After a lawsuit accused Jay-Z of some heinous crimes involving a minor girl, the internet is now reevaluating some of his past actions, including the way he influenced Rihanna back when she was a rising star.
An old video from 2006 of Ri-Ri, born as Robyn Rihanna Fenty, recently resurfaced and ignited troubling questions about her early interactions with the rap mogul.
Highlights
- Jay-Z pressured 16-year-old Rihanna to sign a record deal in 2006.
- “We didn’t let her leave the office. Three in the morning is when that contract got signed,” the rap icon previously said.
- Critics say Jay-Z abused power over young artists like Rihanna.
- Jay-Z's name was recently included in a lawsuit, accusing him of assaulting a minor girl alongside Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The clip captured the singer’s appearance on The Tyra Banks Show, where she spoke to the host about being offered a record deal by the Roc Nation founder.
A resurfaced video from 2006 brought new scrutiny to Jay-Z's early influence on Rihanna, back when she was a teenage rising star
Image credits: Michael Buckner/WireImage
Image credits: badgalriri
[Trigger warning: This article contains details of sexual assault that may be distressing to some]
She said she was “so nervous” but still had a “really good” audition in front of the rap icon, whose real name is Shawn Carter.
The Umbrella vocalist then said Jay-Z made sure she wouldn’t leave the room without signing the deal.
"There are two ways to leave here. Either through the door with the deal signed, or through this window, and we're on the 29th floor,” she said.
In an old interview, the We Found Love singer recalled Jay-Z’s pressure to sign with his label, stating she wasn’t allowed to leave until she signed the contract
Image credits: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for NARAS
Jay-Z himself admitted that he didn’t allow the then 16-year-old to leave the room until 3 a.m.
“We signed her that night. We didn’t let her leave the office. Three in the morning is when that contract got signed,” he said in the same resurfaced clip.
“So from the meeting around three, four in the afternoon, we signed it by three in the morning that day,” he continued. “I was absolutely certain.”
"There are two ways to leave here. Either through the door with the deal signed, or through this window, and we're on the 29th floor,” Rihanna said in the resurfaced clip
Image credits: badgalriri
Image credits: badgalriri
John Seabrook, the author of The Song Machine, also wrote about how Jay-Z didn’t let Rihanna leave the building until she signed with his label.
“They were there until three in the morning while the lawyers worked out the details. Fenty later recalled Jay-Z saying, 'There are only two ways out. Out the door—if she signed the contract—or through this window’ if she didn't,” the author said.
In the current climate, some netizens took the incident as a sign of the Empire State Of Mind rapper abusing his position of power.
Critics are now questioning whether Jay-Z’s behavior towards Rihanna and other young stars was an abuse of his power
“THIS IS A 16yr old rhianna TERRIFIED pretending what Jay-z said to her was normal… Jay/z forced & threatened these girls & boys…. Jay what else did you do??” one X user speculated while sharing the clip.
Some people agreed that the power dynamic between the rap kingpin and the then-teenager was troubling.
“Didn’t let her leave until 3 in the morning?!?! Wtf,” read one comment while another wrote, Saying that there’s only 2 ways to leave here: 1. Through the door with you signed or 2. Through the window you not signed?! You say that to a 16 y/o ?!? Wtf…”
“It's really disgusting and disturbing how A. Ped*phile like Jay Z continues to walk the streets and live his life while his victims and the underage girls like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Aaliyah, foxy, Brown and others who sold their souls to him. I wish you the best too. There all victims,” wrote another.
“Didn’t let her leave until 3 in the morning?!?! Wtf,” asked one baffled social media user
Image credits: badgalriri
“I have always said that Jay Z is evil. He is part of a much larger plan,” one said.
Another wrote, “They're both narcissists & #diddy is the king narc, disgusting, egocentric, grandiose, malevolent.”
Jay-Z’s name was recently included in a lawsuit that accused him and Sean “Diddy” Combs of taking “turns” to assault a minor girl in front of another unnamed female celebrity at an MTV Video Music Awards after-party in 2000.
The rap icon's name was recently included in a lawsuit, accusing him of assaulting a minor girl in 2000
“These allegations are so heinous in nature that I implore you to file a criminal complaint, not a civil one!!” the rapper said in a statement following the accusations.
“Whomever would commit such a crime against a minor should be locked away, would you not agree?” he continued. “These alleged victims would deserve real justice if that were the case.”