Billboard's Open Letter to Rihanna regarding Chris Brown
Never seen them do this before. They're really concerned.
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But the news about CB dropping by your "Birthday Cake" remix… damn. Three years and nine days later, it is officially implied that [..] a token of forgiveness has been earned by Brown. And that's not cool, to a whole lot of people.
With great power comes great responsibility" is a schmaltzy sentiment, but it's fitting here -- like it or not, you have a different level of power than most of us schmoes because of your pop superstardom, and a different level of responsibility in your personal life than in your music because of the tabloid-infected culture we live in. It's a burden that is not fair to you, or anyone in pop culture, but it's one you have to accept.
But, in all honesty… you can't do you, Rihanna. Not here. Not with Chris Brown. Because like it or not, millions of people are paying attention to you, trying to be as cool as you, attempting to find love in a hopeless place and wondering if it's okay to walk down the same dark alleyway twice. Young girls look up to people like you to guide them through circumstances too complex for them to tackle on their own, and by granting Chris Brown an iota of tolerance, you implicitly encourage others to consider doing the same.
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As essential as your voice has become in the pop landscape, you have the opportunity to deliver a message that transcends any lyric you could ever sing, to stand for something that lasts much longer than any three-minute piece of radio fodder. We, like you, all want to let our individuality shine - to know who we are, and just be ourselves - but in this one instance, we need your message to be perfect.
Over the course of your career, your ability to adopt new looks and sounds without losing your indispensable sense of self has been nothing short of staggering, and has no doubt become the bedrock of your longevity. From the dancehall princess of "Pon de Replay" to the stylish hip-pop diva of "Umbrella" to the militant provocateur of "Hard" to the sex-starved rave maven of "S&M," no one -- not even Madonna! -- has been able to strike so many successful poses in such a short amount of time. It's been damn impressive to witness, and even more fun to listen to.
I want the remix to happen. I really want people to move away from this subject. Trying to make an example out of Chris really isn't going to get the media anywhere because he and Rihanna have clearly both moved on from it. Now, they're just beating a dead horse (no pun intended) and it just seems like bandwagon hatred on Chris' behalf.
I've said a million times, I'll never condone Chris' actions, nor do I think the incident should be completely forgotten and put in the past like it never happened... but shoving it down his throat every time he tries to show growth or be great isn't fair. He deserves a second chance and he's done everything that's expected out of a normal person who would have done this. In some states, like TN, he would have only had to go to jail for 1-3 days and have probation for a couple of months. It would even come off his record after a little while...
It's something serious when you got Billboard begging you not to do it. Reading that police report made me feel a bit more sympathectic towards Rih but it seems both have learned nothing from it.
