Rihanna

The Barbadian icon who topped the Hot 100 with Drake's first number-one hit on "What's My Name?"

Rihanna is the Barbadian singer behind the fifth studio album Loud (2010), which featured "What's My Name?" alongside Canadian rapper Drake. Released as the second single on October 25, 2010, through Def Jam Recordings, this dancehall-infused electro-R&B track marked a major collaboration between the two artists. Produced by Stargate and written by the duo alongside Ester Dean, Traci Hale, and Drake, the song explores themes of romance and sex. It was met with critical acclaim for its production and vocal performances, eventually topping charts in the US, UK, and Hungary while earning six-times Platinum certification in the United States.

Quick Facts

Key collaboration era: 2010
Notable joint hit: What's My Name? (2010)

Lore & Background

The collaboration began when Rihanna met Drake backstage at an event, personally asking him to record a verse after Tor Erik Hermansen of Stargate noted she asked for the files. Although initially intended as a remix with a solo version for Loud, the track made the final cut on the album instead. In November 2009, Drake praised Rihanna's upcoming album Rated R in an interview with MTV News, revealing they had worked on a track that didn't make the final cut but describing it as "a special record."

When asked about the new song, Rihanna told MTV News that Drake is "the hottest rapper out right now" and noted he wrote his verse after just three days. She described the result as a very youthful, playful, and melodic track, stating Drake was the perfect choice because he is "a young rapper who has incredible melodies." Traci Hale explained her role was mostly lyrical while Dean and Stargate handled the music, inspired by love and sex.

Reader's Guide

"What's My Name?" serves as a prime example of Rihanna's ability to blend romance with playful energy. The song is certified six-times Platinum in the US and Gold or higher in eight additional countries, reaching the top five in Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, and Slovakia. It was promoted through live performances on Saturday Night Live in the United States and during the series 7 finale of The X Factor in the United Kingdom in December 2010.

An accompanying music video directed by Philip Andelman depicts a romantic encounter between Rihanna and Drake in a grocery store, alongside scenes of them walking through Manhattan's Lower East Side. Critics praised the production and Rihanna's vocal performance, with Molly Lambert noting that Rihanna "doesn't have to tell us how desirable she is – it is a given." The track received a nomination at the 54th Grammy Awards for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration.

Did You Know?

The track topped the Billboard Hot 100 before the album's lead single, "Only Girl (In the World)", which reached number one two weeks later.
The song features a specific lyric where Drake jokes about the "square root of 69" being "8 something."
"What's My Name?" earned Rihanna her third number-one single in 2010 and her eighth overall on the Billboard Hot 100.