As one of pop’s biggest superstars, Rihanna is always a hot commodity when it comes to collaborators. She’s most recently been recruited by the likes of N.E.R.D (“Lemon”), Kendrick Lamar (“Loyalty”) and DJ Khaled (“Wild Thoughts”), but she’s also teamed up with JAY-Z, Maroon 5, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West — the list goes on.
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While Rihanna is obviously a popular choice for singing on a track, apparently she’s also a great name for songwriters as well. RiRi has been mentioned in several songs almost since she got her start in 2005, dating back to Sean Kingston‘s “Dry Your Eyes” in 2007 (which references her Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit from that year, “Umbrella”).
Not even five full months into 2018, we already have three more cases of Rihanna shout-outs in lyrics, with Royce Da 5’9″ most recently adding to the list with the song “God Speed” from his new album Book of Ryan that just dropped on Friday. With all this Rihanna talk, Billboard was inspired to do some digging and found 21 of the best RiRi references — and yes, there are more where these came from.
Check out a timeline of the best Rihanna-shouting lyrics from Cardi B, Fifth Harmony, Drake and more below.
Sean Kingston, “Dry Your Eyes,” 2007
“When you jump mommy life would be better/ Just like Rihanna you can stand under my umbrella”
JLS, “Work,” 2010
“Like Rihanna she’s a rock star/ You know I’ll be her rude boy”
Drake, “Buried Alive Interlude,” 2011
“Bright lights and Rihanna as a lady friend/ My vice is similar women love when you’re my type”
French Montana feat. Charlie Rock, “Shot Caller,” 2011
“Met her backstage at a Summer Jam concert/ Hair like Rihanna shoe game was awesome”
Childish Gambino, “Sunrise,” 2011
“She stay down like that new coat that I bought her/ And the fly Rihanna girls be drinkin’ my coconut water”
Conor Maynard, “Vegas Girl, 2012”
“I’ll knock you down like you’re Keri/ Forget your name like Rihanna/ You can run the world, Queen B/ Be unthinkable, Alicia”
The Wanted, “Walks Like Rihanna,” 2013
“She can’t sing, she can’t dance/ But who cares, she walks like Rihanna”
A$AP Rocky, “Fashion Killa,” 2013
“Her attitude Rihanna, she get it from her mama/ She jiggy like Madonna, but she trippy like Nirvana”
A$AP Rocky, “Pain,” 2013
“Cute faced, fat ass, and a nice set of thighs/ Rihanna weave, I need a umbrella, ella, ella, ah”
The Vamps, “Girls on TV,” 2014
“She got legs like Beyoncé/ Give me the eyes like Rihanna/ And I wanna put her on camera/ ‘Cause she drives me crazy, crazy, crazy”
Migos, “Playa Playa,” 2015
“This bitch she say she want her hair just like Rihanna’s/ And she know daddy money longer then Rapunzel”
Fifth Harmony feat. Meghan Trainor, “Brave, Honest, Beautiful,” 2015
“So whine like Rihanna/ Go and pose like Madonna/ Cause you’re brave, yeah, you’re honest/ And you’re beautiful, you’re beautiful, girl”
Meek Mill feat. Kendrick Lamar, “A1 Everything,” 2015
“My new young chick look exactly like Rihanna/ Ass like Nicki, but she yellow like Madonna”
J Balvin, “Veneno,” 2016
“Una jefa como Rihanna/ Pero tú no tienes chance/ Está fuera de tu alcance/ Hago los millones”
(Translation: “A boss like Rihanna/ But you have no chance/ It’s out of your reach/ I make the millions”)
Freddie Gibbs, Tory Lanez, “Mexico,” 2015
“My whip color look like Rihanna/ And all my bitches love designer”
G-Eazy, Carnage, “Down for Me,” 2017
“She got a body like Rihanna (Rihanna)/ Double rice at Benihana (Damn)/ Uptight, but drive a Honda (Straight up)/ She was the only one down for me (Down for me)”
Why Don’t We, “These Girls,” 2017
“Hollywood girl, tryna be like Rihanna/ And I can’t choose one I just gotta be honest”
Wiley, “Back With a Banger,” 2017
“I know gyal who are good and live normal/ But I know gyal who are bad like Rihanna/ Anybody wanna know what I’m doing right now/ Go tell ’em that I’m back with a banger (Preditah)”
Maluma, BURNS & Rae Sremmurd, “Hands On Me,” 2018
“Make her mine, I gotta make her mine, yeah/ Island girl like Rihanna (RiRi)/ And she got potential, put that Birkin rag on her (Birkin)”
Cardi B, “She Bad,” 2018
“I need Chrissy Teigen/ Know a bad bitch when I see one (yeah, woo)/ Tell Rih-Rih I need a threesome”
Royce Da 5’9″ feat. Ashley Sorrell, “God Speed,” 2018
“Rihanna stalker, I’m parked in her DMs, shark in the deep end”
HONORABLE MENTION: Rihanna referring to herself in 2009’s “Hard,” which sums everything up perfectly:
“That Rihanna reign just won’t let up”