Chris Brown

Photo: MTV News

Chris Brown is ready to move on with his life following his assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna.

He has been sentenced and has begun his community labor and counseling; he’s made the media rounds, apologizing for his actions; and he’s gearing up for the release of his album next month. But when it comes to jumping back into the dating pool, the singer said that’s on hold — for now.

“My whole dating thing, I’ve been kinda chillin’,” he told MTV News. “I mean, I’m Chris Brown. I’m not saying it like that, but it’s just, like, girls are gonna be around. I love women. But I would say I’ve just been chillin’. I haven’t really been trying to get into a relationship or trying to date anybody. I’ve just kinda been working on me. Like I said, just really getting me straight.”

Brown premiered his new video for “Crawl” on Friday during a brief appearance on “The Wendy Williams Show.” The singer spoke about the song recently to MTV News and admitted it was inspired in part by his ex-girlfriend.

“When I heard the whole concept and everything, I was like, ‘Yo, this is crazy,’ ” Brown said about the track. “So being able to express the feelings, it was like, probably one of the best [records I've done]. But it was more than me trying to do a record that meant crawl to love, crawl back to love — meaning whether it’s from your negative situations, whether it’s from any problems you’ve dealt with, like anybody’s situation. Mine being my personal situation with shorty, but for anybody, for being inspired as far as it being the war or a death in the family, whether it’s anything, anybody just crawl back to love. ‘Cause love conquers everything. Love, at the end of the day, makes everybody happy.”

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

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Chris Brown

Photo: MTV News

In the lyrics to Chris Brown’s song, “Crawl,” the singer not-so-subtly seems to be calling for the return of his ex-girlfriend Rihanna, with whom he has apparently finally split in the aftermath of his assault on her in February.

“So we’ll crawl, until we can walk again,” Brown sings on the tune. “Then we’ll run, until we’re strong enough to jump/ Then we’ll fly, until there is no wind/ So let’s crawl, crawl, crawl, back to love.”

But Brown, who debuted the video for “Crawl” on “The Wendy Williams Show” on Friday (November 13), told MTV News that the song actually isn’t just about his own relationships. He said “Crawl” is more of a universal message dedicated to moving on past any type of heartache.

“When I heard the whole concept and everything I was like,
‘Yo, this is crazy,’ ” Brown said about the track. “So being able to express the feelings, it was like, probably one of the best [records I've done.] But it was more than me trying to do a record that meant crawl to love, crawl back to love. Meaning whether it’s from your negative situations, whether it’s from any problems you’ve dealt with, like anybody’s situation. Mine being my personal situation with shorty, but for anybody, for being inspired as far it being the war or a death in the family, whether it’s anything, anybody just crawl back to love.
‘Cause love conquers everything. Love, at the end of the day, makes everybody happy.”

Joseph Khan, who directed the song’s video, predicted the visuals to “Crawl” will make as much of an impact as the song. Khan spoke to MTV News recently about the video.

“It’s my first ballad with Chris, and it was easy,” Khan said of “Crawl.” “Again, it’s another idea that he clearly had, in terms of what the genesis of the idea is. I don’t even know if Chris is trying to say anything with the video. I think he just sort of, as an artist, I think Chris communicates more through what he does … and so what he does in the video will speak for itself.”

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Chris Brown appears on BET’s “106 & Park” Thursday

Photo: MTV News

In a sit-down interview before a live audience on BET’s “106 & Park,” Chris Brown admitted he watched Rihanna’s “20/20″ interview with Diane Sawyer.

“I respect her decisions and whatever she wants to say,” he said. “I personally want to keep things private, but at the end of the day, it’s her decision.”

Throughout the sit-down, which was recorded earlier this week and aired Thursday (November 12), Brown continued to apologize for assaulting Rihanna. The singer has revealed more of his emotions in each interview. He first broke his silence with Larry King, then Hot 97’s Angie Martinez, and last week with MTV News correspondent Sway during “Chris Brown: The Interview.”

During the BET interview, Brown also discussed the isolation he feels in the aftermath of the February incident.

“I’m working on it,” Brown explained. “I’m really going through it. It’s not just the physical labor [aspect of my punishment]; it’s the mental labor. It’s things that a 19-year-old or a 20-year-old has to deal with. It’s not just the room saying, ‘We don’t like you’; it’s the world. It kind of messes with a real person. I’m a real guy. I’m not a mannequin or a robot. I’m a real dude, so that hurts.”

Brown said being judged by the court of public opinion is the worst of his punishments.

When he initially appeared in public following his attack on Rihanna, Brown said he wanted to wear glasses and hide. “I didn’t want people to really see me,” he said. “I was nervous and embarrassed — just really standoffish.”

Brown was asked to respond to a comment Rihanna made during her Sawyer interview when the “Umbrella” singer said she wanted her ex-boyfriend to not feel sorry for himself. He admitted his grief but said it’s part of his rehabilitation process.

“I don’t think I would be human if I didn’t feel sorry for myself,” Brown said. “I do feel like it was a mistake I made, and I’m embarrassed with a mistake I made. It’s something I have to live with, but it’s something that I’m gonna change.”

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

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Chris Brown

Photo: Jason LaVeris/ FilmMagic

Together, Chris Brown and Soulja Boy Tell’em have the type of star power that could resurrect the Scream Tour.

The duo have collaborated on a record together for Brown’s forthcoming Graffiti album, “Bad.” Both spoke to MTV News about the song recently, saying it’s definitely one the ladies will enjoy.

“Well, me and him, we been on tour together and we’re friends, so I was just like, ‘Yo, I gotta do a record with Soulja Boy,’ ” Brown said. “Because me and him are always gonna have, like, this kind of energy, just as far as kids, and with him, he does records that are, like, the easiest records ever. I’m not discrediting him, ’cause they’re big records, but he could talk about, ‘I got my shoes on, I got my hat on, but I’m fresh though,’ and it could be something funny. But it’s always something that can be catchy for kids, and I wanna do something that’s real cool for everybody.

“Me and him did this record called ‘Bad’ — it’s a nice little joint. I talk about this girl, [saying,] ‘She fine.’ So it’s kinda cool.”

Soulja Boy said he knew expectations for the collabo would be high, so the rapper was extra focused when he put pen to pad.

“My approach to it was, ‘If me and Chris Brown ever did a song together, it got to be the best song ever,’ ” he said. “When people hear it, it gotta be automatic — be in all the kids’ heads, all the girls definitely gotta love it, all the females gotta love it. That was my approach to it. I was just thinking, ‘What is the slickest lines I could say to a female to make them fall in love with this record?’ ”

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Rihanna

Photo: MTV News

Celebrity Favorites

“Yeah, yeah, yeah!” When somebody is as consistent as Young Jeezy, it’s tough to say he’s in a zone. That’s just him. The Snowman brings it repeatedly. (”Bag Music” is kinda sick too, by the way.) Singer Rihanna praised his work on her new record “Hard.”

“When I first heard the song, I was in Paris,” Rihanna said earlier this week of the track, which was written by The-Dream and produced by Tricky Stewart. “Dream and Tricky, they flew out and played me the record. They played me a few [songs], but this one stuck out to me. It had such an arrogance to it, which is so far from who I am … which is part of why I wanted to do it. It was fun. It was bragging. A lot of attitude. Young Jeezy was the perfect person for the topic of the song. Just the vibe of the song. I love, love, love his verse. He added so much more to the record.”

Streets Is Talking: News And Notes From The Underground

“If the good die young, then the greats go to jail,” Pusha T raps on the Clipse’s new single, “Doorman.”

The duo have been reflecting on the incarceration of their manager and friend, Anthony “Geezy” Gonzalez. Last month, Geezy struck a plea deal for one federal drug conspiracy charge as well as one firearm charge. As much as it hurts to not have their friend with them, the Clipse said they have to go on with their lives and careers.

“The show don’t stop, we know what we gotta do,” Malice, who tweeted, “We luv u GZ!” in the wake of Geezy’s court outcome, said. “So we’re out here doing it. The situation has been hard as well as heartbreaking. But I got the faith everything is gonna work out for the best. I believe everything happens for a reason. We still take care of our fam. We never leave our fam behind.”

“Geezy’s good,” Pusha insisted.

“Yeah, he’s alright,” Malice concurred.

“Everybody is good. It’s Geezy, it’s a few more too,” Pusha detailed. “Y’all just know Geezy, but everybody is our brother.”

“Every time we talk to them, nobody is hanging their head. Ain’t no crybabies. We got real soldiers in the family. Everything is gonna work out alright.”

According to The Virginian-Pilot, Geezy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 11.

The Clipse release their next LP, Till the Casket Drops, on December 8. Guests include Yo Gotti — not Drake — on “Showin’ Out.” Fabolous also appears on a remix of “Kinda Like a Big Deal.” (Kanye West appeared on the original.)

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

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Rihanna

Photo: Akshay Bhansali / MTV News

NEW YORK — Rihanna has broken her silence regarding Chris Brown’s February assault against her in a recent series of interviews, and the singer told MTV News that her album will have a mix of songs detailing the “roller coaster” of emotions she’s experienced in the past nine months.

“It’s my mini-movie,” Rihanna said about her forthcoming album. “It’s really honest, at times vulnerable, but it came from really, really deep in here [points to heart]. I just feel like I had to call it Rated R, ’cause it’s my movie.”

MTV News previewed the album on Tuesday (November 10) and Rihanna’s description is certainly accurate.

After the intro, Rated R kick starts with “Wait Your Turn” and the Young Jeezy-assisted “Hard.” The material matches the artwork that’s been released for the project so far, with Rihanna posturing as the bad chick.

“Tougher than a lion/ Ain’t no need in trying/ I live where the sky ends, yup, you know this,” Rihanna sings in a near-rap flow on “Hard.” “Never lying, truth telling/ That Rihanna reign just won’t let up/ The hottest bitch in heels right here.”

In what will probably be referred to by fans as the “Chris Brown song,” Rihanna reveals a softer side of herself on the ballad “Stupid In Love.”

“I still love you, but I can’t do this/ I may be dumb but I’m not stupid,” she sings on the Ne-Yo-penned record.

“Stupid In Love” recounts a story of distrust over lies, raging emotions, and lamenting a lost love.

“The dunce cap is off/ You don’t realize what you lost ’til I’m gone/ I was the one,” Rihanna croons.

The pulsating “Russian Roulette” follows, but it’s the next series of selections — “Rock Star,” “Firebomb,” and “Rude Boy” — that fit the Rihanna archetype of big, bombastic tracks that flaunt her sex appeal.

“Rock Star” features former Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash. With its mix of drum kicks and guitar licks, Rihanna revels in her rebellion. “I got my middle finger up/ I don’t really give a f—.”

“G4L” is another posture record (the acronym is short for “gangster for life”), while “Te Amo” is the Barbados singer’s paean to her international audience.

The album once again turns somber, with the Will.i.am-assisted “Photographs,” where Rihanna laments over a lost relationship.

“It shoulda been me and you/ now all I got is these photographs,” she sings.

“The Last Song” is just that, after the Justin Timberlake-helmed “Cold Case Love.”

“Love” begins with a sparse melody and gradually builds through each verse before it crescendos with a full production flourish.

Rihanna recently performed material from the album for the first time during a surprise appearance on Jay-Z’s tour in Los Angeles this past weekend. The “Umbrella” star spoke to MTV News about the appearance and said she was both nervous and excited to get back to music. She said Rated R, set for a November 23 release, will be the beginning of a “new era.”

“There are a lot of butterflies, a lot of excitement,” Rihanna said about her return to music. “I’m anxious. Like, I can’t wait. But you’re always nervous, because you’re about to go do something big.
It’s a new thing, a new era. But I’m not scared. I’m just really excited. I just can’t wait to start.”

Track list for Rated R, according to Def Jam:

1. “Mad House”
2. “Wait Your Turn”
3. “Hard”
4. “Stupid In Love”
5. “Russian Roulette”
6. “Rock Star”
7. “Firebomb”
8. “Rude Boy”
9. “Photographs”
10. “G4L”
11. “Te Amo”
12. “Cold Case Love”
13. “The Last Song”

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Rihanna

Photo: MTV News

NEW YORK — Rihanna has been forthcoming and revealing during interviews when discussing Chris Brown and the aftermath of his assault on her earlier this year. She has emphasized her desire that the assault be a learning experience for her fans and young women in particular.

Rihanna told MTV News that she also hoped Brown could take something away from the situation.

“I know that he’s going to take away something positive about this entire experience,” Rihanna told Sway on Monday. “It was a life-changing experience for both of us. The best way that we can both win is if we come out learning from it and sharing with others, so they don’t have to go through it like we did.”

The singer was very candid during her sit-down with Diane Sawyer, as she confirmed the information contained in the police report from that night. She said Brown bit, punched and choked her to the point where she had trouble breathing. She also revealed that Brown had pushed her against a wall in the past.

Terry O’Neill, president of the National Organization for Women and a victim of domestic violence herself, told MTV News
by revealing details of her assault, Rihanna is actually creating a dialogue about the incident that can become a teachable moment, in addition to helping her move on.

“She is really taking personal responsibility for this and sharing her response in a way that allows her to live the way she wants to: free of fear, in safety and in a way that can help others to be safe,” O’Neill explained.

Although Brown has been more reserved when discussing the specifics of that night, he too has said he wants to use his experience to help others.

“It’s like, ‘How do we get past it? How do you, Chris’ — talking to myself — ‘how do you go from point A to point B,’ ” he told MTV News correspondent Sway during “Chris Brown: The Interview,” which aired Friday. “How do you learn from your mistakes, turn it into a positive and help other people with the situation, and at the end of the day become the person that you want to be?”

Brown has declined to go into detail on more than one occasion, saying he believes for his and Rihanna’s privacy that it wouldn’t be fair to speak about the incident. Brown issued a statement to MTV News before Rihanna’s full interview with Sawyer aired, reiterating his belief that the night should remain private. The singer, however, remained supportive of his former girlfriend’s decision to speak openly on the assault.

“While I respect Rihanna’s right to discuss the specific events of February 8, I maintain my position that all of the details should remain a private matter between us,” he said in the statement. “I do appreciate her support and wish her the best. I am extremely sorry for what I did, and I accept accountability for my actions. At this point, I am taking the proper steps to learn about me and grow from my mistakes. I only hope that others in similar situations can learn from our experience as well. Abuse of any kind is always wrong. The rest I leave it to God.”

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

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Rihanna

Photo: Akshay Bhansali / MTV News

NEW YORK — Rihanna joined Jay-Z onstage Sunday night in Los Angeles to sing “Run This Town” and her Young Jeezy-assisted track “Hard.” While it wasn’t her first performance since she was assaulted by then-boyfriend Chris Brown in February, it did mark the first time she’s performed any new material from the upcoming Rated R album.

Rihanna told MTV News on Monday that she was ushering in a “new era” at the concert.

“There are a lot of butterflies, a lot of excitement,” Rihanna said about her return to music. “I’m anxious. Like, I can’t wait. But you’re always nervous, because you’re about to go do something big. It’s a new thing, a new era. But I’m not scared. I’m just really excited. I just can’t wait to start. My first time performing the songs was [Sunday] night in L.A. I performed with Jay. We did ‘Run This Town’ and ‘Hard,’ and I kept thinking, ‘Why the hell am I so nervous?’ And I couldn’t figure it out. But then I knew why: It was the first time performing one of my new songs. But it was fun. It was so exciting. The energy was awesome.”

“Hard” was released to radio last week, featuring some tough, rhyme-like lyrics from Rihanna.

“Tougher than a lion/ Ain’t no need in trying/ I live where the sky ends, yup, you know this,” she sings in a near-rap flow. “Never lying, truth telling/ That Rihanna reign just won’t let up/ … The hottest bi— in heels right here.”

Rihanna will preview Rated R on Monday in a worldwide telecast from a performance taking place at an undisclosed location in London.

Watch Sway’s entire interview with Rihanna.

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Sway and Rihanna

Photo: Akshay Bhansali / MTV News

NEW YORK — During her interview with Diane Sawyer, Rihanna revealed that she finally walked away from her relationship with Chris Brown after briefly reuniting because she wanted to set a positive example for her fans. The singer said she didn’t want young girls to think it was OK to return to an abusive situation.

But Rihanna also said she doesn’t want to be the “domestic-violence spokesperson,” because Brown’s assault is only one aspect of her story.

“One of the big things for me, I always want to help young women and give them insight into life experiences,” she told MTV News on Monday (November 9). “One of those things is going through an abusive relationship like I did. But that’s one thing for me. So I don’t want to be the big domestic-violence spokesperson, because that doesn’t define who I am. But if I can help young women in any way, and that being one of the things they need help with, then I’ll do that.”

Rihanna is attempting to move forward following the February assault, when Brown left her battered and bruised in his rented Lamborghini after a pre-Grammy party. He eventually struck a plea deal and was sentenced to 180 days of community labor, weekly therapy sessions and five years’ probation.

Brown has already conducted a handful of interviews, including MTV News’ “Chris Brown: The Interview” on Friday. But Rihanna didn’t break her silence until last week’s sit-down with Sawyer.

“It was the biggest weight lifted off my chest,” she told MTV News. “If you watch the interview, you see it was a subject that I didn’t talk about for the eight months that I didn’t talk about it, so that was my first real time opening up. I had a lot of tension bottled up. So when I finally spoke about it, it felt really good. More importantly, it felt good that people got something positive out of it, because it’s devastating. It’s not fun to talk about or listen to, but there are a lot of women who are going through it, a lot of teenagers who are scared to talk about it. So I thought it was a good thing that I can be that voice for them and help them get out of that situation.”

Watch Sway’s entire interview with Rihanna.

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

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Chris Brown

Photo: MTV News

Chris Brown opened up about his assault on former girlfriend Rihanna during the MTV News special “Chris Brown: The Interview” on Friday (November 6), elaborating on his destructive behavior, explaining his previous apologies and describing his ongoing therapy sessions.

Brown told MTV News correspondent Sway that he has finally come to terms with the fact that he was capable of such violence.

“I think you’d be in denial and be totally naive not to,” he said. “And not being able to realize and own up to the fact of your own wrongs. I mean, me, I’ve come to terms with it and I’m working on it. … For that moment or whatever had me at that place, I want to erase that from what my character is. I want to be totally different from now on. I don’t want to be that person.”

Brown admitted that he’s still unsure about how the public views him in the aftermath of the incident. His die-hard fans have continued to support him, but others have openly criticized the 20-year-old star. The mixed reaction has confused Brown, he said.

“I’m confused right now as far as the public perception [of me],” he said. “Like, I think with my fans, they still love me, they support me, definitely. You have those people who will support you. So it’s kinda like 50/50 for me. I got the people that will come out and support and then the people that don’t wanna see me do anything. They basically want me in jail.”

Brown said he hasn’t been able to brush off negative comments he gets in public. During a trip to an amusement park, Brown described hearing cries of “woman beater.”

“I’m human, so when I hear certain things that they say or if I go somewhere and I hear somebody be rude about it, it’s just like, ‘Man, it’s a mistake,’ ” Brown said. “I made a big mistake. I’m learning from it. Like, I’m not saying, ‘Who are they to judge?’ because, I mean, everybody’s entitled to their own opinion on how they feel, but it hurts.”

The singer opened up about his Twitter activity as well. He has twice tweeted fan videos that feature images of him with Rihanna. Brown said he wanted to show that their union wasn’t “chaotic.” “We actually were very close friends,” he said of their relationship.

Brown is currently in the midst of his court-mandated therapy sessions. The singer said he enjoys the counseling and has been responding to the support.

“When I apologize, I really apologize, definitely, about the situation, like me and her personally, obviously,” Brown explained. “We’ve exchanged, I’ve exchanged my apologies for her, but when I do it publicly, it’s for who I’ve let down. It’s for the fans, it’s for all the people, even the sponsors. Even the people that have invested in me and thought that I was a good enough role model to be branded or to be like, ‘OK, this is Chris Brown.’ I really wanted to apologize for the people that I let down and show people that I am wrong for what I’ve done, but I want people to learn from it and see that I’m really apologetic.”

Dr. Michelle Callahan, a developmental psychiatrist, said understanding the consequences of an action like Brown’s is at the core of rehabilitating violent behavior.

“It’s very important that they realize this,” she told MTV News. “You can get into a lot of trouble. Not only can you seriously get hurt or hurt someone you love, you can get into a lot of trouble. You get involved in the legal system. You can go to jail. There’s a lot at stake.”

Brown echoed Callahan’s comment in a statement he released to MTV News on Friday responding to Rihanna’s interview with Diane Sawyer.

“I only hope that others in similar situations can learn from our experience as well,” Brown said. “Abuse of any kind is always wrong.”

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

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