CHRIS BROWN
by Chauncy Jackson

Though it is not always the case, the artists who have a grasp on the history of music, or at least the history of music in the genre in which they choose to succeed, are the ones who can parlay immediate success into a fruitful career.

Chris Brown exploded onto the scene two years ago, bursting onto the Billboard charts with an album that went five times platinum (and debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 album chart) and four top-20 singles, including the No. 1 mega-hit, "Run It!" (featuring Juelz Santana). The then-16-year-old crooner was a multiple Grammy Award nominee, and took home a Soul Train award, two BET awards, a Teen Choice award, three Billboard awards, and an NAACP Image Award.

Though he never seemed to be lacking courage, Brown also appeared to keep his ego in check ­ rapid success not withstanding. "I always imagined that I could be what I wanted to be, I just hoped that I could do it," Brown said recently. "I never knew how fast this would take off, so I'm just thankful for it."