Jay-Z Weighs in on Rihanna After Marijuana Criticism, 'Can't Control' Pop Singer
Jay-Z recently opened up about his Roc Nation protege, Rihanna, amid ongoing criticism over the pop star's increasingly wild behavior.
The hip hop mogul, 43, is has reportedly had objections to some of Rihanna's past behavior, particularly her tumultuous relationship with Chris Brown, however he insists that he tries not to get involved. The Bajan singer, 25, continues to push the envelope with her risqué image however Jay-Z, who is Rihanna's long-time mentor, explained that it is not his place to judge her, according to MailOnline.
"That's not my place, no, again, I can't control the outcome of her life. I can't intervene, I can give advice when asked and that's it," Jay-Z told New York radio station Hot 97. "I can provide information and then life has to play out, life has to happen."
In 2012 Rihanna and Brown, 24, were rumored to have reconciled following their 2009 domestic assault incident and subsequently the Roc Nation founder was reportedly "disappointed" in the "Diamonds" singer. Brown was convicted of assaulting Rihanna however she has since admittedly reconciled with him although they split again in May 2013.
"Now that Rihanna is hooking up with Chris and recording songs with him, Jay is deeply disappointed in her actions. He can't fathom why Rihanna is doing the things she is doing," a source told RadarOnline.com in 2012.
"He understands the need for forgiveness, but he is adamant that Rihanna shouldn't forget what Chris did to her. Jay wonders what kind of message this is sending to Rihanna's young female fans," the source added.
Rihanna, who first entered the showbiz industry as a teen, is has previously shared marijuana photos and regularly shares semi-nude images with her impressionable young fans, according to the HuffingtonPost. For this she continues to draw criticism however she does not appear to care.
In 2009 fans noticed that there had been a drastic shift in the once demure singer's image. After the Brown beating Rihanna ultimately transitioned from girl-next-door to shocking and wild which she previously explained.
"I was focusing on getting people to respect me as an artist, making my stamp in the industry. I wasn't 100% or even 75% in control of my image or my sound. I said, 'If you guys keep this perfect image of me, people will never notice me,'" Rihanna previously told Bang Showbiz about making a conscious decision to change her image.
"I kind of blended in. It was safe, the blonde, curly hair. It was a formula. I didn't want to be like all the other artists. I wanted to stand out and the only way I could do that was by taking charge of my image and sound. And it worked. Good Girl Gone Bad was a big turning point for me," she added with reference to her platinum album.