Discover the career path of Chris Brown, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.
Chris Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor, recognized for his contributions to R&B, pop, and hip-hop music. Often dubbed the "King of R&B," his work frequently explores emotional and hedonistic themes. His vocal and dance talents have drawn comparisons to Michael Jackson, solidifying his presence in the entertainment industry.
In 1992, the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart was established, which would later become a chart where Chris Brown achieved significant success.
In 1995 Chris Brown became the first male artist to top the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his debut single, "Run It!".
In 1995, Chris Brown was the first male act to have his debut single reach the summit of the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2022, Chris Brown was served a copyright infringement lawsuit alleging that "Privacy" lifted a line from the 1997 dancehall track "Tight Up Skirt", recorded by Red Rat.
In 2004 Chris Brown signs with Jive Records.
In 2004, at age 13, Chris Brown was discovered by Hitmission Records. He then attended Essex High School in Virginia until late 2004, when he moved to New York to pursue his music career.
In late 2004, Chris Brown dropped out of Essex High School in Virginia to pursue a music career.
In February 2005, after signing to Jive Records in 2004, Chris Brown began recording his self-titled debut studio album.
On November 29, 2005, Chris Brown released his self-titled debut album. It debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 and sold over three million copies in the US.
In 2005, Chris Brown collaborated with producer Scott Storch on his breakout hit song, "Run It!".
In 2005, Chris Brown released album's second single, "Kiss Kiss", reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, and becoming Brown's second number one single following "Run It!".
In early 2005, Chris Brown dropped out of Essex High School in Virginia to pursue a music career.
On June 13, 2006, Chris Brown released a DVD entitled Chris Brown's Journey, featuring footage from his travels and preparations.
On August 17, 2006, Chris Brown began his major co-headlining tour, The Up Close and Personal Tour, pushing back production for his next album.
Chris Brown is reported to have started his touring years in 2006, according to Pollstar's report.
In 2006, Chris Brown performed a notable dancing live performance including his "Thriller" recreation at the World Music Awards.
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 November 6, 2007, Chris Brown released his second studio album, Exclusive, in the US. The album debuted at number four on the Billboard 200 chart, 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 to encourage students to use their math skills to help children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases.
On November 21, 2007, Chris Brown starred as a leading role in the family drama movie, "This Christmas" alongside Regina King. He also contributed to the movie's soundtrack, including his cover versions of "Try a Little Tenderness" and "This Christmas".
On December 6, 2007, Chris Brown began The Exclusive Holiday Tour in Cincinnati, Ohio, to further support his album Exclusive. The tour visited over thirty venues in the United States.
In 2007, Chris Brown founded the record label CBE (Chris Brown Entertainment/Culture Beyond Evolution) under Interscope Records, signing various artists and collaborators.
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.
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.
In 2007, Chris Brown released his second album, Exclusive, which achieved commercial success worldwide. The album spawned his second Billboard Hot 100 number-one single, "Kiss Kiss".
On February 9, 2008, Chris Brown concluded The Exclusive Holiday Tour in Honolulu, Hawaii. The tour supported his album Exclusive and included over thirty venues across the United States.
In March 2008, Chris Brown was featured on Jordin Sparks' single "No Air," which became a worldwide success, peaking at number three on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart.
On June 3, 2008, Chris Brown released the re-issue of his album Exclusive, titled "Exclusive: The Forever Edition." 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" as 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 focused on technology, music, culture, fashion, style, and emerging brands, where he also served as 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 third studio album, Graffiti. Brown took full artistic control, writing every song except "I'll Go".
In 2009, Chris Brown mentioned that he writes about the things that 16-year-olds go through every day.
In 2009, Chris Brown's album, Graffiti, debuted at number seven on the US Billboard 200 chart. This was surpassed by his album 11:11 in 2023 as the lowest debut for one of his solo studio albums on the chart.
In August 2010, Chris Brown starred in the crime thriller Takers alongside an ensemble cast including Matt Dillon, Paul Walker, and Idris Elba. He also served as the executive producer of the film.
In September 2010, Chris Brown announced his album, F.A.M.E. (Forgiving All My Enemies), and the release of the first single, "Yeah 3x".
In 2010, Chris Brown acted in the heist thriller, Takers, and also served as an executive producer.
In 2010, Chris Brown appeared in the film Takers.
In 2010, Chris Brown released three free mixtapes: In My Zone (Rhythm & Streets), Fan of a Fan (collaborative mixtape with rapper Tyga), and In My Zone 2. These mixtapes featured a new writing and musical style, mixing R&B with hip-hop and featured new producers like Kevin McCall. "Deuces" was released as a single from Fan of a Fan.
In 2010, following his mixtapes, Chris Brown approached hip-hop differently, rapping frequently on mixtapes and features, adding fully hip-hop songs to his albums.
On March 18, 2011, Chris Brown released his fourth studio album F.A.M.E. The album debuted 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 United States.
On October 7, 2011, RCA Music Group announced it was disbanding Jive Records along with Arista Records and J Records. Chris Brown, along with other artists previously signed to these labels, would 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 had a notable dancing live performance at the MTV Video Music Awards with a medley that included flying parts.
In 2011, Chris Brown released his fourth album F.A.M.E., which topped the Billboard 200. The album included the successful singles "Yeah 3x", "Look at Me Now", and "Beautiful People" and earned him the Grammy Award for Best R&B Album.
In 2011, Chris Brown's hip-hop single "Look at Me Now," featuring Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, reached number one on the US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for eight consecutive weeks. It also reached number one on the US Hot Rap Songs chart and became one of the best-selling rap songs of the year.
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 respective singles, "Turn Up the Music" and "Birthday Cake", leading to speculation about the status of their relationship.
In May 2012, Chris Brown partnered with artist Ron English to launch "Dum English", a limited-edition toy and sculpture line, 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 organization supporting arts programs for kids and providing education on domestic abuse, dating violence, HIV/AIDS, and leadership programs for children with developmental disabilities.
In 2012, Chris Brown acted in the romantic comedy Think Like a Man.
In 2012, Chris Brown hired Mike G to help him repair his public image.
In 2012, Chris Brown released his fifth album, Fortune, which also topped the Billboard 200 chart.
On February 15, 2013, Chris Brown unofficially released the song "Home," reflecting on the dark side of fame and finding solace in his roots.
On March 26, 2013, Chris Brown announced the upcoming release of his album 'X' in various interviews and listening sessions, signaling a shift towards a more mature and soulful sound.
On March 29, 2013, Chris Brown released "Fine China" as the lead single from his upcoming album, 'X'. The song, lauded as a soulful, 1970s-inspired track, garnered critical acclaim.
In November 2013, Chris Brown partnered with Sprayground, a New York backpack company, to launch a limited line of custom backpacks, the "Invasion Capsule Collection".
On November 19, 2013, to hold fans over until the release of album X, Chris Brown released a mixtape titled 'X Files'.
In 2013, Chris Brown acted in the dance film Battle of the Year.
In 2013, Chris Brown mentioned in an interview with Rolling Stone that his songs are derived from personal experiences, blending reality with art.
In a 2013 interview, Chris Brown mentioned that during his time in Harlem, his artistic intention was to both rap and sing, but Jive convinced him to stick to just singing.
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 and received positive reviews, marking a significant improvement over its predecessor. The album debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200, selling 146,000 copies in its first week.
From 2014, the CBE record label 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 collaborative studio album with Tyga, titled 'Fan of a Fan: The Album'.
On October 13, 2015, Chris Brown announced that his album 'Royalty' would be released on November 27, 2015.
On November 27, 2015, Chris Brown released a free 34-track mixtape called 'Before the Party' as a prelude to his album 'Royalty'.
On December 11, 2015, Chris Brown became the face of BAPE Black Label, the high end range of Japanese fashion brand A Bathing Ape.
On December 18, 2015, Chris Brown's album 'Royalty', dedicated to his daughter, was released and debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200.
In 2015, Chris Brown performed freestyled dancing over Future's "March Madness" at the Vestival The Hague Malieveld, including an acclaimed front-flip.
In 2015, Chris Brown released his album Royalty, which also peaked in the top three of the Billboard 200.
In 2015, Chris Brown 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 again 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 Heartbreak on a Full Moon, titled "Party," featuring Usher and Gucci Mane.
In 2016, Chris Brown partnered with German streetwear company Snipes for a capsule collection and modeled for Philipp Plein's fall/winter campaign. He also defined style as self-awareness and confidence in Vanity Fair Italia.
In 2016, the Black Pyramid clothing label was set for larger release, partnering with streetwear lines such as Snipes for worldwide distribution and through its own Black Pyramid boutiques.
On August 4, 2017, Chris Brown released "Pills & Automobiles", featuring Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, and Kodak Black, as the fourth single from his album.
In August 2017, Chris Brown explained that the concept for the album Heartbreak on a Full Moon was a depiction of what his soul wanted to say.
On October 25, 2017, Chris Brown organized a free pop-up concert with Tidal in New York City to perform singles from his album and promote it.
On October 31, 2017, Chris Brown released his double-disc album 'Heartbreak on a Full Moon'.
On December 13, 2017, Chris Brown released a 12-track surprise deluxe edition of the album Heartbreak on a Full Moon, titled 'Cuffing Season – 12 Days of Christmas'.
In 2017, Chris Brown embarked on The Party Tour, continuing to share snippets of songs and working on his album, building a recording studio inside his home.
In 2017, Chris Brown produced and starred in a documentary about himself entitled Welcome to My Life.
In 2017, Chris Brown released his eighth album, Heartbreak on a Full Moon. This double-disc LP was certified gold after one week and later certified double platinum.
On January 31, 2018, Chris Brown released for free the track "State of the Union", a ballad with a message about social harmony, shortly after President Donald Trump's 2020 State of the Union Address.
In February 2018, Chris Brown and rapper Joyner Lucas announced an upcoming collaboration project titled 'Angels & Demons' with the release of the single "Stranger Things".
On March 15, 2018, Chris Brown was featured on Lil Dicky's hit single "Freaky Friday".
In June 2018, Chris Brown embarked on his US "Heartbreak on a Full Moon Tour" to further promote the album.
On January 4, 2019, Chris Brown released "Undecided" as the lead single from his ninth album, Indigo. This release marked a reunion with producer Scott Storch and was Brown's first release after signing an extension 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 official headlining concert tour, "Indigoat Tour", to promote his album Indigo, which included performances throughout the US.
On June 28, 2019, Chris Brown released his ninth studio album, Indigo. The album explored R&B roots and other genres, debuting at number one on the US Billboard 200 with 108,000 album-equivalent units in its first week.
On October 4, 2019, Chris Brown released a deluxe version of his album Indigo, titled Indigo Extended. The extended version featured 10 additional songs, bringing the total to 42 songs.
In December 2019, Chris Brown revealed he had started working on new material for his tenth studio album.
In 2019, Chris Brown released "No Guidance", which would later become the longest-running #1 hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart, remaining at the top for 27 weeks by January 2020.
In 2019, Chris Brown released his ninth studio album, Indigo, which debuted atop the Billboard 200. The album included the single "No Guidance," which broke the record for longest-running number one on Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart.
In January 2020, Chris Brown initially set the record for the longest running #1 hit on the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay chart with his 2019 single "No Guidance", which remained at #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".
On May 5, 2020, Chris Brown and Young Thug released their collaborative mixtape, Slime & B, which featured 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.
In 2020, Chris Brown painted a mural in memory of Kobe Bryant, doing a portray that includes Kobe's face, a mamba, and pictures of Kobe dribbling and dunking a basketball.
On August 2, 2021, Chris Brown announced on his Instagram account that his Breezy album would be accompanied by a short film of the same name, which ultimately did not happen.
On November 11, 2021, Chris Brown launched his own cereal, "Breezy's Cosmic Crunch", in partnership with SoFlo Snacks.
In 2021, Chris Brown returned to film playing a supporting role in the sports comedy film She Ball.
On January 14, 2022, Chris Brown released the single "Iffy", which later peaked at #1 on the Rhythmic Radio Chart on April 3, 2022.
On March 27, 2022, Chris Brown co-headlined a Formula 1 post-race concert for the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
On April 1, 2022, Chris Brown released the second single from his album Breezy, titled "WE (Warm Embrace)".
On April 3, 2022, Chris Brown's single "Iffy" peaked to #1 of the Rhythmic Radio Chart.
On April 26, 2022, Chris Brown announced his US summer tour, "One of Them Ones", with rapper Lil Baby, which included 27 stops in North America starting on July 15.
In May 2022, Chris Brown partnered with Renowned and BlackNFTArt to launch "The Auracles", an NFT collection 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 launch 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", one week ahead of the album release.
On June 24, 2022, Chris Brown released his tenth studio album, Breezy, by RCA Records and CBE, debuting at number four on the Billboard 200.
In July 2022, Chris Brown released "The Breezyverse", an NFT collection consisting of 10,000 3D animated NFTs with sound and visual effects implemented on the Ethereum blockchain. It was 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, 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 51st top 40 hit, "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 to perform a few songs. Following his performance, Usher hailed Brown as a legend.
On November 16, 2022, Chris Brown released two Christmas-themed songs, "No Time Like Christmas" and "It's Giving Christmas".
By 2022, Chris Brown had grossed $166 million from 284 shows since 2006, according to a Pollstar report.
In 2022, Chris Brown's Indigo album had a sleeper hit with its song "Under the Influence", which was re-released as a single.
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 with his 56th gold-certified single, "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.
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 of his eleventh album.
In June 2023, the musician who filed the copyright infringement lawsuit on Chris Brown's "Pills and Automobiles" dropped the lawsuit.
On August 4, 2023, Chris Brown's single "How We Roll" in collaboration with Ciara was released.
On August 27, 2023, Chris Brown headlined a one-off concert at 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, Chris Brown partnered with Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc, an electric vehicle startup, as an ambassador and Co-Creation Officer.
On October 20, 2023, Chris Brown released the Afrobeats song "Sensational" featuring Nigerian artists Lojay and Davido, as the second single of his 11:11 album.
On October 21, 2023, Chris Brown clarified that his upcoming album 11:11 would 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 11:11 album, including Lojay, Davido, Future, Fridayy, Byron Messia, and two 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", his third double album containing 11 tracks on each side. The album debuted at number nine on the US Billboard 200.
In December 2023, Vevo reported Chris Brown as the 6th most watched artist in the US and 10th globally for the 2023 calendar year, with 413.7 million views in the US and 1.4 billion views globally.
During a 2023 interview with Shannon Sharpe, Chris Brown stated that he considered music as his job after winning a talent show during a summer camp when he was 11 years old, performing Sisqó’s "Thong Song".
In 2023 Chris Brown reflected on his first album.
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.
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)", containing 13 additional tracks and features from Lil Wayne, Bryson Tiller, Davido, Joyner Lucas, Tee Grizzley and Mario. The song "Freak" features a verse where Brown disses Quavo, leading to a series of diss tracks between the two.
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, the most of any male R&B singer in history, tying for 11th overall across all 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 March 27, 2025, Chris Brown announced a stadium world tour titled "Breezy Bowl XX" with special guests Summer Walker and Bryson Tiller, celebrating the 20th anniversary of his self-titled album.
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