I highly doubt that Matt Kemp will be inviting Chris Breezy to L.A. anytime soon for a cup of coffee..
However, the two recent ex-boyfriends of Rihanna have many reasons to be ecstatic with life after their individual breakups with the Barbados singer. Recently, Matt Kemp was named to his first All-Star game earlier this month and Chris Brown dropped a very successful album earlier this year.
Let’s closely examine the careers of these two stars, pre and post-Rihanna ..
Matt Kemp
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The Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder began his relationship with Rihanna in December 2009, and they would last for nearly a year. Before Rihanna, Kemp was relatively unknown in the Hollywood scene. He had a very successful 2009 season where he hit .297 with 26 HRs, 101 RBIs, and 34 stolen bases. That season put him on the baseball map as he was expected to have a breakout 2010 season. Though he did 28 home runs, his 2010 season was a disappointment as he broke the Los Angeles Dodgers’ strikeout record (he also held the previous record) by whiffing a whopping 170 times. Coincidentally, his break up with Rihanna came after the dissapointing 2010 campaign.
Fast forward to July 2011. Matt Kemp already 24 home runs around the midway point of the season (His career high is 28). He is also batting .311, which is 20 point above his career mark. He also has 27 stolen bases thus far, his career high in that department is 35. He was selected to his first All-Star game and was designated as the No.3 batter, the spot usually reserved for the team’s best player.
Now i’m not saying Rihanna is the problem. But following their breakup, something must have “clicked” which transformed Kemp from a pretty good player to an All-Star/MVP Candidate.
Go Figure.
Chris Brown
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Before her relationship with Kemp, Rihanna was involved in a serious and highly publicized relationship with Chris Brown. They became a pair sometime in 2007 after his collaboration on the hit song Umbrella, as the story goes. For a while it seemed as if Chris Brown and Rihanna had the perfect Hollywood relationship. They were both well-known rising superstars in the music industry and in a way they were like a young Jay-Z and Beyonce. Their nasty split in February 2009 was nearly a career-killer for Chris Brown.
While Rihanna got back on her feet shortly thereafter, it took Brown a while to gain support from the fans again. His album Graffiti, which dropped in late 2009, was a relative disappointment in comparison to his two earlier albums. For a while, it seemed as if Brown’s star power had permanently faded. Nevertheless, Brown would keep working to earn back the respect and trust from his fans.
In 2010, his mixtape with Tyga (Fan of a Fan) would produce the hit single “Deuces”. It marked the turnaround for Chris Brown’s career as the song would reach Number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.
Earlier this year, Chris Brown dropped his fourth album, F.A.M.E, which sold over 270k in its first week, becoming his first number one album in the United States. The album included successful singles such as “Yeah 3x”, “Look At Me Now”, and “She Ain’t You” and has been since certified Gold.
Clearly, Brown’s post Rihanna life was a lot harder than Matt Kemp’s. At the end of the day, they’re both enjoying tons of current success at the moment. That brings us to Rihanna’s next “victim”
Recent reports say that Rihanna is currently involved with Drake (for real this time), and that she may be moving into Marvin’s Room along with the rapper/singer.
Hopefully, Drake is done with her before that new album drops ..