Discover the career path of Chris Brown, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Chris Brown is a highly successful American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, and actor. Known for his blend of hip-hop and pop-influenced R&B, and versatile genre exploration, he's been dubbed the 'King of R&B' by some. His music often delves into emotional and hedonistic themes. Brown is frequently lauded for his vocal and dance prowess, drawing comparisons to Michael Jackson.
Since the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart was first established in 1992, Chris Brown holds the record for the two longest running #1 hits on the chart.
Chris Brown's debut single, "Run It!", topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart, making him the first male artist since 1995 to achieve this with a debut single.
In 1995, Chris Brown became the first male act since Montell Jordan to have his debut single, "Run It!", reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In 1997, UK-based music firm Greensleeves released the dancehall track "Tight Up Skirt", recorded by Red Rat, which would later be the basis for a copyright infringement lawsuit against Chris Brown's song "Privacy".
In 2004, Chris Brown attended Essex High School in Virginia until late in the year, when he moved to New York to pursue his music career.
In 2004, Chris Brown signed with Jive Records before starting to record his debut studio album.
In late 2004, Chris Brown, at age 16, dropped out of Essex High School in Virginia to relocate and pursue a music career.
In February 2005, Chris Brown began recording his self-titled debut studio album after signing with Jive Records.
On November 29, 2005, Chris Brown's self-titled debut album was released, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 and selling 154,000 copies in its first week.
In 2005, after Run It! reached number one, Chris Brown released other singles that received great success.
In early 2005, Chris Brown, at age 16, dropped out of Essex High School in Virginia to relocate and pursue a music career.
On June 13, 2006, Chris Brown released a DVD titled Chris Brown's Journey, which featured footage of him traveling through England and Japan, preparing for the Grammy Awards, and behind-the-scenes content from his music videos.
On August 17, 2006, Chris Brown began his major co-headlining tour, The Up Close and Personal Tour, to promote his album.
On January 12, 2007, Chris Brown made his film debut in Stomp the Yard, alongside Ne-Yo, Meagan Good, and Columbus Short.
In January 2007, Chris Brown landed a small role as a band geek in the fourth season of the American television series The O.C..
In April 2007, Chris Brown was the opening act for Beyoncé on the Australian leg of her The Beyoncé Experience tour.
On July 9, 2007, Chris Brown was featured in an episode of MTV's My Super Sweet 16 (retitled: Chris Brown: My Super 18) celebrating his eighteenth birthday in New York City.
On November 6, 2007, Chris Brown's second studio album, Exclusive, was released in the US, debuting at number four on the US Billboard 200 chart and selling 294,000 copies in its first week.
In November 2007, Chris Brown starred as a video host for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Math-A-Thon program, encouraging students to use their math skills to help children with cancer and other diseases.
On November 21, 2007, Chris Brown appeared in a leading role in the family drama "This Christmas", starring Regina King. He also contributed cover versions of "Try a Little Tenderness" and "This Christmas" to the movie's soundtrack.
On December 6, 2007, Chris Brown's "The Exclusive Holiday Tour" began in Cincinnati, Ohio, to support his album "Exclusive".
In 2007, Chris Brown founded the record label CBE (Chris Brown Entertainment or Culture Beyond Evolution) under Interscope Records.
In 2007, Chris Brown made his feature film debut in Stomp the Yard and appeared as a guest on the television series The O.C., demonstrating his growing presence in the entertainment industry.
In 2007, Chris Brown made his on-screen feature film debut as a supporting role in the dance drama 'Stomp the Yard' and took a leading role in the Christmas comedy film 'This Christmas'. He also portrayed Will Tutt in three episodes on the Fox television series The O.C. and guest starred as himself on the children's program Sesame Street.
In 2007, Chris Brown's second album, Exclusive, was released. It was commercially successful worldwide and spawned his second Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Kiss Kiss".
On February 9, 2008, Chris Brown's "The Exclusive Holiday Tour" concluded in Honolulu, Hawaii. The tour, which began on December 6, 2007, supported his album "Exclusive".
In March 2008, Chris Brown was featured on Jordin Sparks' single "No Air", which achieved worldwide success and peaked at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
On June 3, 2008, Chris Brown's re-issued album, "Exclusive: The Forever Edition", was released seven months after the original version. The re-issue featured four new tracks and further boosted the album's success.
In August 2008, Chris Brown made a guest appearance as himself on Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody".
In 2008, Chris Brown guest starred as himself on the children's program The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.
On September 29, 2009, Chris Brown released "I Can Transform Ya", the lead single from his album "Graffiti". The song peaked at number 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
In October 2009, Chris Brown founded Mechanical Dummy, a lifestyle website to promote trends in technology, music, culture, fashion, and style, serving as its creative director.
On November 23, 2009, Chris Brown released "Crawl" as the second single from his album, Graffiti. The song reached number 53 on the Billboard Hot 100.
On December 8, 2009, Chris Brown released his album Graffiti, taking full artistic control, writing every song except "I'll Go".
In 2009, Chris Brown mentioned he wrote about the experiences of 16-year-olds, like sneaking a girl into the house or stealing a car, reflecting his youth during the album's creation.
In 2009, Chris Brown's album 'Graffiti' debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200. At the time it was his lowest debut for a solo studio album on the chart.
In 2009, Chris Brown's song "Take You Down" earned him a Grammy award nomination for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.
In August 2010, Chris Brown starred alongside Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, Idris Elba, Hayden Christensen and T.I. in the crime thriller "Takers", also serving as executive producer of the film.
In September 2010, Chris Brown announced his album, F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), and its first single, "Yeah 3x", a dance-pop song, which received significant international success.
During 2010, Chris Brown released three free mixtapes: "In My Zone (Rhythm & Streets)", "Fan of a Fan" (with Tyga), and "In My Zone 2", showcasing a new writing and musical style, mixing R&B with hip-hop, and collaborated with new producers like Kevin McCall.
In 2010, Chris Brown acted in the heist thriller, 'Takers', which he also executive produced.
In February 2011, at the request of Brown's and Rihanna's lawyers, the judge modified the restraining order to a 'level one order', allowing both singers to appear at awards shows together in the future.
On March 18, 2011, Chris Brown's fourth studio album, F.A.M.E., was released, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 270,000 copies.
As of March 23, 2011, Chris Brown's album, Graffiti, had sold 341,000 copies in the US.
On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records, along with Arista Records and J Records, leading Chris Brown to release future material on the RCA Records brand.
In 2011, Chris Brown guest starred as himself on the Comedy Central series Tosh.O.
In 2011, Chris Brown released his fourth album, F.A.M.E., which topped the Billboard 200. The album included singles like "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now", and "Beautiful People", and it earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
In 2011, Chris Brown's single "Look at Me Now" featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, became the best-selling rap song of the year in the US and one of the best-selling singles of all time.
On February 12, 2012, Chris Brown won his first Grammy Award for Best R&B Album for F.A.M.E.. He also performed at the ceremony, marking his first appearance since his felony assault conviction.
In February 2012, Rihanna and Chris Brown released remixes to their singles "Turn Up the Music" and "Birthday Cake". This led observers to speculate about the status of their relationship.
In May 2012, Chris Brown partnered with artist Ron English to create a limited-edition toy and sculpture line called "Dum English", which they debuted at the Toy Art Gallery in Los Angeles.
On July 3, 2012, Chris Brown released his fifth studio album, Fortune. The album debuted atop the Billboard 200 but received negative reviews from critics.
In November 2012, Chris Brown launched the Symphonic Love Foundation, a nonprofit charity supporting arts programs for kids, health and education programs, and education on domestic abuse, dating violence, HIV/AIDS, and leadership programs.
In 2012, Chris Brown acted in the romantic comedy 'Think Like a Man'.
In 2012, Chris Brown released his fifth album, Fortune, which topped the Billboard 200 chart.
In 2012, Mike G was hired to help Chris Brown repair his public image.
On February 15, 2013, Chris Brown unofficially released the song "Home," which reflected on the dark side of fame and finding solace in his roots and the people who knew him before his rise to stardom.
On March 26, 2013, Chris Brown officially announced the upcoming release of his album X through various interviews and listening sessions, signaling a shift towards a more mature and soulful sound compared to his previous work.
On March 29, 2013, Chris Brown released "Fine China" as the lead single from his upcoming album X. The single received critical acclaim with Yahoo! describing it as "a soulful, 1970's-inspired track" and noting it as "Brown's most musical sound to date".
In November 2013, Chris Brown partnered with Sprayground, a New York backpack company, to launch a limited line of custom backpacks called the "Invasion Capsule Collection".
On November 19, 2013, Chris Brown released a mixtape titled X Files to hold fans over until the release of his album, X, which was in jeopardy due to his legal issues.
In 2013, Chris Brown acted in the dance film 'Battle of the Year'.
In a 2013 interview, Chris Brown stated that during his time in Harlem, his intention was to both rap and sing on his records, but Jive convinced him to stick to singing because rapping wasn't considered acceptable for an R&B singer at the time.
On February 22, 2014, it was announced that Chris Brown's album, X, would be released on his birthday, May 5, 2014.
On April 14, 2014, Chris Brown released a teaser of the new track "Don't Be Gone Too Long" featuring Ariana Grande.
On August 25, 2014, the title track "X" was released as an instant-gratification track alongside the album pre-order on iTunes.
On September 16, 2014, Chris Brown's sixth studio album, X, was released, receiving positive reviews from critics who considered it an improvement over his previous album. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200.
From 2014, the CBE record label, founded by Chris Brown, started to sign exclusively Chris Brown's works.
In 2014, Chris Brown released his album X, which peaked in the top three of the Billboard 200.
On February 24, 2015, Chris Brown released his first collaborative studio album with Tyga, titled Fan of a Fan: The Album. It was a follow-up to their 2010 mixtape, and its lead single "Ayo" achieved commercial success.
On October 13, 2015, Chris Brown announced that his album Royalty, dedicated to his daughter, would be released on November 27, 2015.
On November 27, 2015, Chris Brown released a free 34-track mixtape called Before the Party, featuring guest appearances from Rihanna, Wiz Khalifa and others, as a prelude to his album Royalty after its release was pushed back.
On December 11, 2015, A Bathing Ape revealed that Chris Brown would become the face of the brand's high end range, BAPE Black Label.
On December 18, 2015, Chris Brown released his seventh studio album, Royalty, which debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200. Chris Brown directed and released eight music videos for the songs of Royalty, serializing them to construct a linear story.
In 2015, Chris Brown released his album Royalty, which peaked in the top three of the Billboard 200.
In 2015, Chris Brown stated he owned fourteen Burger King restaurants.
In 2015, Chris Brown, under the pseudonym Konfused, worked on some of the walls of The Grammy Museum, mixing his spray paint drawings with images of James Brown, Prince, Michael Jackson and himself.
In March 2016, Chris Brown collaborated with Italian DJ Benny Benassi for the song "Paradise" from Benassi's album Danceaholic.
On May 5, 2016, Chris Brown released the single "Grass Ain't Greener" as the first single from his new album titled Heartbreak on a Full Moon.
On December 16, 2016, Chris Brown released the second official single from his album, "Party", featuring Usher and Gucci Mane.
In 2016, Chris Brown partnered with Snipes for a summer capsule collection and served as a model for Philipp Plein's fall and winter campaign. He also shared his definition of style in an interview with Vanity Fair Italia.
In 2016, Chris Brown's clothing label Black Pyramid was set for a larger release, partnering with streetwear clothing lines such as Snipes for worldwide distribution, also being distributed through its own Black Pyramid boutiques.
On August 4, 2017, Chris Brown released the fourth single from his upcoming album, the trap song "Pills & Automobiles", featuring Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Kodak Black.
On October 25, 2017, Chris Brown organized a free pop-up concert in New York City with Tidal to perform the singles on the album and promote it.
On October 31, 2017, Chris Brown released his double-disc album Heartbreak on a Full Moon digitally, explaining that it depicted what his soul wanted to say. CD release followed three days later by RCA Records.
On December 13, 2017, Chris Brown released a surprise deluxe edition of his album, titled Cuffing Season – 12 Days of Christmas, which included 12 new tracks.
In 2017, Chris Brown produced and starred in a documentary on himself entitled 'Welcome to My Life'.
In 2017, Chris Brown released his eighth album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. The album was certified gold after one week and later certified double platinum.
On January 31, 2018, shortly after President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address, Chris Brown released for free the track "State of the Union", a ballad expressing a message about social harmony.
On March 15, 2018, Chris Brown was featured on Lil Dicky's hit single "Freaky Friday", which became a successful comedy song, topping charts in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
On January 4, 2019, Chris Brown released "Undecided" as the lead single from his ninth album, Indigo, reuniting with producer Scott Storch. The single was his first release after signing an extension and new license agreement with RCA Records, granting him ownership of his master recordings.
In May 2019, Chris Brown surpassed James Brown for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among R&B singers.
On June 10, 2019, Chris Brown announced the "Indigoat Tour," a headlining concert tour throughout the US to perform the album Indigo.
On June 28, 2019, Chris Brown released his ninth album, Indigo, which explored his R&B roots and other genres. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
On October 4, 2019, Chris Brown released a deluxe version of Indigo, entitled Indigo Extended, featuring 10 additional songs, bringing the total to 42 songs.
In 2019, Chris Brown's ninth studio album, Indigo, debuted atop the Billboard 200. It included the single "No Guidance", which broke the record for longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
In 2019, Chris Brown's single "No Guidance" became the longest running #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay Chart with 27 weeks.
In January 2020, Chris Brown initially set the record for longest running #1 on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with his 2019 single "No Guidance", which remained #1 for 27 weeks.
On April 29, 2020, Chris Brown announced the release of a collaborative mixtape with Young Thug titled Slime & B.
On May 1, 2020, Chris Brown was featured on Drake's Dark Lane Demo Tapes mixtape, on the track "Not You Too". The song earned Brown his 100th career entry on the US Billboard Hot 100.
On May 5, 2020, Chris Brown and Young Thug released their collaborative mixtape, Slime & B, featuring the hit single "Go Crazy."
In May 2020, Chris Brown became the first R&B artist in history to achieve 100 entries on the Billboard Hot 100.
On July 9, 2020, Chris Brown announced via Instagram that his tenth album would be titled Breezy, referencing his stage nickname.
In 2020, Chris Brown painted a mural in memory of Kobe Bryant, doing a portray that includes Kobe's face, a mamba, and a few pictures of Kobe dribbling and dunking a basketball.
In April 2021, Chris Brown's song "Go Crazy" broke the record for the longest-running No. 1 song on R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay, surpassing his 2019 hit single "No Guidance".
On August 2, 2021, Chris Brown announced that his Breezy album would be accompanied by a short film of the same name; however, it was never released.
On November 11, 2021, Chris Brown launched his own cereal, "Breezy's Cosmic Crunch", partnering with SoFlo Snacks for this limited edition of collectible breakfast cereal.
In 2021, Chris Brown played a supporting role in the sports comedy film 'She Ball'.
On January 14, 2022, Chris Brown released the single "Iffy", which peaked at #1 on the Rhythmic Radio Chart on April 3, 2022.
On March 27, 2022, Chris Brown co-headlined a F1 post-race concert for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
On April 1, 2022, Chris Brown released the second single from his album Breezy, "WE (Warm Embrace)".
On April 3, 2022, Chris Brown's single "Iffy" peaked at #1 on the Rhythmic Radio Chart.
On April 26, 2022, Chris Brown announced his US summer tour "One of Them Ones" with Lil Baby.
In May 2022, Chris Brown partnered with Renowned and BlackNFTArt to launch an NFT collection, "The Auracles", with accompanying physical streetwear pieces.
On June 11, 2022, Chris Brown performed at Drai's After Hours Nightclub at The Cromwell Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas to mark the launch of his new multi-year residency at the venue.
On June 17, 2022, Chris Brown released the audio for an Afrobeats collaboration with Nigerian singer Wizkid titled "Call Me Every Day".
On June 24, 2022, Chris Brown released his tenth studio album, Breezy, which debuted at number four on the Billboard 200.
In July 2022, Chris Brown released "The Breezyverse", a NFT collection consisting of 10,000 3D animated NFTs with sound and visual effects on the Ethereum blockchain, released in conjunction with his tenth studio album Breezy.
In July 2022, Chris Brown surpassed Elvis Presley for the most Billboard Hot 100 entries among male singers. Also in July 2022, Chris Brown overtook singer The Weeknd for the most charted songs on Billboard's nearly 10-year-old Hot R&B Songs chart.
In September 2022, Chris Brown became the first R&B singer in history to chart over 50 top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, achieving the record with his single "Under the Influence."
In September 2022, the pair of songwriters who sued Chris Brown and Drake for copyright infringement on "No Guidance" dropped the lawsuit in its entirety.
On October 14, 2022, Chris Brown appeared as a special guest at Usher's Las Vegas Residency, performing several songs. Usher hailed Brown as a legend during the performance.
On November 16, 2022, Chris Brown released two Christmas-themed songs, "No Time Like Christmas" and "It's Giving Christmas".
In 2022, Chris Brown revealed that he sold his portfolio of Burger King restaurants.
In 2022, the song "Under the Influence" from Chris Brown's Indigo album was re-released as a single and became a sleeper hit.
In January 2023, Chris Brown broke Elvis Presley's record for the most gold certified singles by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) among all male vocalists, scoring his 56th gold-certified single with "Call Me Everyday".
In January 2023, Chris Brown surpassed Elvis Presley for the most RIAA gold-certified singles among all male vocalists in history.
In February 2023, Chris Brown became the first male vocalist in RIAA history to score 20 multi-platinum singles in the US.
In February 2023, Pollstar reported that Chris Brown had grossed $166 million from 284 shows between 2006 and 2022, marking him as one of the highest grossing African American touring artists of all time.
In March 2023, Chris Brown became the fifth artist in Billboard's history to reach 10 No. 1s on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with his hit record "Under the Influence".
In April 2023, Chris Brown co-headlined Rolling Loud Thailand in its inaugural year, alongside Travis Scott and Cardi B.
In May 2023, Chris Brown partnered with Zellerfeld, Nos Ailes, and The Auracles to launch his own line of 3D printed slides, NAMI.
In June 2023, Chris Brown released "Summer Too Hot", the lead single from his eleventh album, which was later nominated for a Grammy Award.
In June 2023, the musician who filed the copyright infringement on "Pills and Automobiles" dropped the lawsuit.
On August 4, 2023, the single "How We Roll" in collaboration with Ciara was released.
On August 27, 2023, Chris Brown headlined a one-off concert from Jamaica National Stadium, titled Chris Brown and Friends Live In Jamaica, as part of his 'Under the Influence Tour'.
On September 8, 2023, Chris Brown alongside Mariah the Scientist appeared as featured artists on Tee Grizzley single IDGAF.
In September 2023, Chris Brown partnered with Originals, a California-based cannabis brand and dispensary, to launch Bussin, a recreational cannabis brand.
In October 2023, Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. announced a partnership with Chris Brown, where he would become an ambassador and Co-Creation Officer of the company.
On October 20, 2023, Chris Brown released the Afrobeats song "Sensational" featuring Nigerian artists Lojay and Davido, as the second single from 11:11.
On October 21, 2023, Chris Brown clarified that the album 11:11 would actually contain 22 songs as opposed to the 11 he had stated previously.
On November 6, 2023, Chris Brown confirmed that there would be 7 featured artists on the album 11:11, including Lojay, Davido, Future, Fridayy, Byron Messia and 2 hidden features.
On November 7, 2023, Chris Brown released the single "Nightmares" featuring Byron Messia.
On November 10, 2023, Chris Brown released his album '11:11', marking his third double album. The album features a mix of R&B, pop, Afrobeats, and dancehall influences and consists of 11 tracks on each side. It debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200.
In December 2023, Vevo reported that Chris Brown was the 6th most watched artist in the US and 10th most watched artist globally for the 2023 calendar year.
During a 2023 interview with Shannon Sharpe, Chris Brown mentioned he started considering music as his job after winning a talent show at age 11, performing Sisqó's "Thong Song".
In 2023, Chris Brown described working on his first album as a learning experience and felt insecure about releasing "Run It!" as his first single.
In January 2024, Chris Brown became the first artist in the 21st century to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for at least 20 distinct and consecutive calendar years.
In January 2024, Chris Brown became the first artist in the 21st century to have charted on the Billboard Hot 100 for twenty consecutive years, with Tee Grizzley's single "IDGAF" featuring Chris Brown and Mariah the Scientist.
On March 5, 2024, Chris Brown announced "The 11:11 Tour", a North American arena tour featuring singers Ayra Starr, Muni Long and Maeta as supporting acts.
In March 2024, Chris Brown launched a line of disposable vapes called the CB 15K x Chris Brown Disposable Vape.
On April 11, 2024, Chris Brown released '11:11 (Deluxe)', the expanded edition of his eleventh album, featuring 13 additional tracks and collaborations with Lil Wayne, Bryson Tiller, Davido, Joyner Lucas, Tee Grizzley and Mario.
In November 2024, Chris Brown became the first male vocalist in RIAA history to score over 40 platinum singles in the US.
As of 2024, Chris Brown has certified 114.5 million digital singles in the US, which is the most of any male R&B singer in history and tied for 11th overall among all artists across genres.
In 2024, Chris Brown grossed $82 million from his 11:11 tour.
On January 23, 2025, Chris Brown released a music video for his Grammy-nominated song "Residuals" from the 11:11 (Deluxe) album.
On February 2, 2025, Chris Brown's '11:11 (Deluxe)' won the Grammy for "Best R&B Album" at the 2025 Grammy Awards.
On March 27, 2025, Chris Brown announced a stadium world tour titled the "Breezy Bowl XX" with special guests Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his self-titled album.
Kobe Bryant a legendary shooting guard dedicated his -year NBA...
Rolling Loud is a major international hip hop music festival...
Instagram is a photo and video-sharing social networking service owned...
Travis Scott Jacques Bermon Webster II is a highly successful...
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a highly successful Barbadian singer actress...
Stranger Things created by the Duffer Brothers is a popular...
5 months ago Zach Edey, Grizzlies center, faces reckless driving charge for speeding in Indiana.
21 days ago Lakers Defeat Trail Blazers 123-115, Smith shines as unexpected hero alongside Hachimura.
8 days ago Connor Bedard's Speed and Skill Drive Blackhawks' Success with Key Goals and Wins
7 months ago Hawks Face Heat: Capela's Status, Trae Young's Availability, and Banchero/Wagner Update
1 month ago Juan Soto, Alonso, Lindor Named 2025 Silver Slugger Award Finalists in NL
5 months ago Chet Holmgren Prepares for NBA Finals Game 7, Joins NBA TV
Aftyn Alyssa Behn is an American politician currently serving as...
William Franklin Graham III commonly known as Franklin Graham is...
Candace Owens is an American conservative political commentator and author...
XXXTentacion born Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy was a controversial yet...
Marjorie Taylor Greene known as MTG is a U S...
Maxine Waters is an American politician who has served as...