In 2005, 16-year old show business natural Chris Brown emerged from the small town of Tappahannock, Virginia. Like many kids born since the early '80s, Brown was initially into his parents' favorites but eventually fell under the spell of hip-hop. Brown's star rose rapidly, as his promising vocal and dance skills drew comparisons to his idols Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, and Usher, with the artist citing all three as large influences. The pop-oriented R&B vocalist debuted with the Scott Storch-produced Run It! and became the first male solo artist to release a single that went straight to the top of the Billboard singles chart.
It was around his early teens that Brown discovered his singing voice, and within a couple of years he had a recording contract with Jive Records who lined him up with several production and songwriting heavyweights – such as Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, and Sean Garrett, in addition to Storch – for his self-titled first album, an immediate Top Ten hit released in November of 2005. Exclusive, featuring the number one pop single Kiss Kiss, followed in 2007. Brown has released a deluxe version of this album called The Forever Edition. The first single from it, Forever, was released in May 2008, having reached number two on Billboard's Hot 100 list and achieved platinum status.
In addition to his solo commercial success, Brown has been featured on several hits such as No Air, a duet with singer Jordin Sparks, Shortie like Mine with the rapper Bow Wow, and Shawty Get Loose alongside Lil Mama and T-Pain; the songs peaked at numbers three, nine, and ten on the Billboard Hot 100 respectively.
With the release of Graffiti, the 20-year old's third album for Jive Records, singer-songwriter Chris Brown cultivates a deeply personal sense of self in an art form that is reflective of the moment, as he enters his prime in the midst of a challenging junction in his life. Brown, already a widely accomplished multi-platinum artist, builds upon his signature sound – "Graffiti exemplifies the many types and colors of art, music and fashion that I love and how I express myself," he explains. "It's my art... my graffiti."
