Black Music Month: Rihanna

For Black Music Month, journalist Alexandria Ikomoni celebrates the cultural force that is Rihanna — not just as a chart-topping singer, but as a global icon who's reshaped the music, beauty, and fashion industries.

From infusing her Barbadian roots into every beat to breaking records and winning countless awards, Rihanna’s influence goes far beyond the stage. Alexandria explores how Rihanna has used her platform to push for real inclusivity, launching beauty products for every skin tone, designing fashion for every body, and showing the world what it looks like to lead with both power and purpose.

And it doesn't stop there. Through her philanthropy and community work, Rihanna continues to give back and uplift others, proving that impact is just as important as image.

Listen now!

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Yeah, Dad, it's Black Music Month and today we're shining
a spotlight on the Caribbean Queen herself. Rihanna a global icon,
a business mogul, and a cultural force. Let's dive into
why she's not just making hits, She's making history. Born
Robin Rihanna, Fenti and Barbados, rihannas stormed onto the scene

(00:20):
in two thousand and five with a hit song, pond Replay,
and the game hasn't been the same since. She's one
of the best selling music artists of all time, and
she's brought the voice, rhythm and soul of Black and
Caribbean culture two stages across the globe. Her style blends pop, reggae,
R and B, and dance hall, proving that black music
isn't just influential, but it is the culture. From the

(00:44):
Caribbean to the charts, Rihanna's proof that black music moves
the world. On child, She's won nine Grammys, over thirty
Billboard Awards, and wrapped up more than two hundred and
fifty million records sold worldwide. From Umbrella to Work, Rihanna

(01:07):
Sound is a Playliss Staple her twenty sixteen album Anti
Broke streaming records, and let's not forget she headlined a
Super Bowl halftime show while pregnant. Rihanna is not just
in the spotlight, she is the spotlight. Shame right like
a diamond shame, red like a damon shame recod. Rihanna's

(01:31):
impact goes way beyond music. She was named the National
Hero of Barbados in twenty twenty one, so yes, she's
literally royalty. Her Clara Lionel Foundation funds emergency response, education,
and climate justice around the world. During the pandemic, she
donated millions for COVID relief. Black Music Month isn't just

(01:51):
about the sound, It's about the soul, and Rihanna's heart
beats for the people. Come on, Rue Boy, Buck you
get it up. Come Ruh boys, your BIGGNI. Here's a
fun fact. Rihanna is the first black woman to head
a luxury fashion house under LVMH, launching Fenti and changing

(02:15):
the face of beauty and fashion. Her music doesn't just
top charts, it inspires movements from beauty inclusivity to body positivity.
Her influence is cultural currency. She also has other businesses
that contribute to her becoming a billionaire. Savage by Fenti
disrupted a lingerie world by prioritizing body positivity, inclusivity, and confidence.

(02:36):
Launch in partnership with LVMH, Fenti Beauty revolutionize the beauty
industry by offering inclusive makeup for all skin tones with
an initial release of forty foundation shades unheard of at
that time and now has more than fifty. An extension
of fenty Beauty is Fenty Skin and offers clean, vegan
skin care products designed for all genders and skin types.

(02:58):
Amen looking for someone, someone who can please me? Let
me one I know? Having everywhere man. June is Black
Music Month, so press play on the stories that shape
our world. Discover more at bi nnews dot com. I'm
Alexandria Ikamoni with the Black Information Network