Artist of the Week: Chris Brown

Breezy is gearing up to drop his next studio
installment 'X' and has lined up a number of
concerts ahead of the album release.
Chris Brown is
not slowing
down, despite
the haters and
the numerous
problems he is
facing. Just a
year after
busting the chart
with "Fortune ",
he is preparing
to claim his spot
on the high-
esteemed
Billboard charts
with new album
" X", a title that according to him defines what
he's been through in his life.
"It's the Roman numeral for 10. 5/5/89 is my
birthday: 5 plus 5 is 10, and this is my tenth
year since I got into music. 'X' is the 24th
letter in the alphabet, and I will turn 24 when
this album comes out. 'X' is also a metaphor,
as in 'ex-girlfriend': it implies you're
progressing and moving on in life, not holding
on to the past and your old ways," he
explained.
Of the direction he's taking, he said, "I tried to
stay away from the Euro beats, and not go
totally pop. Instead, I wanted to take the
Quincy Jones approach. The record pays
homage to the Stevie Wonder s, the Michael
Jacksons, the Sam Cookes."
"I wanted to put that classic essence of R&B
and soul with the new age of music now.
There's a lot of live instruments, and a lot less
Auto-Tune. I really wanted to demonstrate my
vocal ability, creating the vibe of me singing
along with a band."
He so far has released single "Fine China",
which reached No. 10 on U.S. R&B/Hip-Hop
Songs, and Aaliyah-sampled "Don't Think They
Know". He has lined up a bunch of concerts
this summer to introduce his new music to the
live crowd.
His gig at Energy Rush summer spectacular,
however, was met with mixed reactions that
prompted Rogers Communications to drop
their sponsorship from the event. It didn't
dampen his spirit to give his best when the
concert takes place August 31 later this year
though.
"It's a shame that some people are so short-
sighted and uninformed. Chris is an award-
winning artist whose goal is to inspire and
entertain. He engages in many philanthropic
endeavors to support his community and
communities worldwide including the Jenesse
Center Domestic Violence Intervention
Program, Best Buddies, AIDS Project Los
Angeles, Kids Wish Network, Get Schooled and
Home Again," his rep blasted.
"He's just embarked on the Unity Campaign to
bring people together despite their differences
while promoting tolerance and forgiveness.
Chris strives to learn from his past and to
grow as a person, as we should all do. Chris is
looking forward to being a part of the Energy
Rush Concert Series."