Rihanna is just the 11th person to receive these honors, and the first since 1998.
“May you continue to shine like a diamond and bring honor to your nation by your works, by your actions,” Mottley told the Savage x Fenty founder.
Upon being named National Hero, Rihanna said that she is immensely proud to be from Barbados, and assured that it is the only place she has ever called home.
“The people. Y’all are the true heroes of Barbados and I take y’all with me wherever I go. I’m so proud to be a Bajan. I’m gonna be a Bajan ’til the day I die. This is still the only place I’ve ever called home,” she said, on stage alongside Mottley. “I love Barbados. I love you guys. And I pray that the youth continue to push Barbados forward. I’m so proud of you, Prime Minister Mia Mottley. Thank you so much for honoring me in this way. I have travelled the world and received several awards and recognitions, but nothing, nothing compares to being recognized in the soil in that you grew in. I thank you so much for this.”
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While fans continue to beg for a paltry hint at the potential for new music, Rihanna has been busy becoming a titan of industry, as well as a bonafide philanthropist, and it’s clear Mottley and the rest of Barbados recognnizes that.
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