After King of Pop megastar Michael Jackson re-invented, transcended and set the blueprint for the modern-day cinematic music video, it was hard to get back to basics. Recording artists influenced by the offbeat megastar gloved one, began to take art and the art of boogie-woogie and juxtapose the two on celluloid pictures. The consequence of his action, transformed the way we saw dance and performance art on screen. Dancers and other fanatics flocked to the nearest TV to see the latest Michael Jackson chart topper debut on MTV and other media outlets. His James Brown twirls and Bob Fosse-inspired jazz moves excited the globe. The following day, disadvantaged dancers would run off to abandoned factories, the space in their bedrooms, or take to the streets to perfect his moves. But the dancers who could afford to find a space more “suitable” to bust a move would pack studios across the world.

In honor of those dancers near and far, here is a list of some of our favorite dance party music videos that were filmed in dance studios.

1.

“The Pleasure Principle” by Janet Jackson

From the moment her finger hit the light switch to her decadent garage dance loft, we saw Mike’s fresh-faced baby sister pick herself up from the bootstraps and emerge a full-fledged woman. Janet Jackson was in full “control” on the sixth single from her 1986 pop milestone and we were smitten by her moxie. The clip featuring Miss. Jackson-if-you’re-nasty rocking out on a microphone, cascading in a ballet dive from a chair, pre-vogue breakin’ in front of a shattered mirror and executing a perfect back flip front off the roof of a vehicle—without breaking a sweat—brought a tear to our eyes and inspired R&B movers Aaliyah, Mýa and Ciara to become reigning pop divas. The independent woman roar is single-handedly responsible for every thing afterwards, so its okay blame Janet for Destiny’s Child’s feminist themes.

2.

“If It Isn’t Love” by New Edition

No longer boys and now budding young men, the kids that grew up in front of the flash of paparazzi shutterbugs, showed us their “heart break” and growing pains in 1988. Teaming up with Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, who were the masterminds behind Janet Jackson’s Control, “U Remind Me” by Usher and “Human” by the Human League, the boys left their candy-eyed teenyboppers days for a more sultry sound with enough dance oomph to boot. The result was one of the best dance studio videos of all-time, featuring a bunch of young men growing up before our eyes. There are so many eureka moments, especially when Ralph Tresvant does the mock J5 breakdown with the boys. Tight choreography aside, the cameo from Yo! MTV Raps host Fab Five Freddy is more than enough to watch.

3.

“Cold-Hearted Snake” by Paula Abdul

Former Lakers girl turned dance pop icon Paula Abdul’s 1988 debut Forever Your Girl was an open letter where she left her A-list choreographer days to become the stars she worked with. Gone were her days of working in the background, it was time to step into the limelight. With four consecutive No.1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, the future American Idol alum’s sweet-wise jabs and lush New Jack Swing blend as brilliantly executed in “Cold Hearted Snake” shows Abdul doing her best cabaret mime. David Fincher (of Se7en fame) directs this Bob Fosse inspired All That Jazz erotica burlesque clip that swoops and soars with the best of ‘em.

4.

“Buttons” by Pussycat Dolls feat. Snoop Dogg

Sleaze doesn’t quite describe the naughty thoughts teen boys had around the globe. Full of James Bond spyglass spotlights, phoenix fireball drenched floors and all of the skinemax come-ons one could muster, this electro-pop wonderland of lust oozed sex. The sepia-tinged lights hitting soaked flesh, the suggestive skintight dresses, the hair tossing, the chair cabaret, and spread eagle legs… makes for one great video. Snoop Dogg is one luck fella.

5.

“Promise” by Ciara

The ATL crunk&B princess was Lil’ John’s protégé no longer. She started accepting her longevity and her potential to be the go-to dance-pop sweetheart. She gave up her addiction to b-boy snap-and-slap club bangers, let the honey blonde dye bleed from the aerosol bottle and into the drain, found her swag and opted for a more grown-and-sexy sound. Man, did it work! The titillating, nice & slow baby-making slow jam, with its synth-heavy 80s R&B wall of sound divvied up the goods. Add a video with Ciara grinding on a gravity defying microphone, a sultry dance on a chair and one out-of-the-world wall dance and you’ve got yourself a show.

6.

“Glad” by Jennifer Lopez

Oh, no she didn’t! Yes… yes, she did. Jennifer Lopez crawled through the tiny crevice of Latino visibility in music and burrowed herself into the eyes of people everywhere. After the former Fly Girl decided she was invincible, she tapped David LaChappelle to direct, and produced one of the most extraordinary dance videos of all-time. The homage to Flashdance and some never-before-seen dances from Mrs. J.Lo, made us foam at the mouth with excitement and turned us on to crowning her the biggest sex symbol of the noughties.

7.

“Me & U” by Cassie

Diddy’s Bad Boy flame was always the good girl next door and the model-turned-singer was no made no exception when she released her first single “Me +U.”  The video, featuring the soubrette warming up before an impromptu dance routine on a chair and table top was sexy… and while, we saw it all before, we fell in love.

8.

“Here It Goes Again” by Ok Go

Rock music videos were starting to become a nuisance in 2006, and then the unexpected happened: Good music videos were being made. In a surprising DIY fashion, alt rock band OK Go surprised crowds everywhere with their lovely breakthrough single “A Million Ways.” They needed to top the video that went viral, so they decided to do one better and add in the impossible by signing their lives away on treadmills. Shot in a dance studio, this is probably the riskiest music video ever shot. And they make it look so easy.

9.

“Who’s My Bitch” by Paradiso Girls

Despite the trashy Auto-Tune intro via Carmen’s “Habanera,” the international expo spin-off of The Pussycat Dolls, the brat doll vocals combined with typical electro-thumping PCD backbeats and cabaret dances, these girls owned! With a standard bootylicious dances in a dance studio, these girls cracked the whip and turned out a naughty video especially with those biker sex pig lingerie pieces.

Here Are Some of our other all-time faves!

10.

“Slave 4 U” by Britney Spears

Britney Spears: the name is synonymous with a bunch of guilty pleasures we’re both delighted and ashamed to admit. Listed as one of the most controversial music videos of all-time due to her age and the spur-of-the-moment orgy, we just sat back and accepted it as a bubblegum-pop machine gone terribly awry. However, the N.E.R.D. production had us backing it up in the club.

11.

“Hung Up” by Madonna

Okay, we can all admit that Madonna is not what she used to be. Her 80s-and-90s pop classics are not at all being challenged today in quality and her tired disco sound is a mafic fromage meltdown. But this rocked our socks off. The Saturday Night Fever glitz meets Xanadu magic meets urban b-boy decay of Rize was a delicious soufflé of house-disco we never grew tired of. The 50-year-old singer also was in the best shape of her life, which made for a sexy video.

12.

“What A Girl Wants” by Christina Aguilera

Before her hell cat goth girl gone bad days, Christina Aguilera was a big voiced pop tart trying her best to become her current status as the princess Adult Contemporary music. The postmodern pop princess filmed one of her biggest hits in the same space as Paula Abdul’s big hit “Cold-Hearted Snake” and introduced us to the new face of “good” music.

13.

“Let Me Love You” by Mario

One of the biggest panty droppers of the noughties, Mario left his freewheeling teenybopper swagger days and decided to slow things down and a bit with this R&B slow groove. Dancing in a graffiti-riddled studio complete with the sweets white threads, we saw a young boy turn into a man before our eyes.

14.

“There It Is” by Ginuwine

We could never understand why Ginuwine couldn’t just call himself genuine, but this was one of the most genuine he came across in years. This crooning gale force wind of wails is what made him the famed slow jam prince we’ve love come to love. Performing in the same studio with his band mates and then the sultry sex romp with his vamp backup dancers, Ginuwine proved he wasn’t just another R Kelly wannabe.

15.

“Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” by Beyoncé Knowles

On principle, there shouldn’t be any excuse for anyone to have missed this B&W Bob Fosse inspired clip that features Beyoncé and the girls J-Setting, was this generation’s “Vogue.” Doing it all in a white dance studio, these three women kicked it like no body else.

16.

“Miss You Much” by Janet Jackson

Despite superstar singers Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, George Michael and Madonna heating up the charts the way they were heating up the dancefloor, there was no one out there that really catered to the club scene, not like Janet Jackson. Off of her landmark Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet crushed the competition for the crown of the queen of dance music with her riveting New Jack Swing single “Miss You Much.” And the chair dance? Epic.

17.

“Like A Boy” by Ciara

The crunk goddess kept the sexy coming with her follow-up to “Promise.” With a wind-gushing post-apocalyptic sound and a synth-powered orchestral stringed out hip-hop funk, she took the world by storm. The Victor Victoria boy-girl dress-up astounded us and blew all of her boy peers out of the water. The back-up dancers were just an added bonus.

18.

“Beep” by Pussycat Dolls

Okay, so… pretty much, if you’ve heard one song by Pussycat Dolls, you’ve hear them all. “Beep” was nonetheless clever and the Bowflex-esque clip featuring Will.I.Am wasn’t bad either.

19.

“Say Goodbye” by Chris Brown

Before that terrible night that turned the boy next door into a vicious brute, Chris Brown was the epitome of pop cool and was a role model to the kids. With a promising career, aging out of tween tunes and rolling out adult contemporary hits, he decided to slow it down with on for his fourth single “Say Goodbye.” A career highlight, the video features one excellent jazz ballet dance between Brown, his former flame and his new love interest.

20.

“Don’t Tell Me” by Madonna

Okay, so Madonna (and her team) are kind of pop geniuses when they want to be. This Jean-Baptiste Mondino directed classic from her infinitive Music album was no exception. Threads by Dsquared²? Check. Kick-ass cowboy swag. Check. Automated walk-way dancing in front of silver screen back-up dancers? Awesome.

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Imagine if you will.

It’s Friday afternoon, and the streets are a blaze of black. The glitterati city slicker photographers stand in a perfect 180° on the subway platforms, like a line of a coke a mirror shard. Staring through plated glass, fashionistas copulate wordplay of their favorite obsession. Its was that time of the year again, New York’s Fashion’s Night Out and most importantly, its fashion’s night out. Rule of thumb, wear something black… or black-like.

Sean “Diddy” Combs blasts party crunk jams on a sight-seeing bus through 34^th Street, his Sean John insignia below his B&W Herb Ritts-inspired mug in a white tuxedo on the side. Sexy women in skimpy outfits dance as spectators take pictures from the sidewalks of the assiduous fashion Mecca. Rock band Train tunes their guitars and rocks out to their signature jingles like “Soul Sister” at a Tommy Hilfiger tailgate soiree. And despite the saturated Technicolor of fabric swimming in the wind and neon lights swirling amidst the night air, it’s like a neo-cosmopolitan funeral for club kids and nu-vogue wild wunderkinds.

The second annual credit card chewing monster extravaganza involving 1,200 retail galas around the megacity began with rendezvous at Macy’s. Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, designers Michael Kors and Rachel Roy, performer Jennifer Lopez, and actor Neil Patrick Harris were among the millions of shoppers. There were others all over the city: Magic was made with a performance by turntable gizmos N.E.R.D. and a surprise pop-and-lock cameo by former R&B poster boy Chris Brown and a warped recital by the cast of the Broadway musical “Hair.” Not to mention, there were tons of celebrity appearances by Michael Bloomberg, Serena Williams, Metric, Tyrese and Ludacris, producer Ryan Leslie and Japanese designer Nigo to name a few.

It was a grand ole time in the city and here are some trends we’d expect to see in this fall:

Tailored Suits

The Ultramodern Military Jacket

Camel and Sequined Jeggings (however, not together)

Velvet Suits

Tailored Denim

Combat Boots

Plaids

Orange

Monk Straps

Flannels & Stripes

Dapper Debonair

Leather

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We hear it all the time: Young black men need role models that they can look up to. Hell, all men of color need a prototype or an exemplar to follow in order to manifest a proper blueprint to success. Communities of color stress this moral compass on the fact that there are rare instances of shining examples of fabulous self-made men. That there are few “men” that are ethnically diverse that are in fact “doing-it-big” without stepping on people’s toes, have very little dirt under their fingernails when it comes to scandal and are monogamous without the pretense of ever being a serial adulterer. The last one is very important because a lot of women still believe that all men are cold-hearted cheaters. We’re here to tell you ladies, that there are still a few good men out there… Unfortunately, none of them will make an appearance below.

Here is our list of guys who need to just grow-up when it comes to matters of the heart!

1.

Swizz Beatz

Recently: Grammy Award-winning “home-wrecker” Alicia Keys wasn’t too keen on babydaddy Swizz Beatz and Nicki Minaj shacking up alone in an NYC studio to lay down a couple of tracks for Minaj’s much fussed-about star-studded LP debut. 24hiphop.com reported that Keys was in attendance the entirety of the session, making her presence “known.” With Swizz Beatz “happily obliging,” it’s apparent that Keys absolutely refused to be where so many other R&B starlets have been. Most importantly, for an artist that reps herself as “Nicki Lewinsky,” would anyone allow the two to be in the same room without a third party? Keys didn’t think so either.

His Problem: We absolutely, positively do not trust this guy. Why do you ask? Swizz Beatz does not have the best track record for staying faithful. In 2007, Beatz and singer Mashonda Tifrere celebrated the birth of their second child. Fifteen months later, after four years of marriage, the two separated. An open letter addressed to Keys via Tifrere implied an extra-marital affair between Beatz and Keys. On June 25, Keys confirmed on Good Morning America that she was five pregnant and due in November.

What We Expect: Keys will have eyes on the back of her head the entire duration of their relationship.

2.

Chris Brown

Recently: Photos leaked of R&B crooner Brown’s new boo, who oddly sports tattoos reminiscent of Brown in the same fashion of his famous ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. In addition, this has been met with controversy because of a dark-skinned rant toward Sandra Rose that prompted critics to label Brown an aficionado of colorism; as he has been seen only with light-skinned women. Can we say this is preference or a deeply-rooted racial identity issue?

His problem: Bajan pop sovereign Rihanna and Chris Brown had an altercation that led to photos of her battered, black-and-blue face internationally leaked to every other entertainment Web site known on the Internet. This happened after a heated Ri Ri wouldn’t drop conversing his philandering with other hot young women. The tabloid princess became an emblem of anti-domestic abuse campaigns and the hot-tempered Brown—on the cusp of greatness—was now an extraneous D-list R&B karaoke machine, after horrendously condescending interviews with Larry King and others.

What We Expect: An excellent post-dubstep fifth album by Rihanna, which is expected to be a pop classic and one last hurrah for Brown who will star and executive produce the crime thriller Takers, staring Indris Elba, Zoë Saldaña, and T.I.

3.

The-Dream

Recently: The-shmuck married early-2000s R&B starlet Nivea in 2004 and had three children together, in wedded bliss for three years. Nivea filed for legal separation, with The-Dream stating, “There has to be a certain amount of knowledge and patience that’s acquired in order to keep it going and keep it straight, and I found out the hard way.” Then he went on to date pop mistress Christina Milian in early 2009, where she became pregnant, and they were engaged in June 2009. In September 2009, The-Dream married Milian at the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas where the blushing bride rented a wedding dress for $200 (counting shoes and veil) while The-Dream rented a tuxedo for $100 (counting shoes, tie and vest). Not even 5 months after the birth of their daughter Violet Madison Nash, The-Dream announced their separation on July 12, after pictures of The-Dream vacationing and romancing with leaked his assistant surfaced online.

His problem: The stocky Atlanta producer rose to fame with several hits like J. Holiday’s “Bed,” Jesse McCartney’s “Leavin’,” Mariah Carey’s “Touch My Body” and songs “Umbrella” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)” by superstars Rihanna and Beyoncé respectively. Then, he dropped torch song records Love/Hate, Love vs. Money and Love King—making the ladies swoon and the guys practicing their Mack skills. However, the man with the pretentious hyphenated name comes off more like a capitalizing cold-hearted gigolo than a smooth-talking Lothario fueled by an insatiable lust for love.

What We Expect: A dodgy next record that will either be autobiographical via Usher’s Here I Stand or a cheese puff effort from The-Dream. A grown-ass woman anthem from Christina Milian who is no stranger to singing, writing and producing her own material. Will we see another “Acapella”? Let’s hope so.

4.

Nas

Recently: He’s on the redeeming track, guys, maybe this is the guy we can look to for handing his business. After giving birth to their baby boy Knight, the “One Mic” rap star owed Kelis nearly $300,000 with a $52,989.22 mortgage debt. He agreed to pay it with monthly installments of $14,229.61, almost double the amount he was asked to dish out prior to.

His problem: The socially-conscious hardcore rapper left kaleidoscopic chanteuse Kelis “Acappella,” owing her over $200,000 in child and spousal support as well as attorney’s fees! In fact, a New York City judge ordered Nas to pay the “Milkshake” star $55k per month after she tried collecting $100k per month in child support. By February, the “Bossy” singer’s attorney filed a contempt motion against the celebrated hip-hop icon, and he pleaded not guilty. If he’s convicted, he could have been a  big-time jailbird.

What We Expect: Kelis’ surprise monster hit Flesh Tone is really big in the circuit scene and she’s tagging up with Swedish singer Robyn for a killer tour, while Nas released a collaboration effort with Damien Marley… So, a better solo effort with an autobiographical twist designed to be a summer smash should be on the menu.

5.

Dwyane Wade

Recently: Ex-wife Siohvaughn Funches emphasized that she is suing actress Gabrielle Union for “inflicting emotional distress” on her 8-year-old and 2-year-old sons (noted as plaintiffs in the case), claiming Union “engaged in sexual foreplay” in front of them with Wade in their Miami home. In fact, according to CBS, the lawsuit claims that Union has played sexually explicit roles, including roles as a seductress” in her blockbuster films and TV roles and has “apparently decided to take her role beyond the films and into the home of a married man, Dwyane Wade, in the presence of his two minor children.” How interesting.

His Problem: He can play a great game of b-ball, but he could not resist temptation when it came to afro-chic Barbie bombshell Gabrielle Union! Happily married with two kids, he ditched his baby mama and became ensnared by the claws of sultry “Bring It On” temptress. Despite the cutthroat divorce saga drama brought on by Funches, you can’t help but point fingers at the man that had it all and went to date the sex symbol.

What We Expect: Union has been pretty tame, but will the lioness come out?

Chris Brown has found himself deeply embroiled in scandal over the past year.

Accordingly his image has undergone a series of overhauls. Chris has been floundering while trying to find his place in the industry post-domestic abuse scandal. He was immediately vilified after details of his fight with Rihanna surfaced to the public, and lost much if the fan base that adored him for his clean cut image. He has clearly struggled to regain that respect, with several failed attempts at proving to his audience that he remains the talented kid that they once lauded.  Now it seems that Chris has given up that battle and resolved to be what he is inevitably labeled as; the industry bad boy. Lets take a look back at Chris’ image transformations. What do you think? Should he be content with being labeled as the resident good boy gone bad?

Take a look back at Breezy over the years and you decide which image suits him best.

The Boy Next Door

Remember when Chris was the perfect little gentleman, singing “excuse me miss?” He was the guy that everyone thought was charming and adorable in all his bubble-gum pop glory. His boy next door image didn’t last long, but it was definitely his prime.

Take a look at what we mean:

Hot Boy

When Chris Brown decided that it was time to grow up a little bit, he did so quite publicly. The former pop prince got a fly girl, started tackling more sensual topics in his music and revamped his image to suit his cosmopolitan, cool, almost-grown lifestyle. For the most part he remained the apple of the public eye, as the sexy up-start living the uber-glamorous lifestyle of the young, flashy and fabulous.

Check out this video of this Chris Brown and Rihanna performing at the VMAs; an all time high for the two as a couple. Ironically, Rosario Dawson introduces him by stating: “he’s one of the biggest stars in the world.”

Domestically Violent Villain

After the Chrihannagate debacle Chris’ image fall into a downward spiral. He became a villain in the public eye. His music was banned on several radio stations, he accused some huge national  retailers of “blackballing” his album-resulting in a severe decrease in record sales, and he lost much of the following that once adored him. to make matters worse, he lacked a remorseful disposition following the incident and assumed a life-as-usual attitude that prevented him from garnering public sympathy or empathy. He was photographed jet-skiing with friends partying, and released tweets and Youtube videos of himself and his friends making light of the situation.

Breezy 3 weeks post scandal:

Breezy’s dancers go in on Rihanna:

After the incident involving Rihanna and Chris Brown, many passed their own judgement. Even comedian Affion put in his two cents with this spoof of Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West‘s “Run This Town.” Affion cleverly titled this video “Hunt Chris Brown.” Take a look for a perfect example of how Chris was negatively viewed at the time.

Remorseful Breezy

Once Chris got in line with his PR team’s direction, his focus switched to saying sorry both to Rihanna and America. For many, though, it was too little too late. Chris attempted to regain his clean cut image by doing countless interviews and TV appearances to publicly flaunt his remorse. He clung to the the good guy image citing his slip up as a one-time-thing. He even released a few songs along these same sorry lines. Check  out the most infamous musical apology, “Crawl:”

Straight Up Bad Boy

Now it seems that Chris has given up the bow tie and the hopes of ever regaining his old image. He is owning this bad boy persona, and exploiting it. In his newest video for “No Bull***t,” Breezy sings almost explicitly about sex. He’s seen donning all black everything, dancing suggestively and claiming he’s “reaching for the condoms,” and “not stopping until 9 am.” Apparently he couldn’t care less about what anyone thinks, and is just as bad as he wants to be; no bull***t.

What do you think? Should Breezy do the bad boy thing, or does he still need to prove that he is a good person?

Discuss.

Check out this gallery of Chris Brown photos too:

It’s evident in Hip-Hop and R&B that punch lines are important, i.e-”Guess it’s a G thing, whenever we swing, imma need Coretta Scott if I’m gon’ be king!”- Fabolous- “Make Me Better.” See how word play turns into a memorable line? The metaphors in music make you think, and then smile once you figure out how clever the metaphors actually are in meaning. The following celebs have something in common. They’ve had some great lyrics, but there have been times when the celebs have also said something foolish. So, here’s a look at their best and their worst.

Victim #1:
Nicki Minaj- 2009 BET Awards Cypher vs. “Freaky Girl”

“Mac & cheese, six friend chicken her guts, and I’m killing these b*tches by fucking it up!”- Huh?
vs. “Sex game chinky, n*ggas call me Pinky, I f*ck with president’s I am Nicki Lewinsky”

Victim #2:

T-Pain- “Bartender” vs. “Can’t Believe It”

“She made us drinks to drink, we drunk em, got drunk”- Really, cause usually that’s what happens when you drink alcohol.
vs. “I put you in the beach house right on the edge of Costa Rica put one of em lil’ flowers in your hair have you looking like a fly mamacita (Fuego)”

Victim #3:
Mariah Carey- “Obsessed” vs. “Hate U”

“Got you all fired up with your Napolean Complex, seeing right through you like your bathing in Windex”- Sounds like something corny Mariah would say.
vs. “we went round for round til’ we knocked love out you were laying in the ring, not making a sound and if that’s a metaphore of you and I,why is it so hard to say goodbye?”

Victim #4:
Yung Joc- “First Time” vs. “It’s Going Down”

“I see she up on top,you all on my jock, imma do it nonstop, until your cherry pop,imma keep going and going, the energizer bunny,Mr. long john all in your tummy”- Is it her first time having sex, or the first time ya’ll had sex together? And if she was a virgin- real sensitive of you.
vs. “Cubes on my neck, pocket full of Ben Frank, when I’m in the mall hoes just pause. I pop a few tags, give me that on the wall”

Chris Brown- “Aint No Way” vs. “Wall To Wall”

“I can show you all the things I’ll do.Break your heart, never raise my voice.”- Show me that you’ll break my heart?
vs. “One said she like the way I pop, the other said she wanna just watch! I’m game for any damn thing”

Victim #6:
Shaq- “I Know I Got Skillz” vs. ” Where Ya At?”

“I lean on the statue of liberty when I get tired, than I’ll punch you in the stomach, I don’t give a heck, (hey yo, why you bug a hooker like that?) yo, she breated on my neck” -Well, we can tell your tall, but hooker abuse?
vs. “I’m sure they’ll say me brother please don’t play me like a shrimp dunk it on your head then I’ll point like Shawn Kemp don’t need the drink crooked I juice to get loose my favorite cartoon is Bullwinkle the Moose.”- Ok they’re both bad but it’s Shaq so, hey!

Victim #7:
Nelly-”My Place” vs. “Dilemma”

“I heard your friend told a friend that told a friend of mine that u was thinkin that we should do it one more time.If this ain’t the truth,then hopefully its not a lie”- If it’s not the truth than it’s a lie Nelly-Point Blank!
vs. “I met this chick and she just moved right up the block from me and uhh, she got the hots for me the finest thing my hood did see but oh no, oh no, she gotta a man and a son, doh’ohhh, but that’s okay cause I, wait for my cue and just listen, play my position like a shortstop, pick up e’rything mami hittin”

Victim #8:
New Boys- “You’re A Jerk” vs. “New Girl”

“Like the new ipod just touch it and turn her on and when the bass start beatin and the waist I’m beatin”- You’re like ten/a virgin.
vs. “No jokes, no games im feeling you a whole lot. I ran into you and no turns it was a road block. Thinking to myself i had one of em in the past that didnt last. A chick with no class it was so bad. ”

Victim #9:
Neyo-”Mirror” vs. “When You’re Mad”

“Now mama please don’t think me strange for what I’m about to say (please don’t think me strange) If you know anything bout me by now you know I’m a freak just follow my lead.”- Talking about a man or a woman?
vs. “Want to, but I can’t help it. I love the way it feels, it’s got me stuck between my fantasy and what is real. I need it when I want it, I want it when I don’t tell myself I’ll stop everyday, knowin’ that I won’t”

Victim #10:
Camron-”Get em’ Girl” vs. “Hey Ma”

“I get the boasters boasting, I get computers putting. Y’all get shot at, call me, I do the shooting I’m moving the movement. Whether buddist or budah, that’s judist or judah I got luger to ruger, hit from Roota to Toota. Chick from hooter to hooter, I roll mostly dolly I’ll leave you wholy, holy, you’ll say ‘Holy Moly’”
vs. “Now That I got a girl, my Ex wanna holla and spit, told me to acknowledge her quick she like Cam stop frontin’ on that Dave Hollister Tip.”

Whelp! Everyone can’t be Jay-Z all day!

Customizing cars  has been a part of hip-hop culture for the longest. Turning a 300C into a Bentley must be like an instant orgasm for celebs. Besides Xzibit on MTV’s Pimp My Ride, Funkmaster Flex has been lending his customizing expertise to automobiles in car shows everywhere. He recently gave Ford’s 2010 Taurus SHO a new look for the 2009 SEMA Convention by transforming it into this:

Nowadays all most celeb’s drive fabulous cars, but back in the day before all the glitz and glam what automobile would they have been driving-that would have needed a little pimping?

Mase, his slow rhymes on the little yellow school bus. This pretty much has everything you would need except maybe a T.V in the headrest.

Yeah Jigga walk right out the club into that Camry. Get some blue lights, to match your Yankee fitted.

Don’t know how that would look with rims but it would be worth a try Em.

Aw, look at the little hatchback. Throw some tints on the windows and you could of had a little Chris- Mobile.

Looking like that Mariah, you and your fourteen kids would have fit perfectly in a station-wagon. Open the trunk and put a Playstation in it for Nick cannon!

Well sorry 50, but I dont think the police will us trick this ride. Good thing you turned your life around though, hopefully no more trips in that truck!

T.I- Heard you were kind of really  broke before you came “The Rubber Band Man” the bus may have been your only means to get around. Good thing is you can definitaley fit 28″ rims on those tires. The A/C always works and its more advanced than any Bentley- you can fit wheelchairs on it!

The only thing she should be riding!

Black is always in style and has many practical fashion benefits..not to mention that its beautiful, it’s sliming, matches everything and can be an approitae color to wear in almost any situation. But the music game seems to have embraced the idea of All Black Everything as a fashion statement, attitude and overall sometimes creepy undertone of songs and their subject matter. You can always bet on black, and the music industry has taken to the dark side in more ways than one. Is this just a passing semi- goth phase or is the darkness hovering over the industry here to stay. Where did all the colors and happy songs go?

I Break The Rules So I Dont Care

Remember when RiRi used to sing happy upbeat songs that made you want to smile and take an island vacay? These days the princess of the new Roc Nation has undergone a dark transformation that has garnered her much attention and success. When Jay-z decided lil Ms. Sunshine needed a new image he ordered her to nix the good girl thing and push her bad girl side to the limit. Now Rhianna is edgy and borderline suspect with her new R-rated themes and songs like her newest single Russian Roulette,Barbed wire and all Rhiana has embraced Jay’s declaration of all black everything without a doubt…thoughts, looks, lyrics and all. It is clear that Rihanna’s R-rated persona enjoys the shade.

A Beautiful Nightmare

There is no denying that Beyonce has transformed herself into another person literally but with that transformation has come some extra shade. Before she was crazy in love, she was singing about independent ladies and bugaboos. Now Mrs. Carter has some pigmentally challenged things on her mind. Looks like that ambient Jay might have slipped her has some strange effects because she cant decipher the difference between a dream and a night mare. Her video begins with horrible shirking and sounds like a thriller copy-cat, either way Beyonce might like to sing about halo’s and all but its clear she’d prefer to turn the lights off.

Love and War

In the aftermath of heartbreak there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel for Amerie. When she first arrived on the scene she was asking to fall in love, but her new album Love and War shows that sometimes love ain’t easy and the war will ensue. Like her other R&B counterparts she has embraced the edgier side, broke out the smoked eye make up and is looking like all kinds of dark wars are going on in her heart. Amerie is dimming the lights on the beauty of love and showing that sometimes you can’t always put on a happy face. Her single “Why R U” makes you wonder what she would do if she could dim the lights on her feelings.

Crawling Back to Love

Chris Brown has reason to wear remorseful colors and look like he is in deep thought. After that nonsense he pulled with Rihanna taking baby steps back to love seems like a good plan. In this case, all black everything seems appropriate for his current situation. Hopefully his morning period will prove redemptive for himself and fans alike, at least “Crawl” has a decent message and is pretty apologetic. Fading to black was a good call on C.Breezy’s part.

Leather Jacket All American Bad Boy

Lil Wayne’s strangeness ceases to amaze  for many reasons but in the spirit of celebrating darkness in his collabo with Drake Uptown he gives a special shout out to black leather jackets, black sun glasses and being a bad boy. Black does give an air of mystery to any situation so given that Wayne is so concerned about people finding out about his secret success potion in that infamous cup of his, all black leather jackets and bad boy persona seem reasonable. Maybe Wanyne should put the cup down and step into some light, but not the light of his alien space ship.

My Brain is Wired Wrong

Looks like Rhianna isnt the only one teetering on the edge. Leona Lewis is trying to keep herself alive in her song “Suicide.” Heart break is not taking it easy on her, but at least unlike the Roc princess she is hoping to be saved. Maybe one day she will find her happy place because between her bleeding love and almost jumping, it sounds like she needs a hug.

Chocolate comes in many flavors from white to dark. The following men are sexy, talented, and wealthy. Most of them don’t mind breaking a sweat to take these delicious pictures for us drool over. Let’s take a moment and reflect on their sexy ass*s!

Who will top the list at number one?

What would celebrity culture be without some humor? The art of spoof videos is taking over blog sites and You Tube proving that there is no celeb too grand to be left un-spoofed. Comedian and master spoofer, Affion Crockett, has a channel on You Tube devoted to spoof videos he has created. Another master spoof artist goes by the name Alphacat and also devotes a You Tube channel to these satirical videos. Let’s take a look at some of the best spoof videos on the list…

After the incident involving Rihanna and Chris Brown, many have had their opinions and passed their own judgement. Affion put in his two cents with this spoof of Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West‘s “Run This Town.” Affion cleverly titled this video “Hunt Chris Brown.”

Another recent controversial event in the media was Kanye West’s VMA oops moment. Three apologies to Taylor Swift later has brought this video to life. Affion used “Hate” featuring Kanye West off of Jay-Z’s The Blueprint 3 for this one…

Affion has also enjoyed creating music video spoofs. He uses T-Pain‘s “Chopped N Screwed” featuring Ludacris for this next video. Looks like some “hot damn food” needs to be on the menu these days…

It has to be said, Affion is talented in making himself look like all different artists. Kanye, Ludacris, T-Pain, Jay-Z and now Lil Wayne. Check out this spoof of Lil Wayne’s “Mr. Carter” featuring Jay-Z…

One of Alphacat’s best and most recent parodies takes a spin on Drake’s “Best I Ever Had.” As many all ready know, Drake was criticized for the obvious failed attempt for a video for the popular song.

Not even the president of the United States can get away from a little spoof. Check this video out of Barack Obama‘s version of Beyonce‘s “Single Ladies.”

What do some of you think of the trend of  spoof videos?

1. Barack Obama: One thing the president of the United States can’t be accused of lying about are the feelings that still surround the 9/11 attacks. On the eight year tragic anniversary Obama has marked September 11th as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

2. Jay-Z: HOV laid out the blueprint to his life surrounding The Blueprint 3, marriage, and owning the New Jersey Nets when he appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman,” Wednesday night. The multi-mogul, in a recent interview pouted about not getting enough credit for all he’s done as the president of Def Jam. Right, because your millions are pions and you couldn’t possibly be satisfied could you Jigga.

3. Rihanna: The quiet spoken diva was all look and flair while she galavanted around NY for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week’s “Fashion Night Out.” RiRi looked fierce in her all black dress while paparazzi clang to the superstar singer like a bee to honey. Other R&B sexy ladies attended “Fashion Night Out” including Amerie, Solange, and Keri HIlson.

4. 50-Cent: Curtis Jackson’s been a real business thug, I mean man lately. The rapper was in NYC yesterday promoting his new book ‘The 50th Law,’ and he just released a new single with Ne-Yo called “Baby By Me,” for his upcoming fifth studio album Before I Self-Destruct. Hope the book sells more than his last album did.

5. Mary J. Blige: The paparazzi couldn’t seem to get enough of the veteran R&B singer as she left her Manhattan hotel wearing a dazzling black leather jacket, black pumps, and blue rolled up jeans number. As usual the paparazzi were on the prowl in NY also catching Jamaican rapper Sean Paul leaving Bryant Park and Chris Breezy arriving at the JFK International Airport Thursday morning. Aren’t you suppose to be doing community service mister?

6. Keri Hilson: The sultry singer/writer is letting it all out in her new music video “Slow Dance.”

7. Drake: The Canadian newby and Weezy F. Baby can’t seem to get enough of each other. Seems like Wayne is taking the place of Birdman as a teacher and Drake has taken over the role of Wayne as the pupil. The duo released another track called ‘My Darlin’ Baby.” Let’s just hope there’s no kissing on the mouth in the future for these two man-crushes.

8. Kanye West: With a jigsaw-puzzled new haircut Ye had to have known he was going to win at the famed BMI Urban Music Awards last night. Among the other winners to take home awards were LIl’ Wayne and Keri Hilson.

9. Michael Jackson: When will they leave leave MJ at peace in his grace? Now, the scheduled tribute concert for the late great King of Pop has been cancelled because of scheduling conflicts. It’s probably not happening because all the celeb singer’s that were supposed to be involved denied affiliation. Hopefully Jermaine Jackson wasn’t lying about the tribute to get some attention.

10. Whitney Houston: After the circulating rumors that Whitney cracked on the Oprah Winfrey Show turned out to be more of a publicity stunt Grammy winner has been going full force with her brand new video for her hit single “I Look To You.” The R&B singer is currently #1 on the Billboard charts.

When it comes down to Chris Brown and Omarion, it is common knowledge that: 1) both men aren’t at the top of the list for their singing; 2) both men look sexy as hell with their shirts off, and 3) they both have a tremendous female following (maybe Chris has a little less). But, if we placed O and CB center stage in a grueling battle of a dance-off to get their careers back, who would win? 

In the Black-and-Blue corner:
Name: Christopher Maurice Brown, Better Known As “Chris Brown”
Date of Birth: May 5, 1989
Height: 6’2″ 
Birthplace: Tappahannock, Virginia
Stats: Platinum recording artist, dancer, and actor.    

In the Pink corner:
Name: Omari Ismael Grandberry, Better Known As “Omarion”
DOB: November 12, 1984
Height: 5’7″
Birthplace: Inglewood, California
Stats: Grammy-nominated R&B singer, actor, songwriter, record producer, dancer, and former lead singer of B2K.

Let the battle begin…      

Round 1:”Touch” vs.”Run It”         

Why is your mouth open throughout the whole video Chris—weird?! With the precision and complexity of “Ice Box”, O you got that one but I could of done without Solange.

Round 3: Freestyling

Omarion…

vs. Chris Brown

If I have to see Chris Brown krump again, I will throw my computer screen. O definitely washs Chris in freestyling…

Round 4: Acting
You Got Served vs. Stomp The Yard

O…you cant act for sh*t, I have to give it to you CB. Chris, your krumping may have saved you…this time!

And the winner is…Omarion.

You may disagree with me, but it’s evident that both men can bust down a routine, but when it comes to freestyling, Omarion got it. In the real world of dance—like out on the streets—choreography doesn’t cut it.It’s about free movement, improv, and your flow. Chris may be able to “Take you Down”  but O takes the cake…

By the way…

Who would you hit? 

1. Diddy: Check out this Bad Boy getting all Dirt Money in his newest video, “Angels.” The track features the late great Notorious B.I.G. Diddy’s Last Train To Paris album should be leaving sometime next year.

2. Kanye West: This bi-polar superstar was all smiles with Dame Amber Rose at the movie screening for the highly anticipated film Precious, starring Mariah Carey, GIANT Paula Patton, and funny woman Mo’Nique. Yeezy’s was in rare paranoia form last week when he threw a temper tantrum because the paparazzi were following him while he was shopping. Cool it down Yay, I don’t think Amber would approve.

3. Ciara: Seems like after that short weave, I mean cut, CiCi’s hair, shoot, I mean weave just keeps getting longer and longer. The singer was spotted leaving the hair salon with that good import from Taiwan.

4. Raekwon: The buzz around  this former Wu-Tang Clan member is getting crazy. Kwon’s Only Built For Cuban Linx… Part II is getting so much attention, it’s even giving HOV’s Blueprint III a run for its money.

5. Jamie Foxx: Smh… C’mon now Jamie, you couldn’t blame these nude pics on alcohol. It’s about time you admitted to the photos, but did you admit to much with the large gay following?

6. T-Pain: The auto-tunes king spoke on his Jay-Z beef this morning when he called into the Power 105 Morning Show and did a little venting. Pain was actually a little salty because he felt like Jigga was dissing him on the low… well duh!! Everyone’s getting a little tired of that screechy voice and probably those ridiculous top hats. HOV might have done you a favor.

7. Barack Obama: Guess some parents didn’t want their their little chaps to hear President Obama’s back-to-school speech. The president called for all schoolers to work hard and focus on their school work instead of outside nonsense. Yea parents, Obama’s speech was definitely bad and too much for the precious children to bear.

8. The Dream: Wonder how long The Dream and Christina Milian will be together now that they’re officially married. As long as there’s no sex-tape surfaced,  cheating, domestic abuse, money stealing, subliminal disses on records, or infatuation with Amber Rose the happy couple should do just fine.

9. Mary J. Blige: Did this R&B diva have an alter-ego named Brook-Lynn long before Beyonce introduced us to Sasha Fierce? Seems like Mary is quite as contrary as she proclaimed to be…

10. Chris Brown: Seems like the Virginia native is having a lot of fun at his tricked out crib lately. Breezy tweeted some of his household toys to his fans. Hope the singer’s remorse for woopin’ up on Rihanna was genuine. Still can’t get over that baby-blue boe-tie.

On the verge of an ending summer the hottest in the game are rearing forward with music leaks, performances, and your expected “shop-till-you-drop” frenzies, while other celebs are ending their summer with break-ups, behavior leading towards break-ups, and just the usual bodyguards taking the fall for their richly puppet masters. Check out the buzz from this week’s GIANT A-listers.

1. Snoop Dogg: The D-o-double-g is taking his A-list status from last week and running with it. The West Coast rapper was caught showing some Cali love to a pretty lil’ young thang in the club while Mrs. Dogg was at home with the pups. Smh … Snoop, get it together.

2. Ashanti: Looks like the midwest swang and the Jersey girl hair wasn’t enough to keep Nelly and Ashanti together. The couple broke up and it rumor has it that Nelly was dipping out with a certain “tip drill” named Jessica Rabbit.

3. Jay-Z: Of course you had to have known that it wouldn’t have been long before Drake did a song with HOV. Ironically Drake’s comedic lyrics behind “Best I Ever Had” match up pretty well with Jay-Z’s nonchalant play on women on his leaked track from The Blueprint 3, “Off That.”

4. Day 26: Day 26 are feeling “So Good” in their new video. Hopefully Diddy doesn’t replace any of them with folks from his shows Starmaker and Making His Band.

5. Rihanna: RiRi’s been running through every town this summer galavanting all types of couture fashion. The newly nicknamed “Ms. New Booty” was in Las Vegas popped into Las Vegas to chill with Kings of Leon, came back to NY to work on her album in the studio, and then partied like a rock star in the NYC club scene. Slow down Rihanna, you can’t possibly think Chris Breezy is gonna keep following you around.

6. Ciara: It was only a matter of time before CiCi realized that naysayers and gossipers would get tired of her short cut/weave. The singer sported her longer weave shopping in Beverly Hills over the weekend with her little doggie. Tiz a shame that she was driven to conform, but, ah well, she looks ten times better.

7. Chris Brown: Maybe there is hope for the youngster to make a comeback from his slap-boxing days with ex-girl Rihanna. Breezy’s new track, “Drop It Low” featuring new artist Ester Dean is making some waves in the music world. But the question is will it be enough to push the young star back into the limelight???

8. Kelis: Doesn’t seem like Kelis is struggling at all after her big b-day celebration at the Hotel Griffou in NY. Nas‘ baby momma’s been trying to rake him to the coals in there divorce settlement by asking for close to $100,000 a month. Kelis, stop partying and get a job!

9. Lady GaGa: It’s just becoming wrong that nobody knows if its Lady GaGa or Mr. Gaga. The poker face blondie performed over the weekend in England. Seems like the singer is having fun keeping her fans and the paparazzi guessing about her sexuality. Any who, it doesn’t matter because her music speaks for itself.

10. Beyonce: After the vacation gone bad, The Carters are back in NYC but not without a Croatian court date for Bey’s bodyguard, Julius. The bodyguard’s camera equipment throwing match between the paparazzi brought on charges and a court sentence.

Soulja Boy has officially joined the ranks of celebrity-related buffoonery; not that that’s out of character (see Exhibit A here), but with his recent self-promotion in self-indulgent spending, one can only wonder what goes on in the minds of unjustifiably successful artists when they purchase pendants worth a thousand words.

Yesterday, the prepubescent one five-hit wonder—you know you still have your fingers crossed—released a YouTube video, aptly titled “Rich Nigga Shit.” Apparently, this is the sixth installment of the web series, but we couldn’t bring ourselves to be schooled by a “Bird Walk”-ing teenager long enough to watch the others. Chalk it up to envy. The video debuts to a baffled audience—made up of you, me, and the rest of a struggling society amidst a severe economic downturn—his newly-acquired Black Diamond-Encrusted Remote Control Lamborghini Chain. Read it twice for full effect. It matches his actual black Lamborghini, so that when he’s not driving around in the luxury vehicle, and begins to freak out, wondering if he’ll ever amount to anything more than a scrawny kid with bad acne and a dream, he can look down at his chain, and realize…no, he won’t.

We can’t fault him for his behavior, however, because when elders speak, we’re to follow their lead, right? A few months ago, T-Pain released a photo showcasing his 10lb., 197kts big ass chain. And that’s not irony. If viewers found themselves having trouble identifying the monstrosity dangling from his neck, they could confidently fall back on their long-gone comprehension skills as a fifth-grade reader to help decipher. It simply reads, “Big Ass Chain,” a meaningful statement if there ever was one. It’s a good thing the Auto-Tune King didn’t use this fantastic marketing opportunity to “Save Darfur” or “Go Green,” because this makes way more sense. Plus, it’s trendy. And that’s what really matters.

Lastly, our favorite (that’s subjective) R&B singer Chris Brown made a few teeny-bopping TRL-er’s question why they forgave him in the first place (for the incident we shall not mention). At a Diddy party, nonetheless, he made the ill-timed decision to step out in public for the first time with a brand new, and severely insensitive, chain. The $300,000 diamond necklace, that reportedly took 218 days to make, declared “Oops!,” proving that the singer refused to wear his heart on his sleeve. Instead, it sat right beneath his chest and blinded oncoming traffic. In terms of making an apology, a shrug of the shoulders would have been just as effective. Meaning not at all.

This the future of music, people. That and buyer’s remorse.

Once upon a time Chris Brown was the leading man on the R&B scene but after his Ike and Tina debacle with Rihanna, he’s been amping for a comeback. Though rumor has it that his upcoming album may reboost his career, there are a couple underrated stars on the rise that may give him a run for his money. On a GIANT scale we measured the competition and who’s coming for that number one spot…

Small: Pleasure P

It may be hard for some to forget his past affiliation with boy group disaster Pretty Ricky with all of their glitter and grillz, but it seems as if the 24-year-old crooner is making his own mark. With “Boyfriend #2″ as the official cheaters anthem and “Under” climbing the charts, we may just forgive him for being friends with anyone who ever self proclaimed themselves the title “Sexy Spec.” Here is his latest video, “Under,” with a chameo from twin actress Tia Mowry…

Medium: Jeremih

The recently signed Def Jam artist has been creating a buzz in Chicago for some time but after hooking up with L.A. Reid, he’s decided to take it national. Though he may not be the pop-locking dancing machine that Chris Brown is, he brings the vocals and the teen-crazed sex appeal that all artists wish for. On his recent self-titled debut album Jeremih claims “Imma Star,” so let’s see where his stardom takes him. Check out the “Imma Star” video after the jump…

GIANT: Trey Songz

Dropping tracks almost daily via twitter, taking jabs at the King of R&B, R. Kelly, on diss tracks, and making girls young and old faint with just his smile, who is doubting that Trey isn’t becoming the next big thing? His latest mixtape, Anticipation, has acted as the appetizer for his recently pushed back album Ready, and ready is what Chris Brown should be if he’s trying to capture the crown. You can download the mixtape here and also check out Trey’s video for this years summer anthem “I Need A Gurl.”

On Monday, Chris Brown issued the long-awaited, yet completely anti-climactic, apology to ex-girlfriend Rihanna. The two-minute video did nothing if not prove that a mock neck looks good on no one but a man of God (Coincidence? I think not!) and that the boy can read from a cue-card like no other singer-turned-actor. In lieu of his botched attempt at exuding sincerity and regret, GIANT gives you the guide to Celebrities and the Art of the Public Apology.

Rule No. 1: Sing a Song
Like Akon. In April 2007, during a performance in Trinidad, Akon told the audience that he was going to have a dance off, and the winning young woman would receive a trip to Africa. The problem? “Africa” is the pet name for his junk, and the recipient of all the simulated sex (see: dry-humping) was a 14-year-old.

So, he did what any self-respecting singer would do. He released a song entitled “Blame It On Me,” but instead, pointed the finger at everyone else.

“Just a little young girl trying to have fun / Her daddy should never let her out that young / I’m sorry for Club Zen getting shut down / I hope they manage better next time around / How was I to know she was underage / In a 21 and older club they say”

Rule No. 2: Recruit Back-Up
In November 2006, during a performance at the Laugh Factory in West Hollywood, comedian Michael Richards (better known as Kramer from Seinfeld) addressed a pair of hecklers by stopping his act, alienating them in front of the audience, and subsequently calling them “niggers” repeatedly, amidst some references to lynching.

He then appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman, with Jerry Seinfeld acting as a buffer (and serving up some grade-A playground support: “Don’t laugh! It’s not funny!”) and delivered an apology full of awkward silences. Or was that comedic timing?

2a. In this case: Ironically use a questionably racist term while apologizing for unquestionably racist behavior. “Afro-Americans?”

Rule No. 3: Always Call Al Sharpton
Michael Richards did! Well, actually, an apology was demanded out of him, but still, not even Mexican Presidents are immune from confronting Al Sharpton. He’s like the People’s Choice, but involuntarily. In April 2007, while discussing the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, radio personality Don Imus referred to the Rutgers University team as “some nappy-headed ho’s.” He then appeared on Al Sharpton’s syndicated radio talk show to express his regret, to which the host asked that he be fired. Less then two weeks later, Imus’ show was cancelled. Bad news initially, yes, but when it comes to Sharpton, it can be expected that in the forthcoming months, he will use every media outlet necessary to broadcast his take on the subject at hand. So much so that the real culprit fades into the background.

3a. If Sharpton’s outta town, there’s always Jesse Jackson.

Rule No. 4: Throw Your Friends Under the Bus
Take note of celebrity pseudo-friendships. When Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson performed together during the Super Bowl XXXVIII halftime show in February 2004, he tore open her top, exposing her right breast (and her affinity for odd nipple jewelry). Though the two claimed it to be a “wardrobe malfunction,” no one could ignore the fact that it was done while Timberlake sang the lyric, “Gonna have you naked by the end of this song.” As a result, CBS would only allow Jackson and Timberlake to appear during the 46th Grammy Awards ceremony if they each made a public apology to the network. Though Jackson refused, Timberlake obliged and went on to win two awards that night. Jackson stayed home and her boyfriend Jermaine Dupri resigned from his position on the Grammy Awards committee.

When Jennifer Lopez caught flack for her not-so-tasteful language in the 2001 remix of “I’m Real,” in which she sang: “People be screamin’ ‘What’s the deal with you and so-and-so?’ / I tell them niggas mind their biz but they don’t hear me, though,” she deflected the attention (and blame) off of her and onto rapper Ja Rule, claiming he had written all the lyrics.

Rule No. 5: Diagnose Yourself
In 2001, Mariah Carey invaded MTV’s TRL, pushing an ice cream cart, wearing high heels and a pajama shirt, and looking all sorts of cracky. Immediately after, the press was all over her, questioning the odd behavior. What did she claim to be the reason? Exhaustion. The same excuse Lindsay Lohan used after being admitted to the hospital while filming Georgia Rule - a movie set she often failed to arrive to on time (or at all). And it served as the same creative response Amy Winehouse’s PR people gave us when canceling her performances mid-tour, but only after the surfacing of a few of her slurred-singing videos, a severe weight loss, and a sudden collapse. That’s right, folks. As a last resort, cite severe, crippling (convenient) exhaustion for all your immoral, inexcusable actions.

- Danielle Cheesman

Chris Brown is speaking out for the first time in months since the highly-publicized incident with former girlfriend Rihanna took place. Though he did release a statement through his PR team in February, yesterday marked the moment the 20-year-old singer decided to speak directly to his fans. He was spotted courtside at the Magic vs. Cavaliers game last night, but afterwards, he and friend, rapper Bow Wow, posted a live broadcast on Bow’s Justin.tv channel. Chris briefly spoke out on his upcoming plans for music (he has both a single and album in the works), his fans, and his “haters.” He then signed off by telling his viewers, “I ain’t a monster.”

What do you think?

Once again, Rihanna can’t catch a break. No, the singer’s not getting more misspelled words tattooed on her body, but she does have additional fall out from the now infamous domestic dispute with former boyfriend Chris Brown.

According to the LA Times, the Los Angeles Police Department is still holding approximately $1.4 million dollars worth of jewelry that the signer was wearing on the night of the pre-Grammy party when she and Brown got into the now infamous altercation. 

The jewels were on loan from various jewelers and Rihanna’s attorney has filed a motion in LA county court to have them returned to their respective owners.

Chris Brown was sighted in a Los Angeles tattoo parlor with none other than Natalie Mejia, a member of the Pussycat Dolls pop group “Girlicious.” Sources say that Brown kept her in his sights while the paparrazi took candid photos. Despite the uncertainty of their relationship Mejia says on her Myspace page: “Things are going well between us, but I really don’t want to comment much more than that right now.” The two allegedly met in Virginia way back when and have now been stamped as a possible couple. 

-Jeremy Clayton

TMZ is reporting that Chris Brown has pled not guilty in the assault case against Rihanna today (April 6) in Los Angeles Criminal courthouse. Brown, 19 is being charged with two felonies - assault and making criminal threats.

According to reports by the LAPD, Brown beat, punched and choked Rihanna prior to this years’ Grammy Awards. Brown, who has not been seen in the spotlight for a month, was joined by his mother, some friends and four body guards. Rihanna was not in attendance at the hearing.

Brown is scheduled to appear back in court on April 29.

With all the news breaking about Chris Brown’s manager Tina Davis being the “mystery woman” behind the text messaging controversy, GIANT reveals that Brown and Davis have always had a unique relationship.

In our September 2007 coverstory, Brown revealed how Davis took him into her New Jersey home while he was shopping a deal:

Tina Davis, then a senior vice president at the label [Def Jam], saw Brown’s talent and told him not to sign the deal. “Tina was like, ‘I’m not signing that agreement with you. They not being right.’ And this was before she became my manager. She coulda just been like, ‘Oh, alright, I’m gonna make my money anyway.’” Davis was fired from Def Jam not long after. Brown called her the same day and asked her to be his manager. He hadn’t signed the Def Jam deal. She moved him in with her in New Jersey and got him a deal with Jive Records, now home to R&B’s ruling class: R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, T-Pain, Joe and Huey.

“Me and T.J. used to stay at Tina’s house all the time. We thought she was super rich!” Brown says. “She lived in a regular neighborhood, and we was from the ghetto. We was wearing a whole bunch of dirty clothes. She would buy us fresh things every week, new sneakers.” And he started doing his schoolwork through an Internet home-school program partially because it seemed like his friends in Virginia were hating on him anyway. Brown had been back to Virginia for his ninth and 10th grade basketball seasons but had been getting into fights, so after that, it was a wrap. He was too busy learning how to become a pop star.

“I did weeks of media training because I was so country,” he says. “My mentality was still Harlem and Tappahannock. I was stuck in the ‘hood mind-set.”

Brown and Davis would also watch movies about exploitation in the music industry-such as the Sam Cooke story about how he had his publishing stolen-stories that, Davis says, helped Brown understand what he needed to do to get to a certain place. “He was learning how to talk right, how to sit right,” Davis remembers. She would fall asleep during the movies, and when she woke up, he would still be there watching, taking it all in, transfixed. “He was like a sponge.”

For more on the Chrihanna drama, check out these links below:

Who is Tina Davis?

LAPD Notes Confirm Chris Brown Threatened to Kill Rihanna

Chris Brown Charged With 2 Felonies

Is Chris Brown Violent?

Rihanna’s Own Troubled Past

And to check out Chris and Rihanna in happier times, check out our gallery here!

FOX 11 in Los Angeles (watch the video below) has obtained LAPD detectives notes from a search warrant in the case of Chris Brown’s assault on girlfriend Rihanna. According to the notes, Rihanna read a three-page text message on Brown’s phone from a woman. An argument ensued and Brown allegedly tried forcing Rihanna out of the car but couldn’t because she was wearing her seat belt.

Brown then allegedly shoved Rihanna’s head against the passenger window. When Rihanna turned to face him, Brown punched her, then continued punching her while driving, according to the detective’s notes.

Blood spattered all over Rihanna’s clothing and in the interior of the car. Her mouth was filled with blood.

Brown allegedly told Rihanna, “I’m going to beat the **** out of you when we get home. You wait and see.”

Rihanna called her assistant and left a message saying, “I am on my way home. Make sure the cops are there when I get there.”

Brown then replied, “You just did the stupidest thing ever. I’m going to kill you.”

According to the report, Brown continued to punch Rihanna, bit her on her ear, her fingers and put her in a headlock — she almost lost consciousness.

For more on the Chris Brown/Rihanna controversy:

Chris Brown Charged With 2 Felonies

Is Chris Brown Violent?

Rihanna’s Own Troubled Past

And to check out Chris and Rihanna in happier times, check out our gallery here!

Even though neither of them have a record coming out anytime soon, both to these R&B stars have been in the all over the news lately. Though they’ve been getting time in the spotlight for different reasons, we thought we take a look at how the two singer squared off against each other.

Justin Timberlake, 28

Claim to Fame: Before the Tennessee native was bringing “SexyBack,” he was the lead singer of the boy band ‘N Snyc. After the band dissolved, Timberlake released his 2002 debut solo album Justified and then his 2007 followup FutureSex/LoveSounds. Both of his solo albums have been commercial successes and Timberlake currently holds six Grammys. In his personal life, Timberlake has been publicly linked to Britney Spears, Cameron Diaz and most recently Jessica Biel. He also has his own clothing line, William Rast. Timberlake has dabbled in acting and has most recently gained fame for his recent hilarious performances on Saturday Night Live including the “D*ck In a Box” skit and the spoof of Beyonce‘s Single Ladies video.

Hits: A musician, Timberlake has become one of the former members of a boy band to continue on to a successful career. Dropping the poppy sound of ‘N Sync, for a more contemporary R&B feel, TImberlake worked with The Neptunes and Timbaland on his first and second albums, respectively. As a result, hewas able to cross over from the pop charts and into the urban space.

Misses: During the halftime show for Superbowl XXXVIII, Timberlake tore off Janet Jackson’s top, exposing her nipple for 9/16 of a second to the viewing audience. After “Nipplegate,” Jackson’s career started to head south as outlets wouldn’t play her new music videos while Timberlake’s skyrocketed. Timberlake asserted that he only got “10 percent of the blame” but never outright defended Jackson, who got the brunt of the negative impact.

Chris Brown, 20

Claim to Fame: Debuting when he was just 16-years-old, Chris Brown has made a name for himself as one of the foremost entertainers in R&B since 2005. His first album Chris Brown went 2x platinum and his sophomore effort Exclusive has been certified platinum. Brown has also acted in several films including Stomp The Yard and This Christmas and endorsed Doublemint Gum in TV commercials.

Hits: His single “Run It,” earned him the accolade of being the first male to have his debut single on the top of the chart. Additionally, Brown is noted for his dance moves which have put him in the class of Michael Jackson and Usher.

Misses: On February 8, 2009, Chris Brown turned himself into the Los Angeles Police Department and was booked  for making criminal threats against his girlfriend Rihanna. Brown had physically assaulted the young singer. His Doublemint endorsement has since been suspended, he’s been dropped from several radio stations and multiple artists have dropped his recordings from their work. After a short break up, Rihanna and Chris Brown are back together.

Winner: Chris Brown

By his own admission, Brown has issues that he needs to work out. But given the fact that he openly admitted to them rather than copping solely to his involvement like JT with “Nipplegate,” we, like Rihanna, are willing to give him a second chance. But, if he every slips up again…

Want to see more celebrity face offs?

Click here to read Kanye West Vs. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke

Click here to read Freida Pinto Vs. Lauren London

This story just continues to get worse.

UPDATE!

Rihanna released a statement today thanking her fans for their support.

“At the request of the authorities, Rihanna is not commenting about the incident involving Chris Brown. She wants to assure her fans that she remains strong, is doing well and deeply appreciates the outpouring of support she has received during this difficult time.”

TMZ releases images of battered Rihanna

TMZ has released images of Rihanna after she was allegedly attacked by Chris Brown. Word is someone in the Los Angeles Police Department leaked the photo. Sad.

Police investigate source of leaked image

L.A. Police Chief William Bratton said, “It as an embarrassment to this department.” The department employee who is found to be the leak could face up to three years in jail.

R&B Star Chris Brown finally released a statement about the alleged altercation between he and his girl friend Pop Star Rihanna last week in Los Angeles the night before the Grammys. In a comment released today, Brown said (through a publicist Michael Sitrick): “Words cannont express how sorry and saddened I am over what transpired. I am seeking counseling of my pastors, my mother and other loved ones, with God’s help, to emerging a better person. Much of what has been speculated or reported on blogs and-or reported in the media is wrong,” Brown communicated. “While I would like to be able to talk about more, until the legal issues are resolved, this is all I can say except that I have not written any messages or made any post to Facebook, or on or any place else. Those posts or writing under my name are frauds.”

One GIANT scribe shares his post-Grammy thoughts. For more Grammys coverage, click here to check out our live Grammy blog.

1. Chris Brown and Rihanna are the new Ike and Tina? Never thought I’d see the day. Did he really manhandle Rihanna right before the damn Grammys? For some reason, the first thing that came to my my mind when I heard Chris allegedly put hands on a chick was Chris Tucker’s comedy bit about Michael Jackson being a pimp.

2. Jay-Z didn’t know what to do with his hands when he was performing with Coldplay but he looked old and stiff trying to stay in rhythm with the piano. It looks like he was either trying to do a geriatric dance or translating song lyrics in sign language while Chris Martin was going on those keys.

3. Even though she’s a bit of an eye sore, Adele is dope.

4. Not mad at MIA for performing preggers on her due date but did she really have to go out there 9 months pregnant in polka dot spandex? I wonder what would have happened if her water broke in the middle of Weezy’s verse on the “Swagger Like Us” performance?

5. Kanye and Estelle looked like an old Soul Train flashback. All that’s missing is Don Cornelius and that scrambled letters board. Kanye has officially lost it with this damn afro-mullet…if I’m not mistaken, he swaggerjacked that shag from Theo Huxtable.

6. The great Stevie Wonder…and the fuckin Jonas Brothers? One of them has a pompadour and is singing into Stevie’s mic! There is no singing into Stevie’s mic!!! I know Mr. Wonder is unable to see just how retardedly uncool these boys are but his manager can. He should be posting his resume on Monster.com right now and applying for new employment. How did this get signed off?

Is Chris Brown violent? In an August 2007 interview with GIANT magazine, the young R&B star talks about witnessing domestic violence in his childhood home:

Like the day an 11-year-old Brown made a promise to his mother. He vowed that he would go to jail by age 15 for killing his abusive stepfather. “I just want you to know that I love you,” he told her in GIANT. “But I’m gonna take a baseball bat one day while you at work, and I’m gonna kill him.” Brown’s parents had separated when he was seven. When his mother remarried, she moved her son and his new stepfather to a trailer park. Then his stepfather shot himself in the head. The shot went straight through the eyes. He survived the suicide attempt but was permanently blinded.

“When you’re blind, your senses are heightened, like your smell, hearing, your sense of touch,” Brown explains to GIANT. “You can move and maneuver around your sight. But he used to hit my mom…. He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day…’ I hate him to this day.”

Click here to read “Rihanna’s Own Troubled Past”!

For more Chris Brown, click here to check out his GIANT Gallery here!

And to check out Chris and Rihanna in happier times, check out our gallery here!

And for the entire story, read below:

As his young world spins on an axis of fame, money and music — getting advice from everyone from Usher to Michael Jackson — rising superstar Chris Brown wants to balance the normal and the crazy. Who says it can’t be done?

“You’ve got too much rotation on the ball!” shouts Chris Brown’s security guard from the bench. “You gotta let it flow!”

“I can’t help it,” the teenage superstar snaps back from the court as he shakes his wrist. “I jerked off before I got here.”

Playing point guard with the swagger of a young Rucker Park champ, tattooed arms and all, the six-foot-one 18-year-old has nice ball handle, an even nicer jump shot and makes a few slick steals on D. He’s also an entertainer on the court: While a player from the other team shoots free throws, Brown is mid-court, break-dancing. And a trash-talker: He argues with the scorekeeper and the ref. On the bench after fouling for the fourth time in the first half, he shouts, “The ref’s shorts is cutting off his circulation!”

Chris Brown is in baggy shorts and a jersey in the basement gym of an Upper West Side school for a Basketball City league game. There are no screaming fans, no girls tearing off their panties in the crowd. In fact, there’s no crowd at all except his old friend Monet Sealey, two bodyguards and a teammate’s girlfriend. Nonetheless, Brown is playing like there’s a trophy to win. After his spell on the bench, he returns to the game and starts raining baskets-three in a row, then four, then five, which still doesn’t stop Monet from screaming at him: “Follow your shot boy, even if you think you gonna make it!” (“If you want to write a story about Chris Brown, here’s your story,” Monet says. “All you gotta say is Chris Brown is a silly teenage kid, who ain’t never gonna grow up.” Dribbling down the court, Brown throws a goofy, sarcastic expression at Monet, as if proving her point, then nails a jump shot.)

Brown’s team wins 70 to 54. He takes off his yellow jersey, finds out that the team on deck for the following game is missing a player, throws on a blue jersey and helps them win 71 to 63. Afterward, the ref with the small shorts who Brown has beefed with through both games makes his way over to him, resting in the bleachers. He leans in to offer some words of wisdom. “You’ve got a good game,” the ref acknowledges, “but my advice is to be fundamental. It will take you a long way.”

Everyone, it seems, is coaching Chris Brown from the sidelines. But he’s used to playing his own game. And winning. Over lunch at the London Hotel in New York City a few days later, Brown recalls being 14 years old and getting a call from Usher, who was encouraging Brown to sign with Island Def Jam.

“Big Usher. He was like the Michael Jackson of our generation,” Brown says. “I said what’s up to him, but I ain’t sign with Def Jam.” Brown went with Jive Records instead, and his 2005 platinum-selling self-titled debut spawned a string of hits, including “Run It!” “Yo (Excuse Me Miss),” and “Gimme That,” which, together with his incredible dancing, sweet face and crossover appeal, allowed Brown himself to snatch Big Usher’s spot as this generation’s Michael Jackson. It also sent his peers-all older than Brown-scrambling to keep up with the young star’s effortless moves and energy.

“I don’t consider myself the typical R&B guy because I’m not an R&B cat,” declares Brown, who prefers to describe himself as an “R&B jock.” “I’m from the ‘hood. I’m not a punk! A lot of cats get consumed with, ‘Oooh, I’m this; I’m that.’ They’re divos. I’m not a divo at all. I’m just a dude.” And therefore, not a threat.

“I don’t do R&B beef. That’s corny,” Brown says when asked about rivalries and competition. “I don’t really have many friends in the industry. Trey Songz I consider my homey. I can still see the country in him. I can still see the same dude. And Rihanna’s real cool. Rihanna’s a good girl. Like friend, not a girlfriend.” Brown feels the need to clarify because rumors were floating around that the two were a couple. They also made a remix of her hit “Umbrella” together. He says he doesn’t think it’s a good look for his image to be in a relationship right now, that he could lose fans.

“Everybody wants to be the best, from me to Ne-Yo to Usher, Omarion, Justin Timberlake, Trey Songz, Mario, everybody.”

In the hotel lobby a middle-aged white woman extends her fist to give Brown some dap as he passes by. In the restaurant two elderly Ladies Who Lunch send over a tray of sweets because “he looks like he’s working so hard.” Brown is used to the attention from grown women (he claims 34-year-old Gabrielle Union has shown interest in him) and, of course, from all the young girls who squeal at his concerts and chase after his bus. “I appreciate it because that means they really like me, but in a spooky way,” he says with a half-scared, half-animated smile. “I take most of it with a grain of salt because they’re a fan of who they see on TV.”

Click here for breaking news about Chris Brown’s assault charges here!

Click here to watch celebrities speak out about Chris Brown/Rihanna drama!

The new album is called Exclusive, and it’s packed with Brown’s signature upbeat hits and top-tier production by Bryan Michael Cox, will.i.am, Scott Storch, Swizz Beatz, Dre & Vidal, the Underdogs and Johnta Austin. Brown co-wrote seven of the album’s 10 tracks, and he knows this is no time to disappoint your audience. Even as he spends the day doing interviews, playing ball, checking out (and commenting on) females everywhere he goes and, even, cursing and acting a fool much more than his management might like, Brown still manages to keep his eyes on the right prize. Consider his goal to someday sell at least 12 million records. “Michael Jackson sold twenty-five million albums, so I wanna get to at least twelve,” he says matter-of-factly. “If I could just sell twelve, I’m doing my part because that means double that is downloading it….I don’t wanna settle. I wanna be the best.”

The King of Pop is for Brown, like for many young stars who grew up in awe of the videos and hits, a real touchstone. When Brown was four years old, his father, then a cop, would watch Michael Jackson videos and copy MJ’s moonwalk. Brown would copy his father. Then this summer, four years after Usher called him (and two days after his 18th birthday), Brown received a call from the King of Pop himself. Brown was at the movies watching Spider-Man 3 when his security guard handed him the phone.

“Michael told me his favorite song was ‘Shortie Like Mine,’” Brown says, trying to smother his laugh. “He wants to do a song with me and will.i.am. Michael said to me, ‘Being able to dance and sing, that’s rare. Nobody can do it-only you, me and a couple others. Keep working and dream big.’ He told me, ‘Dream big.’”

Great advice from one star to another, even better advice from a legend who experienced a difficult childhood just, as it seems, our new star did. Because Chris Brown’s past, though always filled with dreams, also featured its share of nightmares.

Brown was always the little kid in the big kids’ room at his mother Joyce’s day-care center in Tappahannock, Virginia (population: 2,000). In the back of the school bus, the older girls used to make him sing Soul For Real’s “Candy Rain” for them every day. At the local fitness center, he played basketball with guys twice his age. “There were guys twenty-four, twenty-five, and I’m like, ‘Oh, these dudes letting me play with them!’” He was the only sixth grader on the eighth grade team, freshman on the high school varsity team. It’s clear Brown always had a light shining on him, but he’s endured more dark days than his happy-go-lucky demeanor lets on.

Like the day an 11-year-old Brown made a promise to his mother. He vowed that he would go to jail by age 15 for killing his abusive stepfather. “I just want you to know that I love you,” he told her. “But I’m gonna take a baseball bat one day while you at work, and I’m gonna kill him.” Brown’s parents had separated when he was seven. When his mother remarried, she moved her son and his new stepfather to a trailer park. Then his stepfather shot himself in the head. The shot went straight through the eyes. He survived the suicide attempt but was permanently blinded.

“When you’re blind, your senses are heightened, like your smell, hearing, your sense of touch,” Brown explains. “You can move and maneuver around your sight. But he used to hit my mom….He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day…’ I hate him to this day.”

Brown found relief in the streets by spending time with his boys, avoiding home. “Music, basketball and drawing was my outlet to keep me away from all that.” At 13 Brown started taking music more seriously and moved back and forth from Virginia to New York City. He traveled to Harlem to link with T.J. Allen, aka T-Breezy, an aspiring rapper whose father was well-known music producer Timmy Allen. (That was also the year Brown’s mom finally left Darnell. Brown believes she found the strength in part because she suspected her son was about to kill him two years early.) With Brown calling himself C Swizzle, Allen began shopping the pair’s demos and quickly scored an audition at Island Def Jam with CEO Antonio “L.A.” Reid. Reid offered Brown and his buddy a deal on the spot.

“Me and all the guys was in the bathroom, jumping around, just being big kids,” Brown says. “They was grown men! But me and T.J. were just wildin’!

“I remember I called my mom about to cry, but I was like, ‘No, I’m a boy. I’m not supposed to cry.’”

But the deal quickly went sour. According to Brown, during the negotiations, Allen and his team got greedy. “They took care of me this whole time, and then they started being snakes,” he says. Tina Davis, then a senior vice president at the label, saw Brown’s talent and told him not to sign the deal. “Tina was like, ‘I’m not signing that agreement with you. They not being right.’ And this was before she became my manager. She coulda just been like, ‘Oh, alright, I’m gonna make my money anyway.’” Davis was fired from Def Jam not long after. Brown called her the same day and asked her to be his manager. He hadn’t signed the Def Jam deal. She moved him in with her in New Jersey and got him a deal with Jive Records, now home to R&B’s ruling class: R. Kelly, Justin Timberlake, T-Pain, Joe and Huey.

“Me and T.J. used to stay at Tina’s house all the time. We thought she was super rich!” Brown says. “She lived in a regular neighborhood, and we was from the ghetto. We was wearing a whole bunch of dirty clothes. She would buy us fresh things every week, new sneakers.” And he started doing his schoolwork through an Internet home-school program partially because it seemed like his friends in Virginia were hating on him anyway. Brown had been back to Virginia for his ninth and 10th grade basketball seasons but had been getting into fights, so after that, it was a wrap. He was too busy learning how to become a pop star.

“I did weeks of media training because I was so country,” he says. “My mentality was still Harlem and Tappahannock. I was stuck in the ‘hood mind-set.”

If you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who is, please click here for details about how to get help.

And for ALL THINGS Chris Brown, check out the GIANT List here!

Brown and Davis would also watch movies about exploitation in the music industry-such as the Sam Cooke story about how he had his publishing stolen-stories that, Davis says, helped Brown understand what he needed to do to get to a certain place. “He was learning how to talk right, how to sit right,” Davis remembers. She would fall asleep during the movies, and when she woke up, he would still be there watching, taking it all in, transfixed. “He was like a sponge.”

It’s a hot, sunny afternoon in mid-June. Down the block from Brown’s cover shoot at Manhattan’s Drive In Studios, girls in tight jeans are gathered after class outside Bayard Rustin High School for the Humanities with Chris Breezy look-alikes in fitted caps and Jordans. Brown’s own graduation was a few weeks earlier, and despite the money and fame, he’s still disappointed that he wasn’t able to walk with his class, missing out on all the ball games, parties, the prom.

When Brown talks of Exclusive, he uses high school as the metaphor. “With a second album, there’s a lot of pressure to maintain status,” he says. “It’s like if you’re popular in high school, you gotta keep it up-keep the fresh gear on, keep saying the right things. The whole music industry is like high school. My prom was the Grammys.”

But what high school type is he? Most likely to succeed? Class clown? Most athletic? Whichever he is, not too many high school students have recently built a six-bedroom home in Virginia, own a white Ford Expedition, a blue Lamborghini and a black Range Rover, or just bought their mom an orange Corvette and a matching house down the street.

If he had gone to his prom, Brown would have liked Ciara to be his date.

“When Ciara came out, I loooved her,” he says. “This was before her and Bow Wow and before anybody knew me at all. I met her at a show and was just really intrigued. I remember talking to her like, ‘Yo, I’m attracted to you and all that.’ But I was too young for her. I didn’t get the time of day!” Brown says he tried to holler at Ciara, now 21, both before he learned she was in a relationship with Bow Wow and again after they broke up. So there’s no guessing who’s the inspiration behind Brown and Bow Wow’s 2006 hit duet, “Shortie Like Mine.” Brown says that once he and Bow Wow became cool, he was straight up with him. “I told him, ‘Man, I got a crush on Ciara.’ He was like, ‘Who doesn’t?’ But I’m cool now. I don’t stunt her that much because if I know somebody’s not attracted like that, I’m not gonna push. At the end of the day, you’re not blessed with everything.”

Given his abnormally successful world, Chris Brown needs some normalcy. Take a recent “tattoo” moment between client and manager. To Davis’s dismay, Brown got a tattoo of a skull with a halo for his 18th birthday. “I told him, that’s five hundred thousand units, baby,” says Davis. “That’s a parent who don’t wanna buy that album. I had told him not to make it visible, and he put it on his hand!” But Davis also believes you have to let a kid be a kid. “If you don’t give them normalcy and fight for their normalcy, they’ll go crazy in this industry,” she says. “So when he asks to go play basketball with his friends in Harlem, because that’s what he loves, how could I say no? They treat him just like he’s Chris Brown back then. And that’s so important.”

“I’m eighteen years old. This is the year you’re supposed to move out, go to college or something,” Chris says. Instead, Chris Brown has finished a second album, is gearing up for a worldwide tour in October and planning outfits for a trip to Oprah’s Girls Academy in Africa. But he’s not a superstar yet.

“I hear it,” he says, “but I don’t feel it.”

- LAURA CHECKOWAY

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Take a look back at happier times for Chris Brown and Rihanna…

If you think you are a victim of domestic violence or know someone who might be read this article on HelloBeautiful.com to find out how to break free.

Is Chris Brown Violent? Take a look at GIANT’s exlcusive interview with Chris Brown to find out!

Rihanna opens up exclusively to GIANT about her own troubled past here!

Check out the FULL STORY on Chris Brown’s assault charges on NewsOne.com!

Click here to subscribe to GIANT today!

Chris Brown turned himself into the LAPD tonight and is accused of attacking an as-of-yet unidentified young woman.

It isn’t confirmed that the woman is Rihanna, but the couple both pulled out of their scheduled Grammy performances last-minute and without much explanation. E! News reports the following:

“Los Angeles police have confirmed Brown, 19, is being investigated for felony domestic battery. Sources tell E! News that the alleged victim was Rihanna, 20, and that she had visible bruises on her face.”

The couple were photographed leaving together in a Lamborghini moments before the incident at the 2009 Grammy Salute To Industry Icons in Beverly Hills. Several reports say the woman assaulted was traveling with him in his car. When police were called and arrived, he ditched the car and jet…

This story is getting crazy!

For more on the 2009 Grammys, check out Beats & Bars Grammys Live Blog here!

And for more Chris Brown, check out the GIANT List here!

So, we’re under strict orders not to do anymore Top 8 of ’08 posts. Thank God! That said, I couldn’t let this one little nugget pass me by.

The incomparable (read: I have never heard of him) DJ Earworm decided to mashup the Top 25 songs of 2008 according to Billboard magazine (if you know me, then you know what time it is… LOL). Anyway, Mr. Earworm was kind enough to post his “masterpiece,” which features T.I., Chris Brown and Alicia Keys (notice a pattern here?), on YouTube for all the world to enjoy so without further ado…

Thanks, Naz.