Chris Brown

Chris Brown
Brown in 2012
Born
Christopher Maurice Brown

(1989-05-05) May 5, 1989 (age 34)
Other names
  • C. Sizzle
  • Breezy
  • CB[1]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • dancer
  • actor
Years active2002–present
Works
Children3
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
Instrument(s)Vocals
Labels
Websitechrisbrownworld.com

Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He is regarded as one of the most prominent artists in R&B music,[note 1] being credited as an evolver of the genre,[8] and often being referred to by contemporaries as the "King of R&B".[note 2] His R&B has been characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly pop music and hip hop. His lyrics develop predominantly over emotional and hedonistic themes.[note 3] Brown has had wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his singing and dancing abilities.[note 4]

In 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records and released his eponymous debut studio album the following year, which was later certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).[27][28] With his debut single "Run It!" (featuring Juelz Santana) peaking atop the Billboard Hot 100, Brown became the first male artist since 1995 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album, Exclusive (2007), was met with further commercial success worldwide, and spawned his second Billboard Hot 100 number one "Kiss Kiss" (featuring T-Pain).[29] In 2009, Brown received much media attention after pleading guilty to felony assault of his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna; he was sentenced to five years of probation and six months of community service, with his personal life and legal issues being highly publicized by media outlets in the following years.[30] This foresaw the release of his third album, Graffiti which was considered to be a commercial failure compared to his previous works.[31] Following Graffiti, Brown released his fourth album F.A.M.E. (2011), which became his first album to top the Billboard 200. The album contained the commercially successful singles: "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now" (featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes) and "Beautiful People" (featuring Benny Benassi), and earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.[32][33] His fifth album, Fortune, released in 2012, also topped the Billboard 200.

Following the releases of X (2014) and Royalty (2015), both peaking in the top three of the Billboard 200, his eighth album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, a double-disc LP consisting of 45 tracks, was certified gold by the RIAA for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 after one week, and was later certified double platinum. Brown's ninth studio album, Indigo (2019) found similar success, debuting atop the Billboard 200.[34] It included the single "No Guidance" (featuring Drake) which broke the record for the longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[35][36] Its chart success was outdone with the single "Go Crazy" (with Young Thug) released the following year, which broke Brown's own record for the longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart set previously by "No Guidance".[37][38][39] In 2022, his Indigo album spawned a sleeper hit with its song "Under the Influence", which was re-released as a single.[38][40]

Brown has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.[41] He's gained a cult following,[42][43][44][45] and is one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time.[46] In terms of charts and certifications, Brown holds the record for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries of any male singer in history,[2] the most top 40 hits of any R&B singer in history,[3] the most RIAA gold certified singles of any male singer in history,[47][48] and the most RIAA multi-platinum singles of any male singer in history.[49] At the end of 2019, Billboard named Brown the third most successful artist of the 2010s decade in R&B and hip-hop music, behind Drake and Rihanna in first and second, respectively.[50] Additionally, Brown has won a total of 199 awards from 513 nominations over the course of his career. Brown has also pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his on-screen feature film debut in Stomp the Yard, and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. Other films Brown has appeared in include This Christmas (2007), Takers (2010), Think Like a Man (2012), Battle of the Year (2013) and She Ball (2021).

  1. ^ "C. Sizzle Undiscovered by Chris Brown on TIDAL". Archived from the original on January 25, 2020.
  2. ^ a b "Chart Check: Chris Brown Passes Elvis To Become Most-Decorated Male Singer in Hot 100 HISTORY - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Chris Brown Becomes First R&B Singer In History To Nab Over 50 Hot 100 Top 40 Hits [Chart Check] - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  4. ^ "Chris Brown Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  5. ^ "RIAA: Chris Brown Breaks Tie with Bruno Mars To Become Second Best-Selling Male Singer of Digital Era - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "Chris Brown & Young Thug's 'Go Crazy' Breaks Top 10 Longevity Record on Rhythmic Airplay Chart". Billboard. February 3, 2021. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  7. ^ "Chris Brown's 20 Biggest Billboard Hits". Billboard. September 16, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference auto2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Ebro Crowns Chris Brown The "King Of R&B" Fans Troll Jacquees". Urban Islandz. December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  10. ^ "J. Holiday Was Mistaken For A Valet While Staking His Claim As A "King Of R&B"". BET. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  11. ^ "Tank Shares Mock Poster For "Kings Of R&B" Tour With Chris Brown, R. Kelly, & More". HotNewHipHop. December 19, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Yute, Island (September 20, 2011). "R. Kelly Crowns Chris Brown The New R&B King". Urban Islandz. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference apnews.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  17. ^ mahadevan, tara. "50 Cent Compares Chris Brown to Michael Jackson, Says Brown Is the 'Best Sh*t We Got'". Complex. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  18. ^ "Akon Says Chris Brown Could Be Michael Jackson If He Had the Right Team". Rap-Up. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  19. ^ Abraham, Mya (June 7, 2022). "Tank Believes Chris Brown Is More Talented Than Michael Jackson". VIBE.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  20. ^ "Joe Budden claims Chris Brown is 'way more talented than Michael Jackson'". rollingout.com. June 15, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  21. ^ "Justin Bieber Declares Chris Brown Is the Living Combination of Michael Jackson and Tupac Shakur". Peoplemag. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  22. ^ "Fivio Foreign Crowns Chris Brown The New Michael Jackson". HipHopDX. May 30, 2022. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  23. ^ Robertson, Iyana (April 13, 2015). "Brandon Jennings Thinks Chris Brown Is 'Way More Talented' Than Michael Jackson". VIBE.com. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  24. ^ Kelly, Katie. "Nick Cannon Thinks "Michael Jackson + 2Pac = Chris Brown"". Complex. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  25. ^ mahadevan, tara. "Chris Brown Addresses People Comparing Him to Michael Jackson". Complex. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  26. ^ "Boosie says Chris Brown is "the closest thing to Michael Jackson"". REVOLT. Retrieved September 24, 2023.
  27. ^ Billboard Staff (December 7, 2005). "'NOW!' Rebounds, Holds Brown From No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  28. ^ "Biography", People, archived from the original on August 30, 2016, retrieved October 18, 2016
  29. ^ Kreps, Daniel (December 16, 2009). "On the Charts: Chris Brown's "Graffiti" Settles for Seventh as Boyle Continues Reign". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  30. ^ Settlement reached in Chris Brown's alleged beating of Rihanna, Los Angeles Times, June 22, 2009
  31. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Susan Boyle Remains Billboard Ruler As Chris Brown Settles For #7". MTV News. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  32. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (February 13, 2012). "Chris Brown rises with 'F.A.M.E.' three years after arrest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  33. ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 11, 2012). "Chris Brown's 'Fortune' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  34. ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 8, 2019). "Chris Brown Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Indigo'". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  35. ^ "Lizzo's 'Truth Hurts' Leads Hot 100 For 5th Week, Chris Brown's 'No Guidance' Is His First Top 5 Hit Since 2008". Billboard. September 30, 2019. Retrieved November 20, 2019.
  36. ^ Anderson, Trevor (January 28, 2020). "Chris Brown & Drake's 'No Guidance' Smashes R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart Record". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  37. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  38. ^ a b "Olivia Rodrigo's 'Drivers License' Tops Hot 100 for 7th Week, Chris Brown & Young Thug's 'Go Crazy' Jumps to No. 3". Billboard. March 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  39. ^ Anderson, Trevor (April 7, 2021). "Chris Brown's 'Go Crazy' Breaks 'No Guidance' No. 1 Record on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  40. ^ Anderson, Trevor (April 7, 2021). "Chris Brown's 'Go Crazy' Breaks 'No Guidance' No. 1 Record on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  41. ^ "Chris Brown to perform at Albany Civic Center". Yahoo!. June 9, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  42. ^ "8 Celebrities with the Biggest and Worst Cult Following". March 26, 2014.
  43. ^ "Chris Brown: A fandom expert on how racialised loyalty helps the controversial singer retain his fans". March 8, 2023.
  44. ^ "Most of us don't care about cancel culture, and Chris Brown's return to the UK proves it". December 9, 2022.
  45. ^ Cunningham, Kyndall (June 24, 2021). "Will We Ever Hold Chris Brown Accountable?". The Daily Beast.
  46. ^ "Boxoffice Insider: Top Grossing Black Touring Artists - Pollstar News". February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  47. ^ "RIAA: Chris Brown Unseats Elvis Presley As Male Singer with Most Gold-Certified Singles - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  48. ^ "Chris Brown Passes Elvis For Most Gold Records". Yahoo Finance. January 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  49. ^ "RIAA: Chris Brown is the First Male Singer To Have 20 Multi-Platinum Singles - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  50. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists". Billboard. October 31, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2022.


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