While it's practically impossible to imagine a world in which everyone doesn't realize what an incredible talent Rihanna is, it seems that this was the case when she auditioned in front of Jay-Z, who was the president of Def Jam Records at the time.
As the singer later recounted to Rolling Stone, she had just won a local beauty pageant in Barbados when record producer Evan Rogers spotted her and set up an audition. She moved to the United States to live with Rogers and his wife and eventually recorded her first single "Pon de Replay." That's the song that she performed for Jay-Z at Def Jam, and that performance convinced him that Rihanna was a star (via Mic).
However, Jay-Z wasn't won over until he actually saw her sing the song in person; as New York DJ Cipha Sounds later told Michael Yo that he and Jay-Z argued over whether or not signing Rihanna was the right move (via YouTube). Sounds told Yo: "He was like, 'I don't know. It might be just one song.' I'm like, 'No, I'm telling you. ... Jay, this is why you have me around. My ear is your ear. I'm the A&R."
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTEpaCsrF6YvK57kGpwb2loaXyztceapaeZXZa7pXnJmrBmsl2Wua1506GcZpyVqa6quNJmmJunpal6tbTEoqlmqpWhrrW1zqeqoaGgZA%3D%3D