Artists and genres Nathan Watts directly influenced — one hop forward on the family tree of music.
Music of the Sun is the debut studio album by the Barbadian singer Rihanna. It was released on August 29, 2005, by SRP Records and Def Jam Recordings. Prior to signing with Def Jam, Rihanna was discovered by record producers Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers in Barbados, who helped Rihanna record demo tapes to send out to several record labels. Jay-Z, the former chief executive officer (CEO) and president of Def Jam, was given Rihanna's demo by Jay Brown, his A&R at Def Jam, and invited her to audition for the label after hearing the song that would become her first single, "Pon de Replay". She auditioned for Jay-Z and L.A. Reid, the former CEO and president of record label group The Island Def Jam Music Group, and was signed on the spot to prevent her from signing with another record label.
