Rihanna
| Rihanna | |
|---|---|
 Rihanna performing in Wantagh, New York, during her Last Girl on Earth Tour, August 15, 2010. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Robyn Rihanna Fenty |
| Born | February 20, 1988 |
| Origin | Saint Michael, Barbados |
| Genres | R&B, pop, reggae, dance, hip hop, urban |
| Occupations | Singer, songwriter, executive producer, dancer, video director, philanthropist, cultural ambassador, author, actress[1] |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Def Jam/SRP |
| Associated acts | Jay-Z |
In 2005, Rihanna released her debut studio album, Music of the Sun, which peaked in the top ten of the Billboard 200 chart and features the Billboard Hot 100 hit single "Pon de Replay". Less than a year later, she released her second studio album, A Girl Like Me (2006), which peaked within the top five of the Billboard albums chart, and produced her first US number one hit single, "SOS", as well as Billboard Hot 100 top ten entries "Unfaithful" and "Break It Off". Rihanna's third studio album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), peaking at number two on the Billboard 200, featured five top ten hits including three US number one hit singles—"Umbrella", "Take a Bow" and "Disturbia"—and the worldwide hit "Don't Stop the Music". The album was nominated for nine Grammy Awards, winning Best Rap/Sung Collaboration for "Umbrella," which features Jay-Z.[4][5] Her fourth studio album, Rated R, was released in November 2009, and peaked at number four on the Billboard 200. Its first three singles, "Russian Roulette", "Hard" and "Rude Boy" peaked within the top ten of the Billboard Hot 100, with "Rude Boy" peaking at number one.
Rihanna has achieved seven number-one singles on the Billboard Hot 100 since first appearing on the chart on June 11, 2005, which is the most by any artist during that time span.[6] As of July 23, 2010, Rihanna has sold approximately 5,563,000 album units in the US.[7] She has received several accolades, including the 2007 World Music Awards for World's Best-Selling Pop Female Artist and Female Entertainer of the Year, as well as the 2008 American Music Awards for Favorite Soul/R&B Female Artist and Favorite Pop/Rock Female Artist.[8][9] She serves as one of Barbados's honorary cultural ambassadors.[10] In January 2010, Rihanna received two Grammy Awards for Jay-Z's 2009 single "Run This Town".[11]
Eminem
| Eminem | |
|---|---|
 Eminem performing live at the DJ Hero Party in Los Angeles. | |
| Background information | |
| Birth name | Marshall Bruce Mathers III |
| Also known as | Slim Shady |
| Born | October 17, 1972 Saint Joseph, Missouri, U.S. |
| Origin | Detroit, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
| Occupations | Rapper, record producer, actor, songwriter |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Labels | Mashin' Duck, Web, Interscope, Aftermath, Shady |
| Associated acts | Dr. Dre, D12, Royce da 5'9", The Alchemist, 50 Cent, Obie Trice, Trick Trick, Lloyd Banks, Cashis, Jay-Z |
The Marshall Mathers LP and his third album, The Eminem Show, also won Grammy Awards, making Eminem the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive LPs. He then won the award again in 2010 for his album Relapse, giving him a total of 11 Grammys in his career. In 2002, he won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Lose Yourself" from the film, 8 Mile, in which he also played the lead. "Lose Yourself" would go on to become the longest running No. 1 hip-hop single.[3] Eminem then went on hiatus after touring in 2005. He released his first album since 2004's Encore, titled Relapse, on May 15, 2009. Eminem is the best-selling artist of the decade on the US Nielsen SoundScan,[4] and has sold more than 80 million albums worldwide to date, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world.[5] In 2010, Eminem released his seventh studio album Recovery. It became Eminem's sixth consecutive number-one album in the US and achieved international commercial success, charting at number one in several other countries. It stayed at number-one on the US Billboard 200 chart for five consecutive weeks.[6]
Eminem was ranked 82nd on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All-Time.[7] He was also named the Best Rapper Ever by Vibe magazine in 2008.[8] Including his work with D12, Eminem has achieved nine No. 1 albums on the Billboard Top 200, 7 solo (6 studio albums, 1 compilation) and 2 with D12.[9] Eminem has had 13 number one singles worldwide. In December 2009, Eminem was named the Artist of the Decade by Billboard magazine.[10] His albums The Eminem Show, The Marshall Mathers LP, and Encore (in order) ranked as the 3rd,[11] 7th,[11] and 40th[12] best-selling albums of the 2000–2009 decade by Billboard magazine. According to Billboard, Eminem has two of his albums among the top five highest selling albums of the 2000s. In the UK, Eminem has sold over 12.5 million records.[13]
