When Chris Brown first arrived on the pop culture scene back in 2004, I can recall a sweet kid with a warm smile who had legitimate talent. He was everywhere too. Talk shows, movies, even guest starring on series like "The OC."
I liked his personality, admired his talent and was happy to see his meteoric rise to super stardom. In the beginning he came off as genuine and respectful. It was refreshing to me, especially since so many young artists felt the need to be outrageous or shocking in order to establish themselves as a household name.
Yes, you could say that I was a fan. It's because Brown was different. As a boy who grew up in Virginia performing in the church choir and local talent shows, he seemed to bring his kind-hearted nature into every performing role he had at the time. I think of his character, Baby, in the film "This Christmas" as a tremendous example of the Brown I appreciated.
So it was quite troubling to me to see the series of profanity laced, anti-cop, racially charged Instagram videos Brown recorded while holed up in his Los Angeles mansion with police surrounding his property.
R&B singer Chris Brown appears at Los Angeles Superior court Monday, July 15, 2013, where a judge revoked Brown's probation after reading details of an alleged hit-and-run accident and his behavior afterward, but the singer was not ordered to jail. Another hearing is set for Aug. 16. The singer has been on felony probation in the 2009 beating of former girlfriend Rihanna. (Credit: AP)
In the videos he accused everyone else of putting him in the position that he was in after a woman that was at his home during a gathering the night before claimed that the singer had allegedly stuck a gun in her face and threatened her.
It wasn't the first time I was troubled by reports of Chris Brown's actions; in fact, it was just the most recent in a long stretch of bad boy drama that has been the biggest turn off as someone who was once a fan.
After having plugged his newly released single in one of his woe-is-me Instagram videos, he stated that he was frustrated that the media was pursuing a story that he claimed had no merit. Saying, “...what I do care about is you’re defacing my name, my character, and my integrity.”
This coming from a man who has had numerous allegations of assault charged against him from people as close to him as former managers and as loyal as fans; has been convicted of felony battery on former girlfriend Rihanna and seems to have real problem getting along with other artists in nightclub settings.
During the police standoff in which Brown was proclaiming how much his integrity meant to him, TMZ reported that a duffel bag filled with drugs, a gun and other weapons were tossed from one of his windows.
In another Instagram video, Brown claimed innocence but in the same breath taunted the police and then invoked Black Lives Matter. Because as any reasonable innocent person would, Brown refused to even speak with cops about the allegations until they got a court order to go in after him.
In another video, Brown, with cigarette in hand, almost seemed delirious in nature rambling from one thought to another, even besmirching his own fame at one point.
After several hours of waiting, LAPD were issued a warrant to proceed with a search of Brown's residence and after what police claim was a thorough investigation, they arrested Brown for assault with a deadly weapon and transferred him to a local jail for processing.
As his rap sheet continues to grow it has been noticeable that work for the singer has slowed in recent years when you compare it to the start of his career. For a guy who is only 27 years old, it should concern everyone who cares about his continued success that he is falling away from what made him a star in the first place.
Mix with that companies and record labels that would rather collaborate with less risky artists and it may be a mixture for career suicide.
But to find his way back to a good place it needs to be more than just his support system that helps him get there. Because if Chris Brown thought the public at large still believed he had any character or integrity left, he is more disconnected to perception than Donald Trump.
While Brown blames the media, police and women who make calls for help, he needs to realize that he defaced his own name years ago and as long as he keeps drumming up these situations, he has zero credibility in which to rebuild his name.
So maybe in all of the accusations, whining and pointing of fingers, Chris Brown needs to look in the mirror and realize that it's not us--it's him.
Wade Heath is a Speaker, Columnist and Host of The Millennial Report. Contact him: WadeTheBlaze@Gmail.com
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