This week on the soul lounge spotlight we'll explore how a good girl from the small island nation of Barbados transformed herself and to a cultural icon and how in doing so became one of the most successful artists of all time hello darling. And this week we are shining the soul. Isn't there. Something. To get done. We just need to say. Spend some time. You need. To send. Something. Now to family and friends a simply Robin was born on the island of Barbados known for its beautiful weather sandy beaches and clear blue water Riyad his childhood was visually stunning as was she when she wasn't at school or hanging out at the beach Rehana was listening to music. As an island girl she was naturally drawn to reggae and soca but loved r. And b. And pop as well Rianna has name Mariah Carey Madonna and Whitney Houston and some of her biggest influences in fact Rianna earned the nickname robin redbreast as a child from neighbors who would see and hear her around town singing Whitney Houston songs to anyone who would listen Brianna's love her singing lead her to join with 2 high school friends to join a singing group they performed around the island and in 2003 landed an audition with an American producer named Evan Rogers who was visiting the island on vacation Rianna and her group mates walked into his hotel room and according to Roger's she stole the show he was so taken by Rianna that he signed her to his management company and with her mother's blessing Rianna left Barbados and moved to the us to stay with Evan Rogers and his wife during that time they worked on writing and recording songs for a demo the same demo that eventually made its way to Jay z. And landed her own recording contract on death Jam Records her debut album Music of the sun was released in August of 2005 selling over half a 1000000 copies and reaching number 10 on the Us Billboard chart the 1st single from the album was a catchy pop reggae hybrid that represented her well part Island Girl our Pop Star Tours pundit replay on the sellout. Please. What. With her version of the classic reggae tune you don't love me that was Rianna this week's soul lounge spotlight artist just a month after releasing her debut album Music of the sun Rianna went back into the studio to work on her follow up in just 8 months she created an album that was much edgier than her debut thanks in part to her newfound appreciation for rock music with the help of label made Neo and the production expertise of the legendary track master is a girl like me sold over 2000000 copies in the us and millions more around the Them more than a few more. Than that if you. Give it to the guy. In Well reality was beginning to position herself as a force in pop and dance music she's never strayed too far from her island roots as we just heard reggae and dancehall influence to much of her early work and continues to inform her current sound as well I am the lady d.j. And we will be back with more from Rianna this week's sole lounge spotlight artiste . Yeah. We'll. Get. Together. Get. Us. Will. Will. Will. Get. Us. Gifts. Gifts. Have. Us. Gifts the banks for. Us thank you. M f l. . The banks will be relevant . R. And b. Sounds of yesterday. To today experience you are now inside. Welcome back to this week so mount spotlight featuring Robin are Cindy better known as Rianna we pick things up in May of 2007 and a little over 2 years from the release of her debut album realises the word album drops the release of Good Girl Gone Bad has been described as a turning point in her career her sound and her image were edgier than we've seen before and it paid off Good Girl Gone Bad has sold over 7000000 copies worldwide and the lead single a collaboration with Jay z. That was originally written for Britney Spears and her a Grammy her 1st here's Rianna and Jay z. With inside the cell the. Going to be. The. Case of. The. I am the lady Jay and this week we are celebrating the life the music of Brianna we just heard on Bravo Rianne his 1st Grammy award winning cut She also won a Billboard Music Award and m.t.v. The a.m.a. And perhaps most importantly her home country awarded her the best music video awards at the 2007 Barbados Music Awards now with her reputation as an artist who not only delivers music but face that's what we call it when an artist has style was firmly cemented Oriana was ready to head back into the studio to work on her new project on which she planned to push the limits of her musical expression even further but before she could start recording her world turned upside down and February of 2009 pictures of a battered and bruised Rianna appeared on the popular celebrity website t.m.c. Fans were shocked to hear her boyfriend of 3 years Chris Brown had brutalized her during a car ride on the way back from a party Rianna who had become the face of strengthen and. Pendants had now been diminished to a victim of someone she loved Riana 2 months after the incident went back into the studio to record her 4th album rated r. And as one would expect this album was much darker than her previous projects she enlisted the help of Justin Timberlake Well I am rapper Young Jeezy and guitarist Slash to bring them use it to life now even though she was going through a tough time Rianna never forgot her audience especially those who love the wind in their bodies and the dad here's Riana with rude boy inside the cell lounge. I've. This is the soul lounge spotlight on the lady d.j. And this week we are featuring the music of Reanna who in 2010 while on tour now 5 years into her career had released a one album per year and was starting to work on her 5th title aloud this time around Brianna took on the role of executive producer and hired a number of well known producers to help her with the album she also called on Nicki Minaj Eminem and Drake to contribute vocals to the project loud didn't carry the heaviness of rated r. It was clear that Rianna was in a better place than it was clear that a lot of her healing took place back home in Barbados as loud it was heavy on the Caribbean sounds much more than our previous 3 albums one of the more controversial cuts on radar was one that told the story of a young woman who kills her abuser here is Reanna with man down inside the soul me via social media I'm on Facebook and Twitter at v.o.a. Lady d.j. Until we meet again take care of yourselves and most importantly each other things . 1111 Live. This is the way news I'm Arista Melton an American air strike has killed or wounded scores of members of an Iran backed militia that forms part of Iraq's security forces Baghdad says it will have dangerous consequences the u.s. Blames the group for the killing of a government contractor Matthew Lillard Tondo reports the American airstrikes in Iraq in Syria on Sunday that targeted a powerful militia group a militia backed by Iran have killed or wounded scores of its members according to Reuters sources and lays bare a crisis for Iraq's government because those fighters were formally part of Baghdad's own armed forces. The prime minister. Has condemned the strikes he says it will have dangerous consequences the militia group supporters in Parliament and religious establishment are calling an attack on the country sovereignity Washington says the strikes were revenge for the death of an American civilian contractor in a rocket attack at a joint u.s. Iraqi military base blamed on the group as Matthew Honda reporting President Donald Trump will start the New Year need deep in foreign policy challenges a peace Shelley Adler has more.