Rihanna’s “Former Publicist” Claims Star Is Infuriated With Jay Z

Published: Tuesday 19th Apr 2016 by David
Rihanna-that-grape-juice-2016-10101010

Rihanna is said to have be deeply unhappy with her label boss Jay-Z.

Why?

TIDAL.

The record producer Jonathon Hay worked as the star’s publicist after she was signed to the Def Jam-led label Jay-Z.

Alas, over a decade after their split, Hay now says that he has learned that Rihanna is upset with the way in which Jay’s Tidal streaming service and the exclusives she has given it has affected her album ‘ANTI.’

He shared:

For Jay Z to make his artists do this is so bad because this is affecting their legacy. It’s really crazy and I know for a fact Rihanna is upset about the Tidal thing and you can see it when you go to her Twitter. ‘ANTI’s rollout was sloppy, the rollout was bad, to go on Tidal exclusively and eliminate Spotify and Apple is absolutely mad.

Rihanna is yet to respond.

Unfortunately, Hay’s claim may hold some weight.

For Rihanna’s label, the Universal Music Group, had something similar to say about her relationship with the streaming service.

Click here to find out what they said.

Your thoughts?

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  1. Keisha April 19, 2016

    I mean to each his own she could’ve been mad but i feel like after all these albums she has say so of what goes on with her album.
    Same way I’m sure beyonce does with columbia.
    Anti was a good albums sounds like rated R. Same ole s*** diff day.
    But I’m ready for king bey. #beyhive

  2. Hur April 19, 2016

    But the album isn’t all that great to be honest.

    • Melanie Fenty April 19, 2016

      Neither was BEYONCÉ. The album was an overhyped boring mess that didn’t even produce any memorable songs or hits. The only good thing about Self-titled was the music videos. I doubt the hive are still listening to it.

      • RihYonce April 19, 2016

        Actually BEYONCÉ is most people’s favorite album . There has been many polls about which Beyoncé album is her best and everyone says ST. You may have your own opinion but I personally think it was her best album and she most definitely had memorable songs just because ANTI didn’t don’t try to discredit Bey

      • Anne April 19, 2016

        I still listen to Beyoncé. I have reordered the songs so I always start with Superpower, my favorite by far. That song really sets the tone, then I move on to DIL, No Angel, Mine etc. Blow is another one of my favorites. I no longer listen to the whole thing, skip a couple of songs, but overall I still love the album. Love on Top, Superpower, and Be With You are definitely my favorite Beyoncé songs by far, besides those I still love to listen to her duets with Justin Timberlake and Jamie Foxx.

    • rosy3 April 19, 2016

      Stfu

  3. Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

    SCREAMING!!! Fleahives, how does it feel that I have been proven right! Everyone is angry at Tidal! Noone wants to fawk with them anymore! Lol! Tidal is a mess! Jay and Bey are being blacklisted!

    • trellbeylike April 19, 2016

      The real KI is even with her masters of her music she still has little control. Yall come at bey for not having hers but she damn sure has control of her career

  4. Melanie Fenty April 19, 2016

    He’s still pressed and he’s lying. Rihanna owns a very rare Masters of Ownership and is a shareholder at Tidal. Jay Z would have nothing to do with ANTI’s roll out.

    • Rory April 19, 2016

      He has everything to do with the rollout. She’s signed to both the Roc Nation label and management

      • Len April 19, 2016

        Call a spade a spade. When 45S and BBHM failed to chart #1, they were reluctant to release the album because Rihanna’s unable to support an album without a #1. This tacky roll out actually saved her legacy. It’s still considered platinum and she got a #1. So in a few years when people reflect, the numbers will matter and the story will be forgotten. However, Rihanna’s definitely walking on thin ice, so I hope she learned from these f ups and will improve on them with her next material.

      • CupidsSanity April 19, 2016

        @Len that’s stupid. 4FS was a major hit! #1 or not. Furthermore this album dropped before Anti went #1.

  5. AppleStan April 19, 2016

    She should have never signed the contract!

  6. Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

    Let’s see
    Tidal:Flop
    Formation: Flop
    Ivy Park: Flop
    Seems like everything Joe Camel and Dumbyonce touch turns to flops nowadays

    • Melanie Fenty April 19, 2016

      Don’t forget Roca wear, House of Dereon, Rockafella records etc. The Carters have a long list of failures.

      • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

        Exactly but according to the fleahives they’re King Jay and Queen Bey

      • that uptown girl April 19, 2016

        Am sure their long list of achievements is longer than their list of failures but then, you wouldn’t bother to check or you just have selective amnesia when it comes to the carters

    • King B April 19, 2016

      May God bless you, Cinnamon Girl. It’s your routine to throw bad hate comments at Beyonce at every single post every day. ?

      • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

        It’s funny how you Fleahives want to play victim when the tables are turned. You act like your fellow fleahives don’t spew hate towards Ciara and Rihanna every day

    • rosy3 April 19, 2016

      I agree cinnamon tidal is a big flop rih should cut her loss keep it moving I wish she did not sign with Jay company all bey s*** is flopping and the thirsty hives talk s*** all the time rih would have gone platinum the first week she should have known doing it solely on tidal was a risk tidal is using artist album to gain subscription’s no one falling for that s***

      • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

        @Rosy3 Rihanna should’ve went with Apple like Drake did. Jay and Bey are notoriously shady folks.

  7. IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

    ‘TIDAL’ needs to obliterated from existence. It’s a worthless service and it’s only saving grace thus far has been Rihanna… then Kanye West and Beyonce’.

    .

    I have to be honest, I HOPE that Beyoncé doesn’t release exclusively to ‘TIDAL’. Whilst Rihanna is the only Black artist (male or female) dominating the singles charts in the U.S and across the globe this decade, Beyonce is the only Black artist that we can depend on to score high first-week sales on the BB200 and steadily score a multiplatinum certification thereafter – that’s her forte’.

    .

    Although ‘ANTI’ is a streaming monster; a multi-week #1 on the BB200 & has sold 750K + copies in the U.S (SPS) along with near 1.3M + WW, the messy release hindered it from truly slaying moreso. Anyway, ‘WORK’ is an ICONIC SMASH and ‘Needed Me’ is coming for wigs so…

    • King B April 19, 2016

      You’re seldom give negative comments! Keep it up! Some of the Navy (or Aaliyah fan hiding behind Rih) just unnecessarily throw shade every single time.

    • LimeZ April 19, 2016

      WORK is not an iconic smash at all. It doesn’t even feel that big, looool

    • rosy3 April 19, 2016

      I refuse to support bey album she has never been a team player she a narcissist have you seen or heard her support any female artist stuff nope she will ride for her white friends bey do not even pay her fleavives any attention she refuse to mention them in a song it’s pathetic

      • Uh oh, slam dunk April 19, 2016

        Foolish mess.

        Nicki Minaj? Chloe and Halle? Michelle Williams?
        The list is small, but it should be if you’re an artist of her calibre. You don’t go endorsing any old filth because it dilutes your brand. Ask Riri, she’s ran through plenty of d***, her persona is that of a sl*t.

      • RihYonce April 19, 2016

        You sound stupid Beyoncé has always supported kelly, Adele she’s worked with Shakira , lady Gaga , missy Elliot, Nicki & she has mostly black female dancers stop your BS

    • Bish Bye April 19, 2016

      I agree.

  8. Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

    Looks like Joe Camel got 99 problems and Tidal is one of them

  9. Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

    Another big star has come out swinging against Jay Z. Lil’ Wayne says that Jay Z is cheap. He offered him a measly $175,000 Rocafella records contract

    • Mike April 19, 2016

      If he took the deal, he wouldn’t currently be fighting with Cash Money/Universal for his money and royalties. He could have easily upgraded the deal as he grew bigger and started YMCMB.

      • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

        Are you serious? Where is Rocafella Records now?

  10. Mike April 19, 2016

    Is this is the same publicist that tried to link Rih with Jay-Z to create buzz and hurt Beyonce? #FOH

    • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

      No

    • Jason April 19, 2016

      Yes that’s him.. I know people that know him. He’s known for stunts.. I saw his name, and knew he’d be spilling ANY tea he could think up!

  11. MyPussyPhat April 19, 2016

    Damn Tidal back at it again with the flops?

  12. Get this body party started April 19, 2016

    Yes tidal f***** over rih anti sale. She could be at platinum right now. But I think rih doesn’t care about album sales like that anymore. She just wanted to make the music she loves. Luke she said she could had token some big songs but she stuck with her craft.

  13. Get this body party started April 19, 2016

    I don’t think Beyonce will release on tidal. If she does see going to do some loophole. She’s not going to f*** up her sales and number 1 albums

  14. Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

    The fleahives have been taking some major Ls lately

  15. Thando April 19, 2016

    I believe him. There’s just something fishy about ANTI’s rollout. The delay definitely looked like the was negotiations hold it back. After the shambles of Rihanna and Kanye’s album releases there is no way Beyonce is going to release on TIDAL only. Beyonce has a big ego and she will not want her first week album sales to be blemished because she wants to help her husband’s new business venture. Plus in Beyonce’s case SONY might have A LOT to say about funding Beyonce and then have release on one outlet only for an entire week and risk the project getting downloaded illegally and if she does do it, it will be downloaded illegally.

  16. flawda April 19, 2016

    “FORMER” publicist who claim to know what “FORMER” artist who dumped them thinks. I find that hard to believe.

  17. flawda April 19, 2016

    This is the same clown that claimed he started the Jay-z and Rihanna cheating rumors right.

    • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

      You always make the stupidest comments. Jonathan is still good friends with Rihanna

  18. iSpeakTruthNoFallacy April 19, 2016

    Now I believe this! I KNOW Rihanna had to be pissed at Jay about American Oxygen which was a song that was in the works for 2 years only to fizzle due to not having the right enough exposure on Tidal. Then, his raggedy ass site “leaked” her album. Personally, I am all in support of black businesses especially something like Tidal that has the potential to be huge, but Jay runs it like the mom and pop Chinese takeout on 56th ave.

  19. LB April 19, 2016

    Needed me is #15 on Spotify, slay

    • April 19, 2016

      Where is it on Billboard again?

      • LB April 19, 2016

        #33 and climbing fast. Already climbed 14 spots from last week.

  20. WTH April 19, 2016

    I don’t think Rihanna is upset at Jay. I think she is disappointed with how ANTI rollout went and when she got that certification it kind of backfired on her due to the public reaction (to include her own fans). From the start this entire era seemed a bit messy and Rihanna didn’t seem much into it. I think, if there is ANY issues between Rihanna and Jay it would be that at first Rihanna had full control of the creative/musical direction of the album and once her songs (like BBHMM, AO, 45…) didn’t smash like she expected, Jay took over and did the deals.

  21. flawda April 19, 2016

    Rihanna got 28 mil from Samsung to give away her album for free and promote her tour. She wouldn’t have made 28 mil even if she sold 5 mil albums. What’s the point of selling a million albums if you’re only making 30 cents an album. Give me the 28 mil any day, screw a meaningless plaque.

  22. LB April 19, 2016

    Exactly what is there to be upset about, Rihanna got $28 million from Anti’s rollout, plus additional mulla from Anti not leaving the top ten since release.

    She has already broken records from the rollout and arguably has one of the most successful albums this year thus far, not to mention what might be the biggest hit of her career.

    Rihanna is not bothered about Anti’s rollout, she is getting paid anyway you slice it.

  23. flawda April 19, 2016

    I don’t get the logic of some of you people. It’s like ya’ll would rather have the glitz and glamour (A plaque), than ownership which is what Jay is trying to instill in Rihanna. Then again isn’t that how black folks are in America, we love to spend s*** and make others rich. Rihanna owns her own label. Def Jam nor Universal is getting a piece of the pie anymore. Less album sales, but more money per album and she gets the Samsung money.

    Stop being so small minded and short sighted

    • Dan April 19, 2016

      You are very naive if you think Universal and Def Jam aren’t making money from Rihanna to this day when we now know that they helped to fund and promote the album after Roc ran out of enoloyees. Don’t confuse being a boss with being a fool. Jay does not understand value for money and only did Tidal to compete with Dre’s Apple deal and everyone around him is suffering because of it. You are right about the problem with black people and ownership though. We’ve been conditioned to spend our money on everyone but ourselves.

      • flawda April 19, 2016

        Rihanna completed her contract with Def Jam/Universal last album. I believe Jay helped her to get her masters back from them too. They have nothing to do with her anymore.

        How does a dude who came from money, being independent his whole career, selling Rocawear for 200 mil, etc don’t understand the value of money. Do some of you people even think about what you say sometimes? lmfao

      • Dan April 19, 2016

        Flawda you are confused.. If she isn’t with Universal why did they report that Work is one of their highest selling singles just last week. Please do your research because TGJ posted it and the navy were over the moon.

  24. LB April 19, 2016

    @flawda

    That’s why I don’t think Rihanna is really bothered. Anti was released on Westbury, is a shareholder of Tidal and Rihanna owns her masters, she cannot be upset by the situation considering the album is still performing exceptionally.

    In addition, the party is over for DefJam, lucky for them Purpose is performing well.

    • Dan April 19, 2016

      Shows little you know, Justin left Def Jam and is with Island. Def Jam are making money from Anti because their staff helped to promote it when Roc couldn’t. This is how dire Rihanna’s situation is. Work is slaying with streams but won’t go down as an iconic hit because it doesn’t have any iconic live performances.

      • LB April 19, 2016

        You better upda

      • LB April 19, 2016

        You better update your records, Purpose was released under DefJam and not Island, that is Ariana Grande.

        Justin did not leave DefJam.

        Anti was released under Westbury and distributed by RocNation. RocNation has a deal with Universal, that is the only connection Rihanna has with Universal. Rihanna wrapped up her contract with DefJam last year, hence them not promoting Unapologetic due to the habit of labels not supporting their artists on their last album delivery.

        Whether the staff promoted it or not, probably due to their loyalty to Rihanna, does not change the fact that DefJam has got nothing to do with the album.

      • Dan April 19, 2016

        So you think Def Jam worked on it for free ? ????

      • LB April 19, 2016

        Doesn’t matter what I think, fact is whether DefJam worked on it or not, they aren’t receiving a share of the success of the album.

  25. #JACKIE April 19, 2016

    ?????

  26. Thando April 19, 2016

    I understand why shed be upset. She may have got $28 mill but the point is nobody bought her album Samsung did. Big difference between people buying your album vs a company buying because they want to hire your face to sell their cellphone. We know you for making music not selling sell phones.

  27. Dan April 19, 2016

    And another thing. If you believe Samsung handed her 25 million you need help. Their deal with her is WORTH that amount which means that’s the amount they’ve allotted to spend on project she works with them on. They didn’t just give her that amount and she isn’t just living lavish with it in her account. If they did they’d be sweating because her tour is tanking and Anti isn’t performing well at all. Universal are laughing because they get a percentage of Work and will earn more from it than she will. Check tgjs post about it helping their profits if you don’t believe me

    • Cinnamon Girl April 19, 2016

      Exactly! They didn’t just give her 25 million. You can tell these folks don’t know anything about big business

  28. IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

    @LIMEZ…
    .
    “WORK isn’t massiv/not an iconic smash”?

    1) Nine consecutive weeks at #1 in the U.S – ‘WORK’ and two of her other smash-hits, ‘Umbrella’ and ‘We Found Love’, are the only songs by a Black solo to chart at #1 for 6 weeks or more in a decade.
    .
    2) Charted at #1 on the “Hot Digital Singles” chart three times and, thus far, is the fifth best-selling song of the year in the U.S and the fifth best-selling song of the year internationally.
    .
    2) Broke Urban/Rhythmic Airplay records – the song is the most listened to/spinned song in the history of both formats, surpassing Carey’s “We Belong Together”.
    .
    3) Broke streaming records – the first and only song to have streaming points of 25M + for eight consecutive weeks and scored the third highest one-week stream record with 45M + streams in March. It is currently the fourth most streamed song in U.S history and is the third most-streamed song of all-time, globally.
    .
    4) Viral – countless parody videos and covers on YouTube etc.

    Yes, ‘WORK’ isn’t massive at all. In fact, it is one of the biggest flops in Rihanna’s career. 😉

    • LB April 19, 2016

      Gurl, Needed me is #15 on Spotify, it’s success is shocking to me. I thought for sure Kiss it better> Needed me.

      She better drop a video soon.

      • IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

        Babe, I SCREAMED when I saw the update this morning. OMG.

        .

        I want her to release the video in, at least, two more weeks so that the song can literally soar to #1 (or at least the top 3) the week after. ‘PANDA’ and ‘One Dance’ is dominating in streaming points right now but our queen will prevail!

        .

        I knew ‘Needed Me’ would SMASH. Also, it’s gaining rapidly on urban/rhythmic radio and even pop radio. I’m so excited…

  29. flawda April 19, 2016

    Either way Rihanna succeeding or failing isn’t gonna affect your life. Like Lebron said after losing in the 2011 Finals. This is a paraphrase “those people hating on him, still got to go on with their miserable lives. I’m still rich”. lmfao

  30. LB April 19, 2016

    OMG @IstanforRihanna

    Kiss it better is also climbing on radio, FAST. This era has been incredible so far.

    http://kworb.net/radio/

  31. RihYonce April 19, 2016

    One thing I know for sure is that Beyoncé won’t be releasing her album on tidal . Columbia is not having that & Beyoncé is too competitive to let her hard work on this project rollout like that

  32. Justafan April 19, 2016

    Coconuts

  33. LB April 19, 2016

    So what I’m expecting from Rih, a performance of Kiss it better at the Billboard Music Awards, a video for Needed Me.

  34. IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

    @LB
    .
    Full Spotify update:

    #15 (+5) US
    .
    #35 (+3) Canada
    .
    #50 (+1) WW
    .
    #54 (+21) Switzerland
    .
    #61 (+3) New Zealand
    .
    #68 (+42) Belgium
    .
    #64 (+14) UK
    .
    #92 (-3) Australia
    .
    #110 (+4) Germany
    .
    #116 (+25) Sweden
    .
    #124 (+27) Brazil
    .
    #132 (+33) Netherlands
    .
    #153 (+19) Italy
    .
    #161 (+29) Ireland
    .
    #185 (RE) Norway

    .

    OMG. “Needed Me” is coming ‘WORK’s edges!!!!!!! When that video is released and it gains on radio a little more…

  35. LB April 19, 2016

    @IStan4Rihanna

    I will literally die if Needed me smashes like Work

    By the way, do you have an update on the streams, I want to see if Anti has dethroned Prism yet.

  36. MsYonce April 19, 2016

    Why would she be upset tho? I mean isn’t she in control of her career? Please I don’t believe Jay made her release on Tidal I think she got Jay to set up a meeting with Samsung for that deal after ( FFS,BBHMM, AO) in case the album underperforms she could have a certification. I mean after three years without an album why would have to make a deal for someone to give you’re album for free? I don’t think she was all that confident in the album period.

    • MsYonce April 19, 2016

      *your*

  37. IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

    THE MOST “STREAMED” ALBUMS OF ALL-TIME – GLOBALLY:

    1) X – Ed Sheeran – 1.4+ Billion.
    2) Beauty Behind The Madness – The Weeknd – 1.3+ Billion.
    3) If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – Drake 1.2+ Billion.
    4) Prism – Katy Perry – 1.1+ Billion.
    5) Stories – Avicii – 905+ Million.

    6) ANTI – RIHANNA – 850 + Million.

    It looks as if it’s streams slowed down by several million the last two weeks but it’ll push Avicii right out of the #5 spot within the next several weeks to a month or so – if ‘Needed Me’ smashes globally then it’ll definitely topple over a billion streams by the summer. Justin Bieber’s ‘Purpose’ just surpassed Eminem however (and is at #7 now) and he’s gaining more and more traction also though he’s behind Rihanna by just under 100 Million.

    • LB April 19, 2016

      Thanks, I need Anti to hurry up and bump Mzz Perry off of that list

  38. IStan4Rihanna. April 19, 2016

    @LB

  39. ilovemusic April 19, 2016

    Omg I’m a huge Rihanna fan, but Navy please stop acting like Rihanna is some album selling machine. Yes the rollout was kind of sloppy. However she got the 1 million from Samsung and like 280 thousand from sales. She averages about 1.2 million in the US anyways from her past few albums. And I’m seeing a lot of blame on Rock Nation and Tidal but I’m pretty sure this was a Westbury rollout. Which means she should have had alot more to do with this album. Before the Tidal debacle the whole Samsung website/Instagram thing was stupid anyways. Rihanna did a lot of work these past few years and she just did too much at once. The album was already risky in itself for her. And her fans didn’t respond to it as well as she wanted. However I’m sure the Album will do fine. It’s an amazing body of work especially for her. She stepped out of her comfort zone and on top of that from what Ive seen she’s actually performing it well. But please don’t blame any failures of this album on Tidal or Jay Z or anyone because no one else who’s album has been on tidal has had this problem. And they all leak early. Just check KAT. Blame the fans because although I did get a free copy of this album from Tidal I still bought an itunes copy and a physical copy. The same way I did with Kanye I got my free copy and still supported with purchasing a copy, and I did with Beyonce. Itunes and a physical copy.

  40. Erica April 19, 2016

    “Anti” was on Tidal for like a day before it went to iTunes, so stop blaming Jay-z for the album underperforming. Also, I can’t believe you guys are bragging about free Spotify streams. She’s not getting attention, so, of course, her and her team are going to play the blame game. There’s a lot of Smoke and mirrors when it comes to rihanna.

  41. B2B April 19, 2016

    Rihanna is apart of Tidal, why would she not release her album on there? Rih understands that she sells singles and that is her niche. It is you fools that are confused and thought she was going to have gigantic sells first week sales.

    • flawda April 19, 2016

      Tidal is not a record label. It’s a streaming platform. Roc Nation is a label/management/sports agency/publishing company. Rihanna’s label is distributed through Roc Nation. Roc Nation uses Universal(I believe) strictly for distribution and promotion purposes. Jay basically rent them out to press cds and use their promo department to promote his artist (J Cole, Rihanna,etc).

      Roc Nation is an independent company. Rihanna’s label is also independent.

  42. JanStan April 19, 2016

    Artists like Adele and Taylor dont let their albums be streamed because there’s no money to be made and their fans will buy them regardless. Yet navy be clinging for dear life onto streams claiming that that’s how the public consumes music. NO. THATS HOW PEOPLE THAT DONT THINK AN ALBUM IS WORTH BUYING CONSUME MUSIC. Bye!

  43. Tran uk anti bloper honioey love but it okay girl April 21, 2016

    Who know if this is true or it full of shhhhh

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