It's hard to think of a musician as prolific as Rihanna has been since the year 2000. She's had a string of hits, but many of them seem to be little more than attempts to remind everyone that she's very attractive, and sexually proficient. Music videos full of drug use, violent imagery and references to sadomasochism haven't always gone down well, either. Rihanna is a heavy marijuana user, making no apologies for her use of the drug, and sparking complaints from concerned parents as a consequence.
Rihanna is aware of her image, and has attempted to explain in interviews that her public persona is a character she plays, and she doesn't necessarily behave in the same way when the cameras aren't rolling. That would explain why despite her songs often being materialistic, she's opened the 'Believe' foundation to assist terminally ill children. She's seen as a hero in her home island of Barbados, where she's funded schools and hospitals, eventually being named as a Special Ambassador for the nation.