Chris Brown

Christopher Maurice Brown, born May 5, 1989, is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. Recognized as an R&B musician influenced by pop and hip-hop, he works across a variety of genres. Brown has sold over 140 million records worldwide, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. Over his career, he has won 219 awards from 566 nominations and is recognized as one of the highest-grossing African American touring artists of all time.

Brown was born in Tappahannock, Virginia, to Joyce Hawkins, a former day care center director, and Clinton Brown, a corrections officer. He has an older sister named Lytrell Bundy. During his childhood, Brown listened to his parents' soul albums and developed an interest in hip-hop. He taught himself to sing and dance at a young age, citing Michael Jackson as an inspiration, and performed in his church choir and local talent shows. At age 16, he dropped out of Essex High School to relocate and pursue his music career.

At age 13, Brown was discovered by the local production team Hitmission Records at the gas station where his father worked. The team helped create a demo package under the name C. Sizzle. Tina Davis, an executive at Def Jam Recordings, heard the demo and arranged an audition. After Davis lost her job following a corporate merger, Brown asked her to be his manager. She presented him to several record labels, and in 2004, Brown signed with Jive Records.

In 2005, Brown released his self-titled debut album, Chris Brown, which debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and was later certified three times Platinum by the RIAA. Its lead single, "Run It!", topped the Billboard Hot 100, making him the first male artist since 1995 to achieve this with a debut single. In 2007, he released his second album, Exclusive, which featured the Billboard Hot 100 number-one single "Kiss Kiss" along with the singles "With You" and "Forever". Exclusive was certified four times Platinum by the RIAA.

In 2009, Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault of his then-girlfriend, singer Rihanna, and was sentenced to five years of probation with six months of community service. Later that year, he released his third album, Graffiti. In 2011, he released F.A.M.E., which became his first album to top the Billboard 200. It earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album and featured the successful singles "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now", and "Beautiful People". He followed this with his 2012 album Fortune, which also topped the Billboard 200.

Brown continued his record releases with X in 2014 and Royalty in 2015. His 2017 double-disc album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon, was certified double Platinum. In 2019, he released Indigo, which debuted atop the Billboard 200 and contained the single "No Guidance", followed by the single "Go Crazy" and the hit "Under the Influence". In the 2020s, he released the top-10 albums Breezy in 2022, 11:11 in 2023, and Brown in 2026.

In addition to his music career, Brown has pursued work as an actor. He made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard in 2007 and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C. His other acting credits include the films This Christmas in 2007, Takers in 2010, Think Like a Man in 2012, and Battle of the Year in 2013.