A well-known R&B singer, rapper, dance performer and Grammy award winner.
Chris Brown Biography
A well-known R&B singer, rapper, dance performer and Grammy award winner. Chris Brown is also notorious for his unfortunate encounterings with the law.
Early Beginnings
Born on May 5, 1989, in Tappahannock, Virginia, Christopher Maurice Brown was exposed to music early in his childhood. Inspired by Michael Jackson, he taught himself how to dance and sing. His mother recognized his talent and started looking for a record deal to happen. Unfortunately, Chris was also exposed to domestic violence as a child.
Professional Debut and Success
He encountered some difficulties but was eventually signed to Jive Records in 2004. Brown co-wrote 5 songs from his self-titled album “Chris Brown” in 2005. The album was certified double platinum by the RIAA. His lead single “Run It!” was the first male debut single to reach number 1 on Billboard 100 since 1995. Chris supported the album with “The Up Close and Personal Tour” in 2006. Brown released his following album “Exclusive” in 2007 and was received to mostly good reviews. The single “Kiss Kiss” featuring rapper T-Pain became his second number 1 song. After a few successful collaborations, he began working on his upcoming album in 2008. He wished to change genres and experiment so he chose a different sound for “Graffiti” released in 2009. The record got mostly a negative response from critics and was less successful than his previous albums. Following a very emotional tribute performance to Michael Jackson at the BET Awards, he released a mixtape with rapper Tyga in 2010. Song “Deuces” peaked at number 1 on the charts.
Rihanna and Following Projects
Following a very publicized domestic abuse case towards his then girlfriend Rihanna, Brown’s next album “F.A.M.E” was released in 2011. This proved to be his first number 1 album in the US. The track “Look at Me Now” featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes topped the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts for 8 weeks. He won 5 BETs awards and his first Grammy award for “Best R&B Album”. Chris’s fifth studio album “Fortune” was released in 2012 under RCA Records and debuted at number 1 but was received to negative critic opinion.
Legal Battles and Rehab
In 2013, Brown allegedly had a seizure due to constant emotional stress caused by the ongoing legal matters and constant negativity he was facing at the time. As a result, he joined an anger management rehabilitation center while working on his next album. Chris released a mixtape first, called “X Files” in November. However, the album’s release was postponed because of Brown’s arrest for felony assault and subsequent prison sentence. The project “X” was eventually revealed in 2014 debuting at number 2 on Billboard 200. After some delay, he launched his seventh album “Royalty” in late 2015, dedicating it to his daughter.
Photo credit: Verge Campus
