Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, and songwriter. She is widely regarded as one of the most prominent recording artists of the 21st century. Rihanna signed with Def Jam Recordings in 2005 and found mainstream recognition following the release of her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006). Both influenced by Caribbean music, the albums quickly earned commercial success and peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop, and established her status as a major icon in the music industry. Its lead single, "Umbrella" peaked atop the US Billboard Hot 100, won her first Grammy Award from three nominations, and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.
Holly Brook Hafermann, known professionally as Skylar Grey, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. In 2004, at the age of 17, Grey signed a publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group and a recording contract with Linkin Park's Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. Her debut studio album, Like Blood Like Honey (2006), served as her only release with the label.
Marshall Bruce Mathers III, known professionally as Eminem, is an American rapper. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in Middle America and is regarded as one of the greatest rappers of all time. His global success is regarded as having broken racial barriers for the acceptance of white rappers in popular music. While much of his transgressive work during the late 1990s and early 2000s made him a controversial figure, he came to be a representation of popular angst of the American underclass and has been cited as an influence by and upon many artists working in various genres.
"Hate That I Love You" is a song recorded by Barbadian singer Rihanna for her third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007). It features vocals by American singer and songwriter Ne-Yo, who co-wrote the song with its producers Stargate. Def Jam Recordings released the song on August 21, 2007, as the third single from Good Girl Gone Bad. A Spanglish version featuring Spanish singer David Bisbal was made available on April 28, 2008. "Hate That I Love You" is a mid-tempo pop and R&B song about the power of love, with influences of folk music. "Hate That I Love You" received generally positive reviews from critics, many of whom compared it to previous works by Ne-Yo.
Recovery is the seventh studio album by the American rapper Eminem. It was released on June 18, 2010, by Aftermath Entertainment, Shady Records, and Interscope Records. The album serves as a follow-up to Relapse (2009). Production of the album took place during 2009 to 2010 at several recording studios and was handled by various record producers, including Alex da Kid, Just Blaze, Boi-1da, Jim Jonsin, DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, and Dr. Dre. Eminem also collaborated with artists such as Pink, Lil Wayne, Rihanna, and Slaughterhouse for the album.
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by the American rapper Eminem featuring the Barbadian singer Rihanna from Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery (2010). The singer and songwriter Skylar Grey wrote and recorded a demo of the song alongside the producer Alex da Kid when she felt she was in an abusive romantic relationship with the music industry. Eminem wrote the verses and chose Rihanna to sing the chorus, resulting in a collaboration influenced by their past experiences in difficult relationships. Recording sessions were held in Ferndale, Michigan, and Dublin, Ireland. Backed by guitar, piano and violin, the track is a midtempo hip-hop ballad with a pop refrain, sung by Rihanna, and describes two lovers who refuse to separate despite being in a dangerous abusive relationship.
The discography of Skylar Grey, an American singer-songwriter, consists of four studio albums, seven extended plays (EPs), 21 singles and 14 music videos. Grey was signed to Machine Shop Recordings under the name Holly Brook. She released her debut album Like Blood Like Honey in 2006, but was released from her contract after it did not perform commercially. She began working under the name Skylar Grey in 2010, co-writing the three versions of "Love the Way You Lie" with Alex da Kid, who signed her to his Wonderland Music label. Grey later left KIDinaKORNER/Interscope records and is currently an independent artist.
"Only Girl (In the World)" is a song by Barbadian singer Rihanna from her fifth album, Loud (2010). Serving as the album's lead single, it was released on September 10, 2010. Crystal Johnson wrote the song in collaboration with producers Stargate and Sandy Vee. Rihanna contacted Stargate before Loud's production and asked them to create lively, uptempo music. "Only Girl (In the World)" was the first song composed for the album, and the singer decided to include it on the track list before she recorded her vocals. Backed by strong bass and synthesizer, it is a dance-pop and Eurodance song that has an electronic composition. Its lyrics describe Rihanna demanding physical attention from her lover.
"Who's That Chick?" is a song by French DJ David Guetta from the reissue of his fourth studio album One Love (2009), entitled One More Love (2010). The song features guest vocals by Barbadian singer Rihanna and was written by Guetta, Kinda "Kee" Hamid, Frédéric Riesterer, and Giorgio Tuinfort. Since the song contains a sample of "Who's That Girl", Madonna and Patrick Leonard are credited as co-writers as well. It was released internationally as the second single on 22 November 2010 as a digital single, and was also released as a CD single and an Extended play (EP), the latter of which was released in the United States and contained remixes of the song.
"I Need a Doctor" is a single by American rapper Dr. Dre featuring fellow American rapper Eminem and American singer Skylar Grey. The song was produced by Alex da Kid and released for digital download through the American iTunes Store on February 1, 2011.
"Fading" is a song by Barbadian recording artist Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). The song was written by Darnell Dalton, Jamal Jones, Lamar Taylor, Quinton Amey and William Hodge, with production by Kuk Harrell, Willy Will, Veronika Bozeman and Jones under his production moniker Polow da Don. Originally, the song sampled Irish instrumentalist and singer-songwriter Enya's "One by One", though this was later removed post-album release. Lyrically, the song is about leaving a man in a relationship. After Loud had strong digital download sales in the United Kingdom, "Fading" charted at number 187 on that country's singles chart in November 2010. The song received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised da Don's production, but one critic criticized Rihanna for copying herself and failing to create something different. Some critics also compared it to one of Rihanna's previous singles, "Take a Bow". The song has also been performed on select dates of the Loud Tour (2011).
"Man Down" is a song by Bajan singer Rihanna from her fifth studio album, Loud (2010). Rihanna, fellow Bajan singer Shontelle, and production duo R. City wrote the song with its main producer, Sham. They wrote it during a writing camp, in Los Angeles of March 2010, held by Rihanna's record label to gather compositions for possible inclusion on the then-untitled album. Rock City were inspired by Bob Marley's 1973 song "I Shot the Sheriff" and set out to create a song which embodied the same feel, but from a female perspective. "Man Down" is a reggae song which incorporates elements of ragga and electronic music. Lyrically, Rihanna is a fugitive after she shoots a man, an action she later regrets. Several critics singled out "Man Down" as Loud's highlight, while others commented on her prominent West Indian accent and vocal agility.
Loud is the fifth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 12, 2010, by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. The album was recorded between February and August 2010, during the singer's Last Girl on Earth tour (2010-2011) and the filming of her first feature film Battleship (2012). Rihanna and L.A. Reid were the executive producers of Loud and worked with various record producers, including Stargate, Sandy Vee, The Runners, Tricky Stewart and Alex da Kid. The album features several guest vocalists, including rappers Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Eminem, who is featured on the sequel to "Love the Way You Lie", titled "Love the Way You Lie ".
Talk That Talk is the sixth studio album by Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on November 18, 2011 by Def Jam Recordings and SRP Records. Talk That Talk was recorded during the Loud Tour between February and November 2011. It was originally planned to be a reissue of her previous studio album Loud (2010). As executive producer, Rihanna enlisted a wide range of producers including Alex da Kid, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, No I.D., and Stargate to achieve her desired sound. Following in the same vein as Loud, Talk That Talk is a dance-oriented pop/R&B crossover album that incorporates elements of hip hop, dubstep, electronic and house music. The album also contains subtle dancehall influences while its lyrical content and themes revolve around a nihilistic, romantic, and lascivious lover.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 is the eighth studio album by the American rapper Eminem. It was released on November 5, 2013, by Shady Records, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. The album is Eminem's last to have the involvement of independent label WEB Entertainment. It serves as a sequel to his third album The Marshall Mathers LP (2000). The album was recorded from 2012 to 2013 with several different producers, with Dr. Dre and Rick Rubin serving as executive producers. It features guest appearances from Skylar Grey, Rihanna, Nate Ruess, and rapper Kendrick Lamar, among others.
"C'mon Let Me Ride" is a song by American singer Skylar Grey, released December 11, 2012 as the first single from her major-label debut album Don't Look Down (2013). The song, produced by frequent collaborator and longtime producer Alex da Kid and Mike Del Rio, features a guest appearance from American rapper Eminem, who also mixed the record. The song was released to contemporary hit radio in January 2013.
Kidinakorner is an American record company founded in 2011 by British music producer and songwriter Alexander "Alex da Kid" Grant. The company houses a record label, music publishing, commercial production and a marketing agency. The company is home to some prominent acts in the music industry, including Imagine Dragons and X Ambassadors.
"The Monster" is a song from American rapper Eminem's album The Marshall Mathers LP 2 (2013) featuring a guest appearance from Barbadian singer Rihanna. The song was written by Bebe Rexha, Eminem, Rihanna, Aalias, Jon Bellion, Maki Athanasiou, and Frequency, with the latter also handling production. Released on October 29, 2013, as the fourth single from the album, "The Monster" marks the fourth collaboration between Eminem and Rihanna, following "Love the Way You Lie" (2010), its sequel "Love the Way You Lie " (2010), and "Numb" (2012), and is a hip-hop and pop song, with lyrics that describe Eminem pondering the negative effects of his fame while Rihanna comes to grips with her inner demons.
"Bed of Lies" is a song by rapper Nicki Minaj, taken from her third studio album, The Pinkprint (2014). The song was first premiered at the 2014 MTV EMAs in Glasgow, Scotland and was later released on November 16, 2014, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records as the fourth single from the album. The track features American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey on the chorus plus additional vocals on the verses as well as piano playing and was written by the latter along with Minaj. "Bed of Lies" features a restrained keyboard and lyrics that touch upon themes of "heartfelt litany of grievances" about an ex-lover.
"Walk on Water" is a song by American rapper Eminem featuring vocals by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 10, 2017 as the lead single from Eminem's ninth studio album Revival. The song was written by the artists alongside Skylar Grey, who produced it with Rick Rubin. It has reached the top 10 in Australia, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, and United Kingdom, as well as the top 20 in Austria, France, Germany, Hungary, Lebanon, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States. The music video received a nomination for Best Visual Effects at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards.
