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Introducing:
In the world of hip-hop and R&B, you should know better than to dismiss the young ones. Like Michael Jackson, Usher and Mario before him, 16-year-old Chris Brown combines a natural freshness with years spent perfecting his craft. He may be a teenager but once he steps on to stage, he’s a serious performer first.
His debut album hit the number one spot and the achievement is even more impressive because Brown was a virtual outsider when he first came to the music business. He wasn’t part of an A-list producer’s camp nor did he hail from famous urban music hubs like NYC, or Atlanta. Yet this small-town Virginia boy managed to attract the attention of music mogul Clive Davis (the man behind Whitney Houston, Santana, Bruce Springsteen, Sarah McLachlan and more).
Check him out for yourself to see what the fuss is all about.
Highlights:
- His self-titled debut CD Chris Brown could be the soundtrack to any teenager’s life, dealing with the universal experiences of a girl that you’re dying to hit the dance floor with, a girl that’s got another man, a girl that has you totally and completely head over heels in love. As he says, “It’s an album about young boys, young girls — young love.”
- The album features some impressive guests like super producer Scott Storch, hip-hop hottie Juelz Santana, The Underdogs and producers Dre and Vidal.
The Record FAQ
What is Chris Brown’s background?
His early exposure to music came from his parents’ eclectic music collection featuring artists like Michael Jackson, Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Anita Baker and Aretha Franklin.
As he grew older, he began listening to other music with his friends and it was then that he discovered rap. He decided then that he would be the first emcee to put his small hometown of Tappahannock on the map. Brown began rapping first and singing later. Then, as he tells it, “My mom heard me singing around the house and she said, ‘What are you doing? You really can sing!’ So then I started going to school and singing to the girls.”
By the time he was 13, he realized that he wanted to be more serious about his singing and actually turn it into a career. His mother stepped in and helped her son meet with various producers. Recalls Brown, “When I went in and started working, there were ups and downs but I loved it and I knew I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.”
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