- Photos | Chris Brown And Usher Perform In Jamaica
- Chris Brown And Usher Unite Onstage In Jamaica
Brown surprises audience with onstage appearance during Usher's set at Reggae SumFest.
By James Dinh
Chris Brown and Usher perform at Reggae SumFest in Jamaica on July 25
Photo: Robert Keshishian/ Newscom
While Chris Brown has always made it clear that he looks to Michael Jackson for inspiration, there are nearly as many parallels to be made between Brown and Usher. And last weekend, Breezy joined Usher on stage during the Reggae SumFest 2010 in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The duo wowed audiences in the concluding night of the festival.
Brown had already performed his own set on Friday, tearing through songs like "Run It" and "Forever" and showing off his formidable dancing skills. But it was his surprise appearance during Usher's set the following day that really set the crowd off. According to TheChrisBrownBlog.com, the two were also joined onstage by Elephant Man and later engaged in a dance-off.
Video footage from the performance had not surfaced online at press time, but photos reveal the two singing together and even showing some affection with an onstage hug.
Brown took to Twitter Saturday to thank Jamaica. "I wanna thank you Jamaica for your wonderful embrace last night at the show," he wrote. "Next time well do passa passa ... lmao ... (oh hell naw). Love ya!"
Later on Saturday, he tweeted about performing with Usher. "Me and Usher killin Jamaica right now," he wrote.
When Chris burst on the music scene five years ago, he was overcome with excitement when meeting Usher. "To see him face-to-face, I was like, 'OK, Chris, it's gonna be all right, just chill out right quick. You about to do the song, man, don't be no punk,' " Brown told MTV News about recording a song that was later featured in Usher's 2005 film "In the Mix."
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- Chris Brown - Deuces
- Drake And Chris Brown Hit The Studio Together
'I was actually in the studio with Chris Brown for a little bit,' Drake tells 'Extra'
By Mawuse Ziegbe
Drake
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage
With T-Pain keeping a relatively low profile and Lil Wayne midway through his yearlong incarceration, Drake has stepped up over the past year as the king of collabos: He's dropped bars on records by everyone from Jay-Z and Timbaland to Mary J. Blige and Trey Songz. The Toronto MC shows no signs of slowing down either, as the star recently disclosed that he's been "studio hopping" and even jumped in the lab with Chris Brown.
"Tonight, I've just been in the studio. I was actually in the studio with Chris Brown for a little bit," Drake told "Extra" on Tuesday. Fresh off of a big night for both stars at Sunday's 2010 BET Awards, it appears Drizzy and Breezy were not content to bask in the buzz and headed straight for the studio shortly after.
Drake didn't mention what, if anything, he and Breezy were cooking up but he did say that he went on the hunt for other possible collaborations. "Then I was studio hopping, seeing where I could lend my hand to whoever's project since I've done mine."
The studio session is not the first time that Drizzy and Breezy have crossed paths. Brown's ex Rihanna was once rumored to have rebounded with Drake following the pop couple's highly publicized split; a report that Brown once addressed in song and that Drizzy denied was true. However, Brown and Drake have also publicly appeared cool with each other, with Breezy showing up to Drake's Thank Me Later listening event earlier this year and briefly filling in for Drizzy during a 2009 Young Money tour date in Virginia.
What do you think a Drake/ Chris Brown collaboration might sound like? Let us know in the comments below!
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- Larry King's Top Pop-Culture Moments, From Lady Gaga To Chris Brown
T.I., the Jonas Brothers, Snoop Dogg helped legendary host maintain his pop culture credentials.
By Kyle Anderson
Chris Brown on "Larry King Live"
Photo: CNN
After 25 years on one of the most venerable and popular talk shows on television, Larry King is stepping down as the host of "Larry King Live." The 76-year-old King announced on Tuesday that his run as cable's premiere prime-time interrogator will come to a close sometime this fall. "I'm incredibly proud that we recently made the 'Guinness Book of World Records' for having the longest-running show with the same host in the same time slot," King wrote on his blog. "With this chapter closing I'm looking forward to the future and what my next chapter will bring, but for now it's time to hang up my nightly suspenders."
Though his advanced age has made him the butt of more than a few jokes in recent years, King's pop culture credentials have actually been pretty strong lately. Though his show is typically devoted to politicians, newsmakers, activists and victims of heinous crimes, he has spent more and more time chatting with a new generation of pop stars and artists. In the process, he has turned "Larry King Live" into its own headline-grabbing broadcast, bringing a handful of artists out of their respective shells.
Take a look at the five most notable exchanges that King has had with the current generation of pop stars for proof.
Chris Brown
In a history-making piece of television, Chris Brown sat down for an interview on "Larry King Live" back in September 2009. It represented his first public comments since his arrest for assaulting then girlfriend Rihanna the previous February. Flanked by his mother and his lawyer and dressed in a blue bow tie, Brown was quiet and somewhat evasive but remorseful during the hour-long sit-down. "I made a mistake and that's just something I have to live up to and own up to," Brown told King. "And change and become a better person."
Lady Gaga
King's most recent brush with the pop world was an interview he conducted via satellite with Lady Gaga, who not only talked about her upcoming music, her role in the gay community and her struggles with lupus, but who also unveiled a preview of her new video for "Alejandro."
T.I.
Fresh out of jail, Clifford "T.I." Harris sat across the desk from King back in May for a surprisingly hard-hitting conversation about his year behind bars and the crime that put him there. Tip was candid about everything. "In having time to sit and reflect, if you take the time and use it to your advantage, you see [that] even though all those rounds were fired that night, you didn't have a firearm and you're still here," he told King.
The Jonas Brothers
While they weren't discussing their time in prison, their role in the gay community or domestic disputes, the Jonas Brothers' appearance on King's show in June 2009 was no less noteworthy. When King pressed the boys to discuss their love lives, Joe mentioned that his then flame (actress Camilla Belle) was not as public as Nick's girlfriend. "I don't think anybody is as famous as Miley Cyrus," he said, confirming rumors that had been flying around for a while.
Snoop Dogg
While Snoop Dogg's appearance on King's show didn't reveal any hard-hitting facts, it did give King the opportunity to roll with the Dogg. Back in March, the pair hopped into Snoop's 1967 Pontiac Parisienne, for a ride during which Snoop showed off the GPS that featured his own voice and taught King all about low ridin'.
What's your favorite pop culture moment on "Larry King Live"? Let us know in the comments!
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- Lloyd Explains Quote That He 'Told' Chris Brown To Cry At BET Awards
'Him crying at the BET Awards was real, I could feel it,' Lloyd asserts on his blog.
By Gil Kaufman
Lloyd at the 2010 BET Awards
Photo: Leon Bennett/ WireImage
Jermaine Jackson has praised Chris Brown for leaving it all on the stage at Sunday night's BET Awards during his tribute to JJ's late brother, Michael. Fans and critics have speculated about whether the tearful breakdown during "Man in the Mirror" was a genuine show of emotion or a calculated attempt to win back fans who've abandoned him since his assault on Rihanna last year.
But Brown himself has not spoken publicly about what caused him to choke up onstage, so it's unknown why he was unable to complete the song after his thrilling dance tribute to the late King of Pop. One hint, though, emerged on Monday, when R&B singer Lloyd seemed to say that he had advised Brown to shed tears during the performance.
"He's back with a vengeance," Lloyd told Rap-Up.com after the show, where he was nominated in the Viewer's Choice category for his hook on Young Money's "Bed Rock." "I think that they're gonna find a place in their heart for him again. ... I told him, man, you gotta get up there. You gotta cry, you gotta really show your heart to the world."
After some backlash, Lloyd took to his blog on Tuesday to clarify his remarks. "I consider Chris a friend. He's been through a lot in the past couple years," Lloyd wrote. "I never told him to go onstage and cry. We spoke recently, and I told him as a friend that people hadn't really seen him be vulnerable about his situation last year [with Rihanna]. I thought he was holding back and needed to let that emotion out. Him crying at the BET Awards was real, I could feel it."
He also speculated about the possible source of those tears, saying Brown may have cried "about the fact that he thought people would hate him forever because of one mistake. Feeling that love on stage was probably overwhelming. Plus MJ being gone and him performing 'Man in the Mirror,' that song is powerful, especially for his situation. It pushed him over the edge."
Lloyd also lashed out at the "many blogs and fans" who saw his original statement as a negative comment on Brown. "To say that he was faking or that I'm hating on him, that's some bullsh--," he said. "Last week Essence.com asked me what artist most embodied MJ. I told them it was Chris. I never saw MJ perform live, but [Chris Brown] is the closest thing I've witnessed. Chris is back, and I'm just as excited as his fans are."
Do you think people misinterpreted Lloyd's original statement? Continue the debate in the comments.
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- Chris Brown's BET Awards MJ Tribute Was 'Spectacular,' Jermaine Jackson Says
'He deserves to perform, because it's healing for him,' Michael Jackson's brother tells 'Extra.'
By Gil Kaufman
Chris Brown performs during the 2010 BET Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Chris Brown wasn't the only one getting misty-eyed at Sunday night's BET Awards during his tribute to Michael Jackson. The King of Pop's older brother, Jermaine, told "Extra" that he was also overcome with emotion during the dance routine, in which Brown paid homage to some of MJ's most famous moves and then attempted to sing "Man in the Mirror" before being overcome with emotion and weeping onstage.
"To see [Chris'] performance, it was very emotional for me, because it was an acceptance from his fans from what has happened to him and also paying tribute to my brother," Jermaine said. "It was just a spectacular moment."
Fans and critics have been split on the performance, which some saw as the bursting of an emotional dam for the singer, making his first major public appearance since he pleaded guilty to felony assault in his assault of former girlfriend Rihanna last June. Others speculated that Brown may have manufactured the tears to gain sympathy from fans who abandoned him in the wake of the Rihanna attack.
Jermaine Jackson said he thought Brown — a longtime devotee of Michael's and, at one point, considered a modern heir to the R&B throne — had every right to pay homage to his brother. "He deserves to perform, because it's healing for him," Jermaine said. "How can he learn from his mistakes if you don't give him a chance? He needs that. I love Rihanna, and I'm not supporting what he did, but I support him [as a singer] 100 percent. ... I'm just very emotional just knowing what has happened. Chris Brown is a human being, and we all make mistakes. We can't condemn him for what has happened. We hope he has learned from it."
Brown hasn't made any public statements since the BET performance, but on Monday, he did tweet, "My fans are my world," a follow-up to a message earlier in the day when he wrote, "I Love you ... (ever single one of #teambreezy)."
What did you think of Chris Brown's emotional performance? Let us know in the comments.
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- Chris Brown's BET Performance Joins List Of Greatest Pop-Culture Crying Fits
Halle Berry, Kelly Clarkson, Justin Timberlake and more have had their moments.
By Kyle Anderson
Chris Brown performs at the 2010 BET awards on Sunday
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Despite the triumphant TV returns of Kanye West, T.I. and El DeBarge at Sunday night's 2010 BET Awards, the big headline from the show was Chris Brown's moving tribute to late superstar Michael Jackson. Brown flawlessly executed all of Jackson's most classic dance moves (including a scorching moonwalk), but when it came time to lend his voice to Jackson's "Man in the Mirror," Brown broke down in tears and could not sing, apparently overwhelmed by the emotion of the situation.
Crying in public is hardly a new phenomenon in the world of popular culture. Brown joins the list of some of the biggest stars in the world who have also broken down on television.
Halle Berry
When Berry won the Oscar for Best Actress at the 74th Annual Academy Awards in 2002 (for her work in "Monster's Ball"), she became the first African-American woman to take home the prize. That, combined with the overwhelming experience that was making the emotionally-charged "Monster's Ball" and the huge standing ovation she received, threw Berry into hysterics during her acceptance speech. "This moment is so much bigger than me," she said.
Kelly Clarkson
When Kelly Clarkson won the very first season of "American Idol," she was initially in a state of shock. Unable to express how she was feeling to the television audience who voted her the victor over Justin Guarini, she moved on to her performance of "A Moment Like This." When she hit the lyric, "I can't believe it's happening to me," she finally broke. She managed to get through the song, but to continuously apologized for her emotion.
Justin Timberlake
Ashton Kutcher's hit MTV show "Punked" certainly pushed a lot of his famous friends to the brink, but few had a reaction like Timberlake. When Kutcher's crew of actors pretended to be federal officers seizing most of his possessions for failure to pay back taxes, Timberlake flipped out and wept. Usually, Kutcher's reveal at the end of the episode throws the celebrity in question into laughing jags or fits of anger, but Timberlake was clearly just filled with relief.
Tonya Harding
Athletes cry all the time, but it's usually because of the overwhelming thrill of victory or the agony of bitter defeat. Rarely do they weep during a particular competition, but that's exactly what Harding did at the 1994 Winter Olympics. After dealing with her connection to the attack on fellow skater Nancy Kerrigan in the run-up to the games, Harding took the ice only to realize that a lace on one of her skates had broken. In between sobs, she pleaded with the judges to allow her to get new laces and start over. They allowed it, though Harding still only finished eighth.
Crystal Bowersox
The season nine "American Idol" runner-up had an extremely emotional run to the finals (including a harrowing health scare), but it took merely the presence of her father and a particularly heartfelt song to push her to tears. Bowersox slipped a handful of sobs into her performance of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions' "People Get Ready" during Inspirational Week on the show. It was one of the many performances that put Bowersox in the discussion of the best "Idol" contestants of all time.
Tracy Morgan
The always unpredictable star of "Saturday Night Live" and "30 Rock" has had a tough life and a challenging career, but the mere mention of co-star Tina Fey sent Morgan on the crying train when he visited with Oprah Winfrey on an episode of her show back in April. "She's my friend. Tina is my friend. I love her," he told Winfrey as he was fighting back tears.
"Crying Girl"
There are an awful lot of "American Idol" moments on this list, aren't there? Ashley Ferl gained notoriety during the show's sixth season not as a contestant but as a particularly emotional audience member. The 13-year-old Ferl was so taken with "Idol" contestant Sanjaya Malakar's take on the Kinks' "You Really Got Me" that she sobbed uncontrollably, earning herself a great deal of screen time and the privilege of becoming an Internet meme for a while.
Did we miss any? What is the best incident of celebrity crying? And what did you think of Brown's performance? Let us know in the comments!
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- Chris Brown's BET Awards Breakdown Divides Viewers
Some think Brown's Michael Jackson tribute was sincere, while others view it as a sympathy ploy.
By Gil Kaufman
Chris Brown performs at the 2010 BET Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
While Chris Brown's onstage breakdown during a Michael Jackson tribute at Sunday night's BET Awards likely left many viewers speechless, MTV News readers had plenty to say about the emotional tribute to the late King of Pop.
Many commenters weighed in on an MTV News story about the performance, during which Brown executed some spot-on Jackson choreography for "Remember the Time" and "Billie Jean" while modeling some of MJ's signature looks. He then cried and was unable to get out the lyrics to the moving "Man in the Mirror."
"He left his heart on that dance floor and when those tears dropped from his face, so did the audience around the world," Music4Ever wrote. "He truly gave that his all and showed Michael that he was his idol."
Kjabbamodern called Brown's performance "amazing" and said he was spot on. "When you watched the awards you truly felt the incredible spirit he had, and when he broke down, it was truly genuine. Anyone that cannot understand that and see his true spirit is seriously NOT human. [Brown] made a mistake. ... I hope people find it in their hearts to forgive this young man."
The performance was one of the most high profile for Brown since the singer pleaded guilty last summer in connection with his attack on former girlfriend Rihanna. Since then, he has struggled to get his career back on track, meeting with disappointing sales for his album, Graffiti, and recently being forced to cancel European dates when the conviction stopped him from obtaining a work visa in the U.K.
Not everyone was convinced of the emotional sincerity of Brown's teary display. "Publicity stunt ... so funny that most of these commenters don't even remember all the backlash MJ had to endure!!" Eddie wrote. "Where was the forgiveness then? So sad that a sick person like Chris can put on a show of 'tears' to a REAL MUSICIAN'S MUSIC to get sympathy. ... His tears were for what he lost, which I pray he will never get back!!!"
Insantity wasn't feeling it either, adding, "I guess you can beat the life out of women, as long as you 'cry' at a tribute show."
Rebel was less harsh about Brown's intentions, writing, "This young man has suffered ENOUGH. Just let him move on and remember that there is not one amongst us who has never made a mistake in their life."
The night included notable performances from Alicia Keys, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, T.I. and Diddy. But Shai182 said simply, "Chris Brown's performance was hands down the best performance of the night!!! He killed it!!!" And chickhappy23 opined, "MJ would have been proud & we know u'll hold true to your promise Chris."
MTV's readers weren't the only ones torn over the tribute from one of Jackson's most avowed young followers. The Los Angeles Times ran a poll of readers on its site, asking whether they bought Brown's performance. At press time, 39 percent said that "Chris was thinking only of Jackson and was choked up by his death," followed by 21 percent who countered, "Chris was 100% faking a breakdown to get sympathy." The rest of the vote was split between 12 percent who said, "Chris was 50% upset by Jackson's death and 50% over-acting to get sympathy," and 9 percent who thought, "Chris was 100% freaked out that he had a real singing gig again. It had nothing to do with Jackson or faking it."
Was Chris Brown's BET breakdown genuine? Continue the conversation in the comments.
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- Did Chris Brown Redeem Himself At BET Awards? Experts Weigh In
'He couldn't [apologize] enough; he had to prove it,' Vibe contributor Erik Parker tells MTV News.
By Jayson Rodriguez
Chris Brown
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Chris Brown was the water-cooler topic of the day after his stirring Michael Jackson tribute at the 2010 BET Awards on Sunday night, when he broke down in tears as he attempted to sing "Man in the Mirror." The embattled R&B singer reminded the world of his talent as he re-created MJ's magical dance steps and sang a medley of his songs.
But Brown's onstage breakdown divided viewers: Was he emotionally overwhelmed by the moment, or were his tears a publicity stunt designed to garner favor after his assault of former girlfriend Rihanna?
"You forget what a good performer he is. I think over the past year, so much has been overshadowing that, from his album not selling to him claiming record stores are boycotting him to him being denied entry into Europe," Alicia Quarles, Associated Press entertainment editor, told MTV News. "You forget that he's a triple threat. The breakdown, I was skeptical of it. I didn't know if it was genuine, if he was reflecting on everything he had gone through or if it was a PR opportunity. Either way, it was good for him.
"It was supposed to be Prince's big night, and El DeBarge made a comeback, Kanye West — but no one is talking about any of them," Quarles continued. "Everybody is talking about Chris Brown, and it's about doing something positive for once."
Since Brown assaulted Rihanna, he's tried to apologize and relay his remorse, but the singer stumbled in an interview with Larry King when he said he couldn't remember much about the altercation. He told MTV News he felt ashamed of his actions, but no matter what he said, he found himself still reviled by many. After his teary performance of "Man in the Mirror," however, the tide of support seemed to turn his way.
"I think people didn't want to hear words from him. I don't think they wanted to hear the words 'I'm sorry,' " explained Erik Parker, who wrote a cover story on Brown for Vibe. "He couldn't say anything enough; he had to prove it. For people to accept it, they had to first make him pay for it somehow, meaning put him through the wringer and get out all the anger they feel toward him. But he was unable to articulate how truly sorry he felt with just his words."
Parker recalled how upset Brown was that he was unable to perform at last year's BET Awards, which occurred just days after Jackson's death. He said it was fitting for Brown to find some sort of salvation one year after he would have originally had a chance to redeem himself onstage.
Billboard magazine's Gail Mitchell was in the house for Brown's performance and said from the time he stepped onstage to the time he exited, the crowd was on its feet. The way Mitchell sees it, Brown has already admitted his fault and is diligently serving his community-labor service as part of his punishment for his actions, so she doesn't understand why the singer isn't allowed to move on more than a year after the assault.
Brown explained himself perfectly, Mitchell said, when he accepted the Fandemonium Award later in the evening: "When he said, 'I let you down earlier ... I won't let that happen again,' I think that says it all."
What did you think of Chris Brown's performance and breakdown? Let us know in the comments.
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- Will Chris Brown's BET Performance Revive His Career? PR Experts Weigh In
'The question is: Do people think it's real?' one expert asks of Brown's tearful BET Awards Michael Jackson tribute.
By Gil Kaufman
Chris Brown performs at the 2010 BET Awards
Photo: Jeff Kravitz/ FilmMagic
Only Chris Brown knows what caused him to choke up on Sunday night at the BET Awards during his tribute to Michael Jackson. Was it paying tribute to his late musical and dancing idol? Was it the emotion of performing on a major TV event for the first time in over a year in front of his peers? Was it the song's lyrics, which are about staring in the mirror and willing yourself to make a change?
Brown, whose career has stalled in the wake of his plea a year ago to felony assault on ex-girlfriend Rihanna, grabbed a lion's share of the headlines in the wake of the emotional performance, earning higher placement in most reports than the return to the show of T.I. after spending nearly a year in prison on weapons charges and another major awards-show resurrection: Kanye West's first live set at an awards show since he interrupted Taylor Swift's acceptance speech at last year's MTV Video Music Awards.
"The question is: Do people think it's real?" said veteran publicist and crisis manager Howard Bragman about the latest scene of a celebrity welling up on national TV. "If [the audience] bought it as authentic, then it might give him some sympathy, or there will be people who will roll their eyes because they feel like it's a PR stunt because we live in a cynical world."
Many of the respondents in an MTV News story about reader reaction to the Brown performance expressed a desire to forgive the singer and allow him to move on from the Rihanna assault. Even one of the star's most virulent blog attackers, Perez Hilton, put the knives away for the first time in more than a year and said the performance "seemed genuine" because the low-key wasn't "crying pretty," but rather seemed to honestly break down and lose his composure.
While initially skeptical, Hilton said upon further viewing the breakdown seemed real. "It was ugly and raw and I think a lot of different things were going there, from his love and tribute to Michael, to having exerted a lot of energy and emotion earlier, to thinking about the Rihanna incident, to probably relief and joy over getting the opportunity to perform again on television at a big awards show," he said.
As to whether a publicist would ever counsel a client to cry on cue in order to gain sympathy, Bragman not-so-sheepishly admitted that he did once tell a thespian, "You're a really good actor, I wouldn't mind seeing a few tears." And Bragman said the person in question was a good actor and it did work, though Bragman would not divulge their identity.
With tepid album sales for his latest LP, Graffiti, little interest at radio and the cancellation of a recent U.K. tour due to visa issues tied to his felony plea, Brown has been struggling to put his career back on track following the Rihanna case.
Holly Baird, a publicist at Sitrick Brincko Group LLC, the crisis-management group that worked closely with Brown, his mother and the singer's label in the aftermath of the Rihanna incident (but which no longer represents him), said she was very proud of Brown's performance on Sunday night and thought that it felt very authentic.
"Sunday's BET Awards performance was an opportunity for Chris to pay tribute to one of the world's greatest musicians of all time," she wrote in an e-mail to MTV News. "Chris has always stated that Michael Jackson has been an inspiration for him since he was a child and has musically been compared to Jackson in the past. Nothing about his performance was manufactured. It was an awesome tribute by a man that has for the past year, publicly dealt with a tumultuous phase in his career that has forever changed his life. Chris' breakdown was not just emotional, but sincere. I even started crying ... Chris broke down crying out of emotional exhaustion and in no way was this an attempt to redeem himself, but rather it showed the world that Chris is human and he too has emotions."
Baird said the choice of "Man in the Mirror" was fitting, since the inspirational, life-affirming song speaks to the importance of the global community taking responsibility for its actions and looking "in the mirror" at how we treat each other and our environment. "I believe the song alone spoke to Chris and we were witness to that on Sunday during his performance," she said.
What did you think of Chris Brown's Michael Jackson tribute at the BET Awards? Did it make you feel differently about him? Sound off in the comments below!
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- Chris Brown's BET Awards Performance 'Seemed Genuine,' Perez Hilton Says
'He wasn't crying pretty,' Hilton tells MTV News of Brown's tearful Michael Jackson tribute.
By Jocelyn Vena
Chris Brown performs at the BET Awards on Sunday
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images
Perez Hilton surprised many when he tweeted and said on Nick Cannon's radio show that, after Chris Brown's emotional tribute to Michael Jackson on the BET Awards Sunday night, he's ready to change his opinion of Brown in the wake of the singer's 2009 assault on Rihanna.
When MTV News caught up with the gossip blogger on Monday (June 28), he elaborated further.
"I didn't watch it live, which was probably a good thing because I was able to have a initial reaction when I heard what happened and then I had a different reaction after I saw what happened," he explained. "My initial reaction was skepticism about the incident and thinking it was a ploy for sympathy, and then after I saw it I still had a bit of skepticism, but I was absolutely and definitely impressed by his performance, especially the beginning part.
"And then the breakdown seemed — and seem being the accurate word — genuine because it looked real. When you cry deeply and intensely it's not pretty," he continued. "He wasn't crying pretty. It was ugly and raw and I think a lot of different things were going on there, from his love and tribute to Michael, to having exerted a lot of energy and emotion earlier, to thinking about the Rihanna incident, to probably relief and joy of getting the opportunity to perform again on television at a big awards show."
What stood out to Perez about the performance was that "it was just a reminder of his talent and a reminder that he has been gone away for a while. It was a reminder that he has been gone from the scene for a while, that radio was not supporting and a reminder that he is talented and that maybe now is the time to move on for him and for those of us who have had very strong feelings about his very bad actions. It's not unfair to think negatively of him, but it is unfair to hold that against his head for the rest of his life, if he really has changed his ways and is trying to make amends."
It was the kind of performance that Hilton has said moved him to a point where he thinks he's ready to give Brown another chance.
"I think we, or at least I, am ready to move on as well," he said. "And let him do his thing. The key is what he does next and that the music is good. His next step should be now really protective of what little good will he may have, meaning folks don't want to see him bragging, don't want to see him out partying. What people want to see is him being the best Chris Brown he can be, performing and entertaining and making great music."
What did you think of Chris Brown's performance at the BET Awards on Sunday night? What do you think of Perez Hilton's comments? Sound off below!
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