WHO NA NA, IMMIGREAT...

Remember the brown eyed beauty that took the music scene by surprise in 2003 with Pon de Replay? Well, she’s 33 today!

Nothing says you’re getting older like watching your favorite artiste grow from pretty-girl -finding-herself to Bombshell Mogul. Like, where has the time gone?

Anyyyyyway, this isn’t a post on aging gracefully not like I would know anything about that, lol. This is a How-to-be-ImmiGreat post because Rihanna wears that crown very well.

Here’s how:

EMPATHETIC: In Rihanna’s words “It’s tougher to be vulnerable than to actually be tough,” And it takes a deeper level of vulnerability to let yourself see the world and want to make real change. She started the Clara Lionel Foundation (named after her grandparents Clara and Lionel Braithwaite. CLF is in collaboration with different organizations to provide relief to people all over the world including Barbados and here in the US where she donated millions to help Covid efforts in 2020.

REVOLUTIONARY: IMO, Rihanna has always been revolutionary. From her appearance on the music scene, her good girl gone bad turnaround, to her fashion choices on the runway, the foundation, her relationship choices, her thoughts on the administration and then FENTY. It’s almost like she never does anything to just pass time. Whatever it requires, she’ll leave her mark on it.

INVESTED: Rihanna is invested in her passions, creativity and self-expression through music, fashion, make up, movies, business and philanthropy. Almost like she’ll devote everything there is and make it fun while doing it. She’s invested in keeping the United States the diverse and inclusive country it says it is, speaking strongly against Donald Trump’s antics and cruel anti-immigrant rhetoric. While some choose to distance themselves from their immigrant stories, her Bajan roots are always on display.

INSPIRATIONAL: Riri’s such an inspiration. She is my idea of a global citizen through and through. Its not enough that she’s a celebrity and that she has a billion-dollar business, she still wants to help other people. She wants to improve the lives of the people in her birth country and those in the country she now calls hers. It’s not enough to build a business empire for herself, even within her business model she’s constantly pushing for more ways to promote diversity and inclusion.

TENACIOUS – Rihanna knows what she wants, and she goes after it unapologetically. She’s not afraid to launch big and shut it down when she’s ready to move on to something new or focus on something else. It’s almost like she wakes up everyday with the realization that Life only lasts for so long before its over. I think it’s really admirable.

Rihanna isn’t the only immigrant celebrity we know, there’s a ton of them but what anyone hardly talks about is how different it is when you’re black or from a third world country, torn between giving your best to your adopted country while still wishing that the people in your home country get more opportunities, a better government and amended laws. Or how tempting it can be to separate yourself from a hurtful upbringing when you work your way to a better place. Despite the bright lights and a long list (still growing) list of successes, Robyn Rihanna Fenty has remained a proud advocate of equality and fairness for all. Check out my video here on the reality of Colorism and its effect on Immigration and Immigration policies.

And yeah, asking Rihanna for more music is not the way to get more music. Just thought I would drop that somewhere in this blogpost. She gave us Umbrella, American Oxygen, Rude Boy, Diamonds! If she never drops another song, I think she's made her point, lol.