Are JAY-Z and Rihanna cooking up another collaboration?
Sources told Page Six that the entertainers were spotted together Wednesday at Wolfgang Puck at Hotel Bel-Air. The insider said Hov and RiRi appeared to be having a "business lunch" and were heard discussing "music and what they can do together." The report has, of course, ignited rumors of a possible music collaboration—perhaps a joint record for Rihanna's long-awaited ninth studio album.
If the theories are true, it wouldn't be the first time JAY and Rihanna have joined forces. After JAY signed Rihanna to Def Jam in 2005, the duo has worked together on a number of hit songs like "Umbrella," "Talk That Talk," and "Run This Town." Rihanna recalled first meeting Hov—Def Jam's then-president—during her audition at the label.
"I was very shy. I was cold the entire time. I had butterflies. I'm sitting across from Jay-Z. Like, Jay-Zee. I was star-struck," she told The Guardian 2007. "The audition definitely went well. They [Def Jam] locked me into the office—till 3 a.m., and JAY-Z said, 'There's only two ways out. Out the door after you sign this deal. Or through this window ...' And we were on the 29th floor. Very flattering."
Earlier this month, Us Weekly reported Rihanna had completed the follow-up to 2016's Anti. In summer 2018, a source told Rolling Stone that Rihanna's forthcoming album is heavily inspired by her Caribbean roots as it'll go heavy on the dancehall and reggae sounds.Â
"Every artist, every producer, every songwriter in Jamaica or of Jamaican descent has been working on [Rihanna’s album] and has little snippets of publishing or production credits on it," one source told Rolling Stone last year. "I think they've got eight songs, but her A&R is still asking for records."
Rihanna has yet to provide any solid details about her next album, but reassured fans it'll arrive sometime in 2019.
