X Factor winner Matt Cardle in London.

It’s a good time of the year to be Rihanna, not only does she receive her own wax figure, her new album Talk That Talk drops on Nov. 21 and the first single from that album We Found Love debuted last week at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Here are a few more pictures of the singer’s wax figure being touched up with makeup and showing off her long black dress:

In the meantime Rihanna is busy promoting her new album and taking steamy lingerie shots for Versace where she has taken over as the company’s most recent celebrity model, a spot once held by Megan Fox.

Do you think Rihanna deserves her very own Madame Tussauds wax figure? I will say she’s one of the hardest working women in music having released an album every single year since 2005 (minus 2008) and she definitely has the worldwide superstar status that the wax museum loves to promote to their visitors.

Rihanna Wax Figure Debuts At Madame Tussauds London [Pics] is a post from: The Inquisitr

R&B singer Rihanna announced on Tuesday that her next album titled Talk That Talk will drop on November 21. The announcement means Rihanna has dropped a new album almost every year since 2005 (she skipped a 2008 release).

Rihanna took to Facebook where she offered “teasers” about her upcoming album for fans. So far fans have helped unlock five pieces that including lyrics, looks and logos. All together there are 12 teaser pieces to be unlocked.

The album’s first single “We Found Love” dropped in September and Rihanna shot a video for the single in Northern Ireland. During her Ireland shoot Rihanna managed to offend the farmer who owns the land she was shooting on because her “state of undress” was “inappropriate.”

Speaking about her new album and her status atop the entertainment industry Rihanna recently told British Vogue:

“See, people … they want me to be a role model just because of the life I lead. The things I say in my songs, they expect it of me, and [being a role model] became more of my job than I wanted it to be. But no, I just want to make music. That’s it.”

Talking about her We Found Love video she recently tweeted:

“#WFLvid I really cant stop thinking about this video we just shot!” adding, ”EASILY the BEST video I’ve done thus far!Definitely my fav 1,very powerful.”

Sporting her new look in Versace ads (one such ad is pictured above) who could blame her for flaunting her new look.

What do you think about Rihanna’s new single and music video and will you be picking up the full Talk That Talk album when it drops on November 21?

Rihanna To Drop ‘Talk That Talk’ Album on November 21 is a post from: The Inquisitr

When Rihanna was picking a location for her new video, she spotted an Irish farm belonging to Alan Graham. Graham agreed to let the music star film, but when he saw the skimpy bikini that Rihanna was wearing, Graham decided that it was inappropriate and told her to halt filming.

According to the Telegraph, the 61-year-old farmer rode up on his tractor and told Rihanna that “her behavior was inappropriate.”

The BBC reports that Rihanna was filming a video for her song “We Found Love” with Scottish DJ Calvin Harris ahead of three sell-out shows at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena.

Graham wouldn’t say exactly what he said to the pop star, or what she said to him, but Graham did say that they parted on good terms.

Graham said:

“She understood where I was coming from. We shook hands and parted company on good terms.”

Graham, who is a member the Democratic Unionist Party on North Down Borough council, had agreed to let Rihanna use one of his fields for filming, but when he realized what was going on, he changed his mind.

Graham said:

“I realized things had got to a stage which were not acceptable to me. Things became inappropriate and I asked the film crew to stop…

“From my point of view, it was my land, I have an ethos and I felt it was inappropriate. I wish no ill will against Rihanna and her friends. Perhaps they could acquaint themselves with a greater God.”

The situation between Rihanna and the farmer may have ended in a field, but it also made its way into Irish politics. An Ulster Unionist used the incident to say that the prude ways of the Democratic Unionist Party could prevent entertainers from coming to Ireland, since Rhianna was turned away simply for “wearing red, white and blue.”

First Minister Peter Robinson, the leader of Mr Graham’s political party, assured people at the Northern Ireland Assembly that the colors were not the problem.

Would you kick a scantily clothed Rihanna off of your farm?

Farmer Kicks Rihanna Off Land For Filming Sexy Video is a post from: The Inquisitr

On Friday I showed off Rihanna in her new Armani Jeans ad, sporting blond hair and some tight to the body jeans, now she’s getting shown off sporting almost nothing for her first photo shoot in Armani Lingerie.

In the photo spread Rihanna sports stiletto heels, the same type of shoes Victoria Beckham and Megan Fox sported for their own Armani spread.

Shot in New York City by photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott (the same photographers who shot Megan Fox and Victoria Beckham) the photos are all in black and white and show intimate lighting on the superstar singer as she offers sexy and seductive poses for each pair of lingerie she shows off.

Here are a few more photos from the shoot:

What do you think about Rihanna’s sexy turn as the new face of Armani? I keep staring at her hair and wondering when it will turn back to it’s familiar fire red.

Rihanna Wears Lingerie For New Armani Ad [Hot Pics Inside] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Whoa hold on a second, is that really Rihanna sporting a blonde hairdo? The R&B superstar took some time out of her busy schedule to pose for a new Armani Jeans ad in which she ditched her famous fiery red hair for a bleached-blonde look.

Rihanna joins other famous faces who have recently taken on Armani including Megan Fox and David Beckham.

For her first campaign Rihanna is starring in a “film-noir” type campaign that was shot in New York City by noted photographer Steven Klein.

The photo shoot actually took place in early 2011 and is just now launching for the fashion line.

What do you think about the shoot and Rihanna’s blonde hair.

Rihanna Goes Blonde For Armani Jeans Ad is a post from: The Inquisitr

Jay-Z’s protege is the new face of the trendy beverage Vita Coco Tropical Fruit. Vita Coco Tropical Fruit is the seventh flavor in the Vita Coco line. Coconut water is popular in the tropics, but the drink has also recently been embraced by celebrities like Rihanna and Madonna for its health and diet benefits.

In a press release for Vita Coco Tropical Fruit, Rihanna glowingly talks up the product with anecdotes from her island upbringing:

I grew up in Barbados – so when Vita Coco approached me to help develop a new flavor, I thought we should combine the natural coconut water with fresh tropical fruits – two of my favorite things… It tastes so delicious and reminds me of home!”

National advertising for the product also evokes the tropics, with Rihanna perched on a rainbow hammock, sporting waist length, Cherry Kool-Aid colored locks and brandishing a Tetra-Pak of Vita Coco Tropical Fruit. The product, which costs about $2.79 per unit, is emblazoned with the R&B singer’s signature and can be purchased through outlets like Amazon.

The gig follows Rihanna’s recent appearance in the fall ad campaign of designer Giorgio Armani. Earlier this year, Rihanna made headlines when her video for the track “Man Down” was pegged as violent and targeted for censorship by parents groups. However, BET refused to back down and pull the song from its lineup- and the controversy sparked fellow star Gabrielle Union’s admission that she’d tried to shoot her rapist.

Rihanna’s Vita Coco Tropical Fruit Ads! [Pic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Singer superstar Rihanna will be trading in her muti-platinum selling voice for a few ad spots when she becomes the face of Armani’s fall ad campaign, a role previously held by Hollywood hottie Megan Fox.

Rihanna will be fronting both Emporio Armani Underwear ads and Armani Jeans spreads.

The ads were shot on location in New York by Steven Klein and will begin reaching an audience by September 2011.

We’re not sure how steamy the photos will be however Klein brings a steamy sense of style to his shoots and Rihanna isn’t afraid to flaunt what she’s got, as witnessed in her Nivea topless ad.

Do you think the photos will be provocative? Given the Armani name I have a feeling we’ll be seeing a “whole lot” of Rihanna.

Rihanna Named As Armani’s New Face For Fall Ad Campaign is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna’s controversial “Man Down” video has caused a stir and drawn the ire of parents’ groups who believe the violent video has no place on television.

However, the video’s release sparked an interesting admission from actress Gabrielle Union on Twitter. Union described her own sexual assault experience, as well as struggling with the desire to harm the man that had harmed her. Union’s tweets about the harrowing tale stopped short of encouraging violence, however:

‘Saw ‘Man Down’ by @rihanna. Every victim/survivor of rape is unique, including how they THINK they’d like justice 2 be handed out.’

She went on to say: ‘During my rape I tried 2 shoot my rapist, bt I missed. Over the yrs I realized tht killin my rapist would’ve added insult 2 injury.

‘The DESIRE 2 kill someone whose abused/raped u is understandable, bt unless its self defence n the moment 2 save ur life, just ADDS 2 ur troubles.’

Union, who has advocated for rape victims in the past but never disclosed this aspect of her experience, answered questions about the incident and voiced support for Rihanna’s vision:

‘Stranger who robbed the store I worked at,’ she said, identifying her rapist. ‘He put his gun dwn durin the rape &asked me 2 [hand] it 2 him.’

Union went on to pledge her deepest support for Rihanna’s video:  ‘Mandown video did a GREAT job of getting the ENTIRE world TALKING abt RAPE,’ she tweeted. ‘I hope that it leads 2 HEALING & PREVENTS RAPE.’

Response to the admission on Twitter was generally positive.

[Image]

Gabrielle Union Tweets About Trying to Shoot Her Rapist is a post from: The Inquisitr

BET is standing firm on not censoring the Rihanna video for “Man Down” despite outcry from an angry group of parents about its content.

Rihanna’s new video features a “brutal murder scene,” and it’s kind of refreshing that the network is placing Rihanna’s artistic integrity over the wishes of a group of parents to censor everyone‘s viewing options. TMZ got a statement from BET on the issue:

A rep for BET tells us the network refuses to pull the video — explaining, BET “has a comprehensive set of standards and guidelines that are applied to all of our content.  The Rihanna ‘Man Down’ video complied with these guidelines and was approved for air.”

While it’s understandable the parents group doesn’t want kids watching the clip, I’d like to share with concerned parents the strategy I use at home to prevent my children from watching this kind of content- I don’t let my kids watch violent Rihanna videos. It has like, a 100% success rate.

Do you think that networks should add or remove content based on the wants of a few people? Would you like to see Rihanna’s “Man Down” banned from TV?

BET Won’t Surpress Violent Rihanna Vid “Man Down” is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rihanna kicked off the Today’s summer concert series with her hit “S&M” and one fan got a little too frisky during the performance. As she strutted through the crowded Rockefeller Center a crazed fan reached over a barricade and pulled her in to apparently give her a smooch.

Here is a clip of the incident: (skip to 1:18 for the grab)

Luckily she was able to escape unharmed (with the help of her dancers) and continue on with her performance seemingly unfazed. She went on to perform four songs off her new album Loud! and even handed over the singing responsibilities to the wild crowd for certain lines of her hits.

 
Rihanna also took some time midway through her mini-concert to discuss her recent “too hot for TV” performance with Britney Spears. When asked her feelings on the sexy pair’s act, Ri Ri stated:

“I went to Twitter to see what my fans thought about it and they really enjoyed seeing us two up there together. There will be some people who think that’s too sexy, but you’re always going to find that,” she said matter-of-factly. “Nothing popped out, we didn’t make out … People will always talk, whether bad or good,” she said.

To check out some of Rihanna’s song performances on the Today Show watch the videos below:

What’s My Name

Rihanna – California King Bed

Crazed Fan Grabs Rihanna During ‘Today’ Show: [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr