Hailing from the island of Barbados, the sweet-voiced Robyn Rihanna Fenty-better known to her legions of fans as Rihanna-has reshaped the sound of pop, lending her vocal talents to catchy synth-rock club hits and dancehall-inflected beats. A model as well, she's an incredible beauty who has captivated as many fans with her charming smile as with her disarming talent.Her story is one that every hopeful young woman yearning to make it big in the music industry looks forward to one day telling. While living on Barbados, she met a music producer on vacation from New York. She managed to convince him to listen to an impromptu performance and quickly bowled him over. Before she could blink, she was on her way to New York to meet with Jay-Z, who had recently become the president of Def Jam records. After just one meeting, she had gone from aspiring singer to pop star with a record deal.Her 2005 debut, Music of the Sun, was an instant hit, largely because of its unique dancehall influence. Her 2006 follow-up, A Girl like Me, had numerous major hits, like "SOS," "Unfaithful" and "Break it Off." It also moved away from the Caribbean island feel of her first album and toward a more urban pop feel. Rihanna had proved she could turn out club-ready hits that people wanted to groove and dip to.But it was her third outing that thrust her into superstardom, Good Girl Gone Bad. With collaborators like Jay-Z and Timabland, it was a much more dance-influenced record, and received heavy rotation on the radio. "Umbrella" was the major single on that album, and droves of new fans sought out Rihanna's live performances. "Shut Up and Drive," a rock-driven song, proved that she could cross over into other genres seamlessly.Being active in the fashion industry, it was natural that Rihanna would team up with posh fashion company H&M for the cause Designers Against Aids. The non-profit organization has the aim of raising awareness of AIDS everywhere, but particularly the youth of industrialized nations. She has also created the Believe Foundation, which raises money for school supplies, clothes and medical supplies for under privileged youth.