Chris Brown’s Alleged Assault Charges Could Cost Him His Endorsement Deals

No. Not Chris Brown.

He's been the squeaky clean pop R&B poster boy since he hit the scene in 2005 with his #1 debut single "Run It."

He is not Michael Jackson, but he surely lit a fire under Usher's behind.

He has not publicly feuded with another artist.

He's been dating his female counterpart Rihanna.

He even had a Doublemint commercial.

He is 19-years-old.

There are a half a dozen upcoming teen male pop R&B singers signed to major labels who wish they could achieve his success.

But if the allegations are true that Brown assaulted a woman, his career will be in jeopardy.

According to the reports from the most reputable news sources, Brown turned himself in to authorities Sunday evening in connection with a charge of making a criminal threat. After being interviewed by police, he was released on a $50,000 bond.

Brown is being accused of assaulting a woman Sunday early morning and fleeing the scene, leaving her in a car in the Hancock Park section of Los Angeles. As a result of the issue, Brown canceled his performance at Sunday's 51^st Grammy Awards where he was nominated for two trophies, best pop collaboration for his song "No Air" with Jordin Sparks and best male R&B performance for his ballad "Take You Down."

It is unclear whether or not his girlfriend pop star Rihanna was the victim, however, insiders are speculating that it was the "Umbrella" singer who made the 911 call to police, complaining of being attacked.

Rihanna also withdrew from her scheduled performance from the Grammys.

The couple was last seen together Saturday night when they attended the annual pre-Grammy party hosted by music veteran Clive Davis. Reports indicate that they were happy.

On Sunday a spokesperson for Rihanna told People magazine that the singer was well, but did not confirm whether she was involved in the altercation.

I hate to speculate on matters like this until all of the facts have been revealed. But I do want to consider what the ramifications might be for Chris Brown if he is found guilty of hitting a woman.

Aside from potentially serving jail time, Chris could face a backlash from his fans and the companies that endorse him.

Wrigley said Monday that it will be suspending its Chris Brown ad campaign for Doublement gum. In a statement the company said it would delay any advertising or related marketing until the situation is resolved, AP reported. Wrigley added that Brown should be "afforded the same due process as any citizen."

Advertisers and sponsors are quick to disassociate themselves from artists with controversial histories. Ludacris lost an endorsement deal with Pepsi in 2002 when The O'Reilly Factor host Bill O'Reilly attacked the soft drink giant for supporting an artist whom O'Reilly described to have socially irresponsible lyrics. And last year, Verizon pulled the plug on its sponsorship of Gwen Stefani's tour after opening act Akon was seen on a web clip dirty dancing with an underage girl at one of his club dates.

Just last week, we saw the consequences Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps faced when photos surfaced of the 23-year-old swimmer smoking marijuana via a bong pipe.

This could potentially affect Chris' invitation to other award shows and might even prompt fans to not support his upcoming concerts.

Respected hip-hop historian and journalist Dave "Davey D" Cook said that Brown losing endorsement deals is hardly the key issue. He wants to know how the community will be affected by having role models in Brown and Rihanna entangled in a widely publicized domestic matter. "The music industry, they'll circle the wagons and protect him," Cook said via email. "They'll spin the story and even go out after the victim which is happening now with Rihanna, who is catching heat from people accusing her of snitching."

Cook adds that he would like to see both Brown and Rihanna get help, but he believes that the music business will first put emphasis on keeping Brown's career afloat. "Chris Brown is a hot commodity making money in a crumbling industry that celebrates abusive culture, i.e. pimping," Cook said. "He'll be protected and held up to high esteem just like Ike Turner, Dr. Dre and Big Pun and numerous other artists and entertainers accused of domestic violence."

Many of Chris and Rihanna's fans are already forming opinions about the allegations.

After the news reports were released, fans expressed their opinions on social networking sites.

I've read many status updates on Facebook that conveyed anger towards Chris Brown.

On Rihanna's MySpace page, some users left her encouraging words, telling her that they are praying for her, that she will be okay, and to do what's best.

Ironically, few harshly condemn Brown. Some even take his side, citing rumors that Rihanna may have provoked a fight between the couple.

The comments on Brown's MySpace page clearly support the artist. One reminded him that he is innocent until proven guilty, while another told him not to worry because everyone makes mistakes.

We will see how the reaction develops as more of the story comes to light.

Brown is scheduled to go to court on March 5.

The 51st Grammys: Hours To Go Before We Sleep!

Posted Sun Feb 8, 2009 11:11pm PST by Billy Altman in And The Winner Is...

We have to admit that, compared to recent years, the 51st edition of the Grammy Awards ceremonies did carry a bit of suspense. For instance, Would Lil Wayne be the first rapper to win Album of the Year, and if so, would his pants stay up? If they won Song of the Year for "Viva La Vida," would Coldplay get coldcocked onstage by Joe Satriani, the guitarist whose instrumental "If I Could Fly" surely seemed to have been stolen lock, stock, and riff by Chris Martin and crew? Would ultra-pregnant M.I.A., appearing on her actual due date, become the first Grammy nominee to drop a baby right in the middle of a performance? And what on earth happened between Chris Brown and Rihanna, both of whom were no-shows on the telecast owing to a late Saturday night post-party altercation that apparently left Rihanna injured and Brown arrested on battery charges? Well, over the course of a three-and-a-half-hour program in which a grand total of 10 (!) awards were actually given out (believe it or not, the rest of the 110 total Grammys up for grabs were all doled out, as has been the practice for some time now, in a hurried pre-telecast ceremony on the floor of L.A.'s Staples Center), we did get answers to the first three of those four questions: respectively, no, no and no.
Lil Wayne won Best Rap Album, but not Album of the Year, which, as per the Recording Academy's usual conservative bent, went to Robert Plant and Alison Krauss's Americana album Raising Sand. Coldplay won Song of the Year without anyone yelling, "Thief!" And M.I.A., wearing a sort of maternity leotard thing, made it through her part on "Swagga Like Us" without going into labor--though for any of us who actually made it through the whole darned show, labor was indeed the operative word.
As for the Chris Brown/Rihanna flareup, we'll probably need to wait for the police blotter sometime tomorrow to find out about that one.Still, the 51st Grammy Awards show did overall have its share of moments to remember. And to that end, here's our own top 10: Yahoo!'s 2009 Grammy telecast "And The Winner Is" awards:The "Rising To The Occasion" Award goes to Jennifer Hudson, for surpassing her dramatic rendition of the national anthem at last week's Super Bowl with a riveting (and decidedly non-lip-synched) performance of her uplifting "You Pulled Me Through."The "Stooping To The Occasion" Award goes to Thom Yorke and Radiohead, whose whiny rendition of "15 Step" was so bad-vibed that you kind of wished they'd have just left the stage and allowed the USC Trojan Marching Band accompanying them to do the song by themselves. The "Haven't We Seen This Picture Before?" Award goes to Whitney Houston, who looked and sounded as out-of-it as a presenter in 2009 as she did as a performer in 2000, when they had to remind her that her song was over and she kind of needed to leave the stage so the show could continue.The "I Wonder What They're Thinking Right Now?" Award goes to Dean Martin's son and daughter, who after hearing Queen Latifah salute their late dad's Lifetime Achievement nod, then heard her introduce Kanye West, T.I., Lil Wayne, and Jay-Z as the "Rap Pack." Somewhere, Frank Sinatra is spinning in his grave. The "Best Date Placement" Award goes to Paul McCartney, for using his upfront aisle-seat pull to show off new gal pal Nancy Shevell. Oh, Heather...
The "I Went To The Grammys And A Boston Red Sox Game Broke Out" Award goes to Neil Diamond, for his pluperfectly cheesy rendition of the Fenway Park 8th-inning staple "Sweet Caroline." And how 'bout those eyebrows? The "Works Well With Fruit" Award goes to Katy Perry, for making the kitchiest most out of her performance of "I Kissed A Girl," complete with an entrance out of a giant peeled banana (insert your favorite Freud joke here) and a trash 'n' vaudeville outfit that, were she alive today, Carmen Miranda would kill for.The "Was This In The Script?" Award goes to presenter Samuel L. Jackson, who actually began his intro of T.I. and Justin Timberlake with the following salutation: "People of Earth!" Somewhere, Ed Wood is smiling.The "Was This In The Script II?" Award goes to presenter Craig Ferguson, who announced that he was up for a Best Sex Tape Award: "It's me vs. Screech." Even Paris Hilton blushed at that one.And, finally, the "All Kidding Aside" Award goes to NARAS chief Neil Portnow, for noting the organization's commitment to improving health care, saving music education in schools, and protecting musician's intellectual rights. And yes, past Grammy Award winner Barack Obama, a cabinet position of Secretary of the Arts is a pretty good idea. Just ask Quincy Jones.

Beefs And Cramps

Posted Thu Feb 5, 2009 5:33pm PST by Lyndsey Parker in That's Really Week

This was a fast and furious week indeed. Etta was furious with Beyonce, Bruce was furious with Ticketmaster, the entire Asian-American population was furious with Miley, and Cramps fans were furious with the Grim Reaper for taking away the band's frontman, Lux Interior, way too soon.

First, let's talk about one of the most unlikely celebrity feuds in all of music, the one that exploded this week between legendary jazz singer Etta James and the woman who played Etta in Cadillac Records, Beyonce. Now, we're not sure if Etta was displeased with Beyonce's portrayal of her in that film, but we are sure that she was unhappy with Beyonce's performance of the classic Etta song "At Last" at Barack Obama's inauguration last month. Etta made her displeasure abundantly clear last Wednesday, when--before performing "At Last" at Seattle's Paramount Theater--she launched into a shocking anti-Beyonce tirade.

"You know that woman he had singing for him, singing my song, she's going to get her a** whipped," Etta declared, before she then verbally attacked President Obama himself, referring to him as "your president...the one with the big ears," and adding, "He's not my president." Etta also said she "could not stand" Beyonce.

Whoa. "At Last" is right. At last, we have reported the oddest feud in all of R&B. 50 Cent and Rick Ross--sure, we expect that sort of beef. But Beyonce and Etta James? We didn't see that one coming.

Another angry celebrity in the news this week was Bruce Springsteen. Sure, he was in a fabulous mood last Sunday, performing feelgood anthems like "Glory Days" and "Working On A Dream" for trillions of people at the Super Bowl (and at Barack's Lincoln Memorial inauguration concert a couple weeks before that). And his Working On A Dream album debuted on the Billboard chart at number one, too. But by Wednesday, the Boss was very cross. The target of Bruce's wrath was Ticketmaster, after sales for his upcoming concerts at Meadowlands in his home state of New Jersey were thwarted by an error message on the TM website. Apparently when some fans tried to buy Bruce tickets, they instead received an ad for Ticketmaster subsidiary TicketsNow, offering tickets at hugely inflated prices. Bruce was not happy, and he blasted Ticketmaster and TicketsNow in a message on his official website. Ticketmaster CEO Irving Azoff did quickly issue an apology to Bruce and his frustrated fans, claiming it was a technical glitch, but New Jersey U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell still asked the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department to investigate possible conflicts of interest between Ticketmaster and TicketsNow. The New Jersey attorney general's office is also investigating whether Ticketmaster violated any consumer fraud or scalping laws.

So Ticketmaster may have (inadvertently or not) infuriated thousands of Bruce buffs, but tween star Miley Cyrus managed to infuriate the entire Asian race this week, when photos of her and her underwear-model boyfriend Justin Gaston--in which they were supposedly rudely ridiculing Asians by making goofy slant-eyed faces--popped up online. Various advocacy groups, including the Organization Of Chinese Americans, demanded an apology...but when Miley finally responded to the post-photo fallout, she didn't seem really all that apologetic at all. Instead, Miley went on the defensive, claiming she was not being racist whatsoever and that the pics were taken out of context and misunderstood.

"In NO way was I making fun of any ethnicity!" she angrily and somewhat ungrammatically blogged. "I was simply making a goofy face. When did that become newsworthy? It seems someone is trying to make something out of nothing to me. If that would have been anyone else, it would have been overlooked! I definitely feel like the press is trying to make me out as the new 'BAD GIRL'! I feel like now that Britney is back on top of her game again, they need someone to pick on! Lucky me! haha Anyway, I just wanted to let you guys know what is on my heart. You guys know me and have been by my side every step of the way! You guys know my heart and know the most important things to me are my friends, family, fans and GOD! In NO WAY do I want to disappoint any of you! But, when I have made mistakes in the past, I feel like Ive owned up to them and apologized." [sic sic sic...]

Hmmm. We wonder if the Asian-American community will add this transgression to their list of seven things they hate about Miley...

Meanwhile, thespian Joaquin Phoenix probably angered the nation's hip-hop community, and the Hollywood community, by confirming that he has given up acting to concentrate on a rap career. No, not a country or rock career--that would at least make sense, given his Oscar-nominated role in the Johnny Cash biopic Walk The Line--but a RAP career, people. A viral video of a bearded, scruffy Joaquin's debut rap performance at a Vegas nightclub has not impressed most of those unlucky enough to have seen it (he falls off the stage, for one thing). And it's been a subject of ongoing debate in the blogosphere whether this new MC persona is actually just an elaborate ruse, some sort of promotion for an upcoming Joaquin film in which he plays an aspiring rapper.

But Joaquin remains undeterred, still plans to pursue his hip-hop dream, and insists this is all legit.

"There's not a hoax," Joaquin told the press. "Might I be ridiculous? Might my career in music be laughable? Yeah, that's possible, but that's certainly not my intention."

Joaquin--whose transition from acting to music is being covered in a documentary (or maybe a mockumentary, depending on whether or not you believe Joaquin's story) shot by Casey Affleck, Ben's younger brother--also claimed that many of the clubbers who witnessed his Vegas performance firsthand were impressed by what they saw. "My experience afterward was I had a lot of dudes come up and say, 'We really respect you for doing it, putting yourself out there, and going with it.' Because I think true hip-hop heads know that it's hard, it's going to be a hard transition, and people are going to be lining up just to make fun of me."

And finally, in much less laughable news, Lux Interior, lead singer for the legendary underground punkabilly band the Cramps, passed away this week at age 62 from a longstanding heart condition. "Lux was a fearless frontman who transformed every stage he stepped on into a place of passion, abandon, and true freedom. He is a rare icon who will be missed dearly," the Cramps' publicist said in an official statement. Lux will be dearly missed, and we send our condolences to his bandmate and soulmate of more than 30 years, guitar-wielding vixen Ivy Rorschach. Their partnership was one of the great rock 'n' roll romances of the ages.

And on that sad note, thus concludes another week in music news. Come back next Friday for more headspinning headlines (including plenty of Grammy reportage), and until then--goodnight, and good music.