Did Jay-Z Ever Date Rihanna? 5 Weird Fan Questions Answered by Wetpaint Entertainment

Jay-Z has been Beyonce’s man since around 2001, four years before he discovered Rihanna and signed her to his Def Jam label. (Good find, Jay.)

Hova and RiRi are not — and have never been — romantically involved, but he still looks out for his protege. Back in June 2007, People reported that the rapper and music producer is very protective of Rihanna, going so far as to screen her potential suitors. "Jay has my best interests in mind,” the pop princess dished to the mag. “If it's a good guy I know Jay won't shut him down. But if he's not, Jay will be like, 'No, no, no.'"

So it’s no surprise that Jay apparently did not approve of Rihanna’s recent R&B collaborations with ex Chris Brown — the same Chris Brown who was arrested for assaulting her in 2009.