Christopher Maurice "Chris" Brown born May 5, 1989 is an American R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He made his recording debut in late 2005 with the self-titled album Chris Brown at the age of 16. The album featured the hit single "Run It!", which topped the Billboard Hot 100, making Chris Brown the first male artist to have his debut single top the chart since Montell Jordan in 1995. The album has sold over two million copies in the United States and was certified double Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
Chris Brown's second studio album, Exclusive was released worldwide in November 2007. It spawned two successful singles; his second U.S. number one hit, "Kiss Kiss" featuring T-Pain and "With You", which peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100. Brown has released a deluxe version of his album called The Forever Edition. The first single from it, "Forever", was released in May 2008 and reached number two on Billboard Hot 100. Exclusive has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. The third studio album, titled Graffiti, was released on December 15, 2009. The first official single was "I Can Transform Ya", featuring Lil Wayne and Swizz Beatz, which peaked at number-twenty on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Chris Brown's eighth Top 20 hit on that chart. He has had various other hit singles, and his dance routines have been compared to the likes of Michael Jackson.
In 2009, Chris Brown pled guilty to felony assault of singer and then-girlfriend Rihanna, and was sentenced to five years probation and six months of community service. The case received widespread media attention and negatively affected his career as a singer and all-around entertainer.
