Two years ago, the Grammy Awards appeared to mark the end of Chris Brown’s career. This year, it is serving as a new beginning. Life for the multi-platinum sensation dramatically changed on the eve of music’s biggest night in 2009, when he assaulted then-girlfriend Rihanna and both were forced to bow out of the ceremony.
In the months that followed, he saw his reputation tarnished, he had to plead guilty to a felony, and his comeback CD, “Graffiti,” was a commercial disappointment. But with the success of his brush-off anthem “Deuces,” three nominations at this year’s Grammys (including best contemporary R&B album), an upcoming CD and an Australian tour in April, the focus on Chris Brown has returned to his music, without adding the Rihanna-prefix.
Brown, now 21, is serving five years of probation after pleading guilty to felony assault for the attack on Rihanna. Over the past year, Brown has released a flurry of music. Brown, who has acted in movies such as the popular “Stomp the Yard,” also hit No. 1 at the box office last year as part of the ensemble cast in the heist film “Takers,” which also starred rapper T.I. and Idris Elba.
“Deuces” is up for best rap/sung collaboration at the upcoming Grammys, where it will compete with Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind,” Eminem’s “Love the Way You Lie” and B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You,” songs that are all up for the coveted record of the year award and had been No. 1 pop hits in 2010. One performance that brought his talents to the forefront was Brown’s emotional Michael Jackson tribute at last year’s BET Awards.
Mirroring Jackson’s signature dance moves while performing “Billie Jean,” he then started to sing “Man in the Mirror.” But he broke down in tears, fell to the stage, and couldn’t finish. The audience, some people in tears themselves, cheered him on.
