With the forthcoming release of Brown’s selftitled debut, the Soul Train dreams that this Tappahannock, Va. (pop. 2,000), teen conjured as a fifth-grader singing Ginuwine’s “Pony” have become real. “I would sit on the school bus and sing until the older girls turned around,” Brown recalls. Even then, the budding crooner — who cites soul stirrer Sam Cooke and troubled icon Michael Jackson as his favorite singers — felt the need to express himself through the sweet art of serenade. “I performed in the school choir briefly, but the songs were too corny.”
There is nothing banal, however, about the fierce beats, puppy-love lyrics, and youthful exuberance of Brown’s mall mackin’ music. From the frantic allure of the Scott Storch–produced dance single “Run It” to the laid-back flow of “Yo,” he’s created a sensitive soundtrack that would make even Babyface seem hard. “While everyone else is trying to be a thug, I just want to record songs that are soothing,” says Brown. Storch thinks he’s onto something big. “Chris is a youthful-type singer with incredible abilities,” he says. “He’s got a bright future ahead of him.”
Before signing to Jive in December 2004, Brown had met then Def Jam A&R; Tina Davis (Dru Hill and DMX) that same year. After Davis orchestrated an audition for Def Jam honcho Antonio “LA” Reid, things looked good, until Davis parted ways with the company. Davis would eventually become Brown’s manager, and within months of her appointment, he was calling Jive home.
“Getting signed was just the beginning, now it’s time to be a winner,” Brown says, having just whipped the butt of his bowling competition (a journalist with an adequate game). “When I stand in front of the microphone, it’s not about being young or old. It’s about singing from the heart and being true to my audience.” Hey, maybe baby boy does know how to please a woman.
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Michael A. Gonzales. Chris Brown - Ladies' Knight. Copyright 2005 Vibe.com.
