New heartthrob on the hip-hop block

It is still too early in the game to predict how he will turn out. Maybe another Usher or Jay-Z. Hopefully not MC Hammer or the unfortunate Tupac Shakur. What is real and cannot be disputed as of this moment though is that Chris Brown is hip-hop’s latest heartthrob. A great deal of fuss is being made about his stunning looks. He is well-built at 6’1” and he is only 18 years old. Fans are, in fact, talking about how they wish that his video of No Air with last season’s American Idol Jordin Sparks could have been sexier and of how thrilled they were about his moves in the film Stomp the Yard.

If I remember right, the then 16-year-old Brown released his first album, also titled Chris Brown early in 2006. The CD was well-produced and largely appealed to young buyers. Feedback among listeners was very good. But the best thing about it though was discovering Brown. The kid could not only rap or croon. He could actually write songs, had a great sense of rhythm and a sweet voice that could truly carry a tune. Comparisons were made and these were all with the big ones. Would you believe Michael Jackson for the singing and Usher for the rap. Exclusive came two years later and by that time it was clear that Brown had entered the major league.

The new CD is even more impressive than the first. Not only because it is a well-thought out, sleek package or that Brown is maturing as a writer or that the cuts move from one to the other in a smooth flow. It is also because the album turned out to be an acclamation of Brown’s rising or maybe I should say, already risen status as an artist. Take a look at the list of songs included and the guests who gave him their imprimatur. Hey, they seem to say, we are proud to work with this kid.

Throwed, Kiss Kiss featuring T-Pain; Take You Down, With You, Picture Perfect feat. will.i.am; Hold Up feat. Big Boi; You, Damage, Wall to Wall, Help Me, I Wanna Be by Tank; Gimme Whatcha Got feat. Li’l Wayne; I’ll Call Ya and Lottery, plus bonus tracks Nice feat. Game; and Down feat. Kanye West. Okay there is no Diddy or Jay-Z or Usher. But admit it those names in the credits like West or will.i.am who by the way, last work on Jacko’s Thriller anniversary edition or current No. 1 seller Li’l Wayne are nothing to sneer at.

Best of the lot in Exclusive is With You. This is the Brown song that local listeners cannot seem to get enough of. It has a sweet sexy feel that seems to have come from Usher’s territory and you hear it everywhere. Likewise Take You Down which radio will certainly love. The youthful vibe of Kiss Kiss, Wall to Wall and You are for Brown’s young fans, who expect sounds similar to those found in his first album. Other titles that might make good singles are I Wanna Be and Help Me.

Great work and Brown has a whole lifetime ahead of him. His third album should be most interesting and can you just imagine what he will be like by the time he reaches 25.

The Top 10 in Billboard Hot 100 tracks as based on sales, downloads and airplay for the week are: Lollipop by Lil Wayne feat. Static Major; Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis; Viva La Vida by Coldplay; Take a Bow by Rihanna; I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry; Love in the Club by Usher feat. Young Jeezy; No Air by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown; Sexy Can I by Ray J and Yung Berg; The Time of My Life by David Cook; and 4 Minutes by Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake.

The Top 10 albums in the US this week are Here I Stand by Usher; Sex and the City the motion picture soundtrack by Various Artists; 3 Doors Down by 3 Doors Down; II Trill by Bun-B; Spirit by Leona Lewis; Nothing But the Best by Frank Sinatra; Rockferry by Duffy; E-MC2 by Mariah Carey; Lay It Down by Al Green; and Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie.