Talent and a dose of good luck helped Barbados-born Rihanna get herself signed to Def Jam when she was 16 years old. She was discovered by producer Evan Rogers, who was visiting Barbados in 2003, and went on to impress Def Jam CEO Jay-Z that he grabbed her for a multi-album contract. The singer's first single, "Pon De Replay," was released in June 2005, with the full album dropping in August 2005.