Rihanna - Evan Rogers & Carl Sturken helped her...to Jay-Z

Rihanna's friends introduced her and her two bandmates to record producer Evan Rogers, who was vacationing in Barbados with his wife in 2003. The group auditioned for Rogers, who said that "the minute Rihanna walked into the room, it was like the other two girls didn't exist."

Rihanna eventually moved to Connecticut to live with Rogers and his wife. Rogers, along with his partner, Carl Sturken, helped Rihanna record material in the U.S. to send to various recording companies.

Rihanna's demo made its way to Def Jam, which invited Rihanna to audition for the label's then-President Jay-Z, who quickly signed her.