
īorn in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Being described by media outlets and critics as one of the biggest talents of his time in urban music, Brown gained a cult following with wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his stage presence as a singer-dancer. His lyrics develop predominantly over themes of sex, lovesickness, regret, romantic love, fast life, desire, and the difficulty of managing emotions. His musical style has been defined as polyhedric, with his R&B being characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly hip hop and pop music. According to Billboard, Brown is one of the most influential and successful R&B singers ever, with several considering him the " King of R&B" alongside Usher and R. This, in turn, can undermine efforts to hold certain celebrities accountable for abusive behavior.Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer, actor and graffiti artist. The internet blurs real friends virtual friends, and fake friends.

This sort of mega fandom, or stan culture, thrives on social media, where fans feel as though they have greater access to, and eventually intimacy with, their favorite celebrities. In addition to fawning over his music, they track him and one another across social media, defend him tirelessly and threaten his critics. Brown’s hardcore followers call themselves Team Breezy. Some fans get so invested in their projections that they do more than fanaticize. It’s easy to fall into a debate about the substance and style of lyrics, but I’m more interested in our attachment to the artists themselves, or who we think they are. In 2004, during his “Never Scared” comedy special on HBO, Chris Rock joked about women loving the most misogynistic rap that he himself had trouble defending. When it comes to music this isn’t a new conversation. Some say he’s actually benefitted from his bad-boy image by branding it as another product for sale. Despite some setbacks securing visas to perform internationally and some cancellations in the immediate wake of his attack on Rihanna, he wasn’t dropped from his label he’s been nominated for multiple Grammys ( winning one in 2012) he’s collaborated with major female artists like Nicki Minaj, Brandy and even Rihanna after the attack he’s also moved into acting, including a stint on “Black-ish” alongside Tracee Ellis Ross. Change is coming, but thus far Chris Brown’s career hasn’t suffered much.Īnd in this era of alleged cancel culture hysteria, Brown has gone relatively unscathed. This may because of powerful economic incentives protecting the status quo, coupled with conflicting interests across record labels, streaming services, show promoters, merchandisers, artists and fans. This seems especially true for the music business, which has arguably lagged behind Hollywood and other entertainment industries in terms of #MeToo accountability. In addition to multiple alleged attacks on fans, staff and other musicians including Frank Ocean in 2017, his ex-girlfriend Karrueche Tran was granted a restraining order against him citing physical violence during their relationship and menacing behavior after their split, including threatening to kill her. In the years since this lenient initial sentence, Brown has been tied to a long list of alleged assaults and violent incidents.


(Brown was later accused of violating his restraining order and faking some of his community service and ordered to serve additional hours.) Want more articles like this? Follow THINK on Instagram to get updates on the week's most important cultural analysis He was charged with felony domestic assault, ultimately pleading guilty to one count of felony assault in a plea deal that avoided jail time in exchange for community service, counseling, a restraining order and probation.

He shot to infamy a few years later, in 2009, when photographs surfaced of the aftermath of a violent altercation with his then-girlfriend Rihanna. In the years since this lenient initial sentence, Brown has been tied to a long list of alleged assaults and violent incidents.īrown shot to fame as a teenager with the release of his self-titled debut album in 2005, which went double platinum.
