Feb
28

Bio: Christopher Maurice Brown

Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, music video director and actor. He made his recording debut in late 2005 with Chris Brown at the age of 16. The album featured the hit single "Run It!", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Brown the first male artist to have his debut single to top the chart. The album has sold over two million copies in the United States and was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Brown's second studio album, Exclusive was released worldwide in November 2007. It spawned two successful singles; his second U.S. number one hit, "Kiss Kiss" featuring T-Pain and "With You", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Brown has released a deluxe version of his album called the The Forever Edition. The first single off of it, "Forever", was released in May 2008 and reached number two on Billboard Hot 100. Exclusive has been certified Platinum by the RIAA.

In addition to his solo commercial success, Brown has been featured on several hits such as "No Air", a duet with singer Jordin Sparks, "Shortie like Mine" with the rapper Bow Wow and "Shawty Get Loose" alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain. The songs have peaked on number three, number nine and number ten on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively. Due to his dance routines, Brown has been compared to renowned R&B artists such as Usher and Michael Jackson, citing both as large influences on his music.

Brown was born and raised in the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia, the son of Joyce Hawkins and Clinton Brown. He began dancing at the age of two and began singing in his church choir. He was influenced by the soul albums his parents owned. Originally interested in becoming

a rapper, he chose to become a vocalist when his mother noticed his singing voice.

From the ages seven to thirteen, Brown was scarred by the domestic violence his mother endured from her boyfriend. He claims to "hate him to this day". Atthe age of thirteen, Brown and his mother began looking for opportunities of a record deal. He was discovered by a local production team who visited his father's gas station while searching for new talent.

In 2004, Tina Davis, senior A&R executive at Def Jam Recordings at the time, was on the verge of signing Brown, but lost her job. The following day, she became his manager and landed him with a contract with Jive Records a week later. By early 2005, Brown began work for his debut album, working with the likes of Scott Storch, The Underdogs, Dre & Vidal, Bryan-Michael Cox, Bow Wow, and Jermaine Dupri.

Brown turned himself in to the Los Angeles Police Department's Wilshire station on February 8, 2009 and was booked on suspicion of making criminal threats, while under investigation for domestic violence charges, following an argument with fellow singer and girlfriend Rihanna in Los Angeles's Hancock Park.

The police report did not name the female in the incident as is policy, but stated that the female had "suffered visible injuries."However, various news media such as the Los Angeles Times, CNN, and MSNBC said that sources had identified the alleged victim as Rihanna.

The Los Angeles Times reported that he is being represented by defense attorney Mark Geragos, and according to Fox News, Brown has hired public relations expert Michael Sitrick to counter the wave of bad press that Brown has received. Fllowing his arrest, several of his commercial ads were suspended, his music was withdrawn from multiple radio stations, and he withdrew from public appearances, including one at the 2009 Grammy Awards, where he was replaced by Justin Timberlake and Al Green.

On February 15, Brown released a statement saying, "Words cannot begin to express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired," he said. "I am seeking the counseling of my pastor, my mother and other loved ones and I am committed, with God's help, to emerge a better person."