He's a lot like the 16-year-old boy living in the house
next door to you: one minute he's 5'7", the next he's 6'1".
One minute he's a cute little boy trying to dribble a
basketball, the next a superstar point guard. One minute
he's ducking under the covers pleading for five more minutes
of shut-eye, the next he's racing through a day full of
recording, performances and interviews.
With his easy-going demeanor and schoolboy charm, Chris
Brown could easily be somebody that you know. With his
incredible voice and a debut CD laced with clever lyrics,
hypnotic tracks and impeccable vocals, he's someone that the
world will soon know.
Chris isn't part of some A-list producer's camp. Nor does
he hail from any of those famous urban music hubs like NYC,
Compton or the ATL. Straight from Tappahannock, VA -
population 2000 - Chris Brown proves that real talent,
persistence and charisma still have a place in the music
industry.
One listen to Chris' 16-year-old voice and you're tempted
to draw comparisons: Michael Jackson, Tevin Campbell and
Usher. But listen a bit longer and those comparisons begin
to dissipate as it becomes clear that, while Chris certainly
channels the creativity of those who have come before him,
he definitely has a style, a flavor and a place in music
that are all his own.
His self-titled debut CD Chris Brown, takes us on a
journey through the malls, parties and teen hangouts as
Chris covers a variety of subjects: a girl that he's dying
to hit the dance floor with, a girl that's got another man,
a girl that has him totally and completely head over heels
in love. It's an album about young boys, young girls - young
love.
The first single, the Scott Storch-produced Run It!,
features Juelz Santana and is an irresistible up-tempo dance
joint with an attention-grabbing hook. "It's basically
saying to a girl 'If you're at the party by yourself, show
me how you get down but if your man's here, tell me first.'
So basically it's talking about runnin' it. Go ahead, do
your thing."
The slightly braggadocios Gimme That finds Chris running
down his credentials to a hottie. "It's just explaining how
I'm coming out, the typical bragging about yourself a little
bit but not too much and telling the girl who might be older
than you, 'You may be three years older, but you're hot,
gimme that.'"
The track Young Love, which was produced by The Underdogs
and includes an interpolation of Blue Magic's '70s classic
'Side Show', addresses the age-old issue of puppy love.
"This song is going to be the new teenage anthem," says
Chris. "Even when teenagers really are in love with each
other a lot of older people are like 'Love? You're barely
old enough to go outside at night!' But what they don't know
is that kids our age really do have feelings for each other
so this song is basically telling older people that even
though we're young, we still love each other. I think all
the teenagers can relate to it."
From the vocally acrobatic Your Man Ain't Me to the tender
Is This Love? (both produced by The Underdogs) to the
naughty Poppin' (a tribute to a young lady's physical
attributes), Chris Brown explores the many colors of life
and love as a teenage boy and he does so without being too
infantile or too raunchy. "You don't want to come out too
sexual," he explains. "I'm young. I want to appeal to people
my age as well as older people. This gives me time to grow
with my audience so I can make that change when I'm about
20. But for right now I don't wanna be too kiddie but I
don't wanna be too grown."
In selecting songs for the album, Chris said he simply
relied on his own sense of what was hot and what was real
for him and his peers. "When I hear these songs, I feel
something. I know I can relate to them. I take myself out of
the artist box, I become an audience member and I critique
myself."
Chris got his musical initiation early on, inspired by
what he refers to as the "eclectic" taste of his parents and
soaking in the sounds of his favorites: Michael Jackson, Sam
Cooke, Stevie Wonder, Donnie Hathaway, Anita Baker and
Aretha Franklin.
But, like most young boys, Chris was soon drawn to rap and
was certain that he would be the first emcee to put
Tappahannock on the map. "I was rapping," he recalls. "I
didn't understand that I could sing until I was like 11 or
12. 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, Chris realized that his voice was
more than just a chick magnet. And so did his mother as she
began to hook her son up with various producers. "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."
And the rest of his life is off to a great start. Chris
Brown comes to the music industry fully-loaded as not only a
talented vocalist, but a versatile songwriter, an amazing
dancer and a blossoming young businessman who has learned
the many intricacies of the music industry. Still, he enjoys
a rousing game of basketball and, despite his demanding
career, he says, "I still hate waking up."
Chris may still be a lot like the boy who lives next door
to you. But not really. You'll see.
