RIHANNA & MATT KEMP CALL IT QUITS!

Matt Kemp has struck out with Rihanna.

The 22-year-old R&B star recently broke up with the Los Angeles Dodgers player, according to UsMagazine.com.

The couple, who began dating in January, couldn't make their long-distance relationship work, a source told the site. In fact, the duo were rarely seen together with Kemp being based out of L.A., while Rihanna, a Barbados native, spent much of this year traveling to support her album "Loud."

"It happened over the last few weeks," the source revealed. "She basically was just over it," while Kemp couldn't "keep up with her crazy travel schedule."

The insider added that Kemp, 26, was "sick of always following after her like a puppy dog all over the world. He wants something more normal."

And despite several engagement rumors, "It was never as serious as it looked. It was always just [about] having fun," the source said.

But Rihanna, who said she felt "like an empty vessel" after her last high-profile relationship with Chris Brown, suggested in Marie Claire UK's December issue that the romance brought new meaning to her life.

"I feel like I smile for real this time," she told the magazine. "The smiles come from inside, and it exudes in everything I do. People feel my energy is different. When I smile they can tell that it's pure bliss and not just a coverup."

The "What's My Name " songstress also said in the July issue of Elle that the relationship "keeps me sane." The split could put a damper on Rihanna's family plan, which she discussed with Kanye West in the December/January issue of Interview magazine.

"I have a lot of other stuff to accomplish before I get to kids," she said. "Whenever the time is right, I'll just know...It could be a year from now. It could be 10 years from now. Whenever is right."

But it's likely the singer won't be single for too long. As West pointed out, her strong sex appeal has given her a "power" to have anyone, male or female, that she wants.

"I try not to depend on it," Rihanna said in reply to his statement, before admitting, "I appreciate it. It helps a lot."



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