Chris Brown

For the album, see Chris Brown (album). For other people with similar names, see Chris Brown (disambiguation).

Chris Brown
Brown in 2013
Born
Christopher Maurice Brown

(1989-05-05) May 5, 1989 (age 35)
Tappahannock, Virginia, U.S.
Other names
  • C. Sizzle
  • Breezy
  • CB[1]
Occupations
  • Singer
  • songwriter
  • rapper
  • dancer
  • actor
Years active2002–present
Works
Children3
AwardsFull list
Musical career
Genres
InstrumentVocals
Labels
Websitechrisbrownworld.com

Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and actor. A pop and hip hop-influenced R&B musician who divulges into a variety of genres,[note 1] he has often been referred to by his contemporaries as the "King of R&B".[note 2] His lyrics often address emotional and hedonistic themes.[note 3] His singing and dancing skills have often been compared favorably to those of pop icon Michael Jackson.[16]

In 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records and released his eponymous debut studio album the following year, later certified Triple Platinum.[17][18] With his debut single "Run It!" peaking atop the Billboard Hot 100, Brown was the first male artist since 1995 to have his debut single top the chart. His second album, Exclusive (2007), was commercially successful worldwide, spawning his second Billboard Hot 100 number one single, "Kiss Kiss".[19]

In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault of singer Rihanna, who was then his girlfriend, and was sentenced to five years probation and six months community service.[20] The same year, he released his third album, Graffiti, which was considered to be a commercial failure.[21] Following Graffiti, Brown released his fourth album F.A.M.E. (2011), which was his first album to top the Billboard 200. The album contained the commercially successful singles: "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now" and "Beautiful People", and earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.[22][23] His fifth album, Fortune, released in 2012, 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 (2017), a double-disc LP consisting of 45 tracks, was certified Gold for combined sales and album-equivalent units of over 500,000 after one week, and later certified Double Platinum. Brown's ninth studio album, Indigo (2019) found similar success, debuting atop the Billboard 200.[24] It included the single "No Guidance" which broke the record for longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.[25][26] Its chart success was outdone with the single "Go Crazy" released the following year, which broke Brown's own record for longest-running number one.[27][28][29] In 2022, his Indigo album spawned a sleeper hit with its song "Under the Influence", which was re-released as a single.[28][30]

Brown has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists.[31] He has gained a cult following,[32] and is one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time.[33] 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,[34][35] and the most RIAA multi-Platinum singles of any male singer in history.[36] In 2019, Billboard named Brown the third most successful artist of the 2010s decade in R&B and hip-hop music, behind Drake and Rihanna.[37] Brown has won 202 awards from 520 nominations over the course of his career. He has also pursued an acting career. In 2007, he made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard, and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. Other films include This Christmas (2007), Takers (2010), Think Like a Man (2012) and Battle of the Year (2013).

  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". 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". 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. ^ "Ebro Crowns Chris Brown The "King Of R&B" Fans Troll Jacquees". Urban Islandz. December 11, 2018. Retrieved November 7, 2021.
  9. ^ "J. Holiday Was Mistaken For A Valet While Staking His Claim As A "King Of R&B"". BET. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  10. ^ "Tank Shares Mock Poster For "Kings Of R&B" Tour With Chris Brown, R. Kelly, & More". HotNewHipHop. December 19, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  11. ^ Yute, Island (September 20, 2011). "R. Kelly Crowns Chris Brown The New R&B King". Urban Islandz. Retrieved July 13, 2022.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  14. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  15. ^ Cite error: The named reference apnews.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  16. ^
  17. ^ Billboard Staff (December 7, 2005). "'NOW!' Rebounds, Holds Brown From No. 1". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  18. ^ "Biography", People, archived from the original on August 30, 2016, retrieved October 18, 2016
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ Settlement reached in Chris Brown's alleged beating of Rihanna
  21. ^ Kaufman, Gil. "Susan Boyle Remains Billboard Ruler As Chris Brown Settles For #7". MTV News. Archived from the original on February 8, 2015. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  22. ^ McDonnell, Evelyn (February 13, 2012). "Chris Brown rises with 'F.A.M.E.' three years after arrest". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 13, 2012.
  23. ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 11, 2012). "Chris Brown's 'Fortune' Album Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200". Billboard. Retrieved May 15, 2022.
  24. ^ Caulfield, Keith (July 8, 2019). "Chris Brown Earns Third No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart With 'Indigo'". Billboard. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
  25. ^ "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.
  26. ^ Anderson, Trevor (January 28, 2020). "Chris Brown & Drake's 'No Guidance' Smashes R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart Record". Billboard. Retrieved April 17, 2022.
  27. ^ "Chris Brown Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  28. ^ 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.
  29. ^ 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.
  30. ^ 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.
  31. ^
  32. ^
  33. ^ "Boxoffice Insider: Top Grossing Black Touring Artists - Pollstar News". February 26, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  34. ^ "RIAA: Chris Brown Unseats Elvis Presley As Male Singer with Most Gold-Certified Singles - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  35. ^ "Chris Brown Passes Elvis For Most Gold Records". Yahoo Finance. January 13, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  36. ^ "RIAA: Chris Brown is the First Male Singer To Have 20 Multi-Platinum Singles - That Grape Juice". thatgrapejuice.net. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  37. ^ "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artists". Billboard. October 31, 2019. Retrieved January 29, 2022.


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