Rita Ora Reveals Best Advice Jay-Z Gave Her

When Jay-Z is your boss, life is good. And so it goes for 21-year-old British up 'n comer Rita Ora. The sassy singer, signed to the Hova's Roc Nation label, is buzzing hard, thanks to 'How We Do (Party).'

If there is one brain that's worth picking for details and info on how to survive the music biz, it's Jay-Z's. Ora revealed to Celebuzz that his key piece of advice for her was simple, yet powerful: "Be patient."

Ora, who said she loved listening to the three divas (Mariah, Whitney and Celine) as a wee lass and grew to love Bruce Springsteen and Duran Duran as she got older, revealed that she was patient (more on that in a sec) before she came under the tutelage of the Hov, which is a good place to be. Remember, he also found this diva you may have heard of named Rihanna.

Jay-Z's latest lovely and talented charge recalled how their paths crossed, saying, "When I was 18 years old, this A&R knew about me in the U.K., Jay Brown. She just gave him a call and said 'I’ve got this girl who I think you’d really be interested in,' and I think they had just started Roc Nation. I sent him over some stuff that was on my laptop and then a few days later he called me up and was like, 'Have you ever been to New York? I would love to see you.' I was like 'What?!' I couldn’t believe it."

A ticket was booked, she was in the Big Apple and then she met Jay-Z face-to-face. "The next day I felt like it was meant to be because it was the right time and I had my record deals before but I never took them," she said. "My mom and my sister were always like, 'Keep your options open for now, you’re young, just wait a minute.' And I did, and thank God I waited.'

So what was the Hova like in the flesh? "When I first met Jay I was 150 million percent starstruck, because you know its Jay," she admitted. "He’s been doing this for ages, he’s been in the game and he’s been at the top of his game for ages. And when I first saw him I was like ‘Oh my God,’" Ora gushed. "I was so happy but kind of kept my composure. I didn’t want to embarrass myself. I was like ‘Nice to meet you!’ and then after that I went to the studio and played some songs, and it was great and it all made sense. I got a deal the next few days."

With Jay-Z in her corner, Rita Ora is one lucky gal on the rise.