Chris Brown, like many other modern artists, was discovered at a young age. He's said to have been discovered at a gas station (which his dad owned) when he was 13. It did take some time for Brown to become a household name, and his rise involved a few attempts at securing a record deal before he finally began working with Jive Records.
Along the way, Chris had a manager and mentor help him, but when the drama came out with his then-girlfriend Rihanna, details of his early career seemed to emerge. The allegations were uncomfortable and possibly criminal.
Who Discovered Chris Brown?
Chris Brown's initial brush with fame happened at his dad's gas station, where a production team was looking for talent, according to a 2008 profile archived by Us Magazine.
The bio names Michael Jackson and Sam Cooke as Chris Brown's inspiration, pointing out that Brown began dancing at age two.
When the article came out, Chris had not yet confirmed he was dating Rihanna, and the profile painted a glowing picture of Brown's first hit, "Run It!" as well as his follow-up "Kiss Kiss."
Brown's rise to fame wasn't that clear-cut, though. Negotiations stalled at first, especially because while the young R&B star had a great voice, the songs he was performing weren't great.
In a years-ago interview, Tina Davis, who first met Chris while he was trying to secure a contract with Def Jam Recordings, explained that she immediately knew that he had talent.
Blending her expertise with Chris' raw vocal talent would be a great opportunity, but it took some time (and Davis getting fired from Def Jam Recordings after a merger) before Chris signed with Jive instead.
Chris, who was 16 at the time of the interview (in 2006), spoke about studying while working on his career, and discussed his idea of heading to college to at least get a degree before continuing his rise to fame.
Chris Worked Closely With His Manager In His Early Career
In that interview with SF Gate, the publication highlighted that Tina Davis was managing Chris along with his mom, Joyce Hawkins. Chris called her up and asked her to manage him after he heard she was fired from Def Jam, she explained, and their partnership grew from there.
They seemed successful, and Chris Brown did sign better and better deals and become a well-known artist. Unfortunately, that all came to a head when he was accused of assaulting Rihanna.
In 2009, he pled guilty to felony assault (the same year he released his third album).
Yet the physical altercation wasn't the only unfortunate thing to make headlines. In breaking down the events that occurred when Chris Brown apparently assaulted Rihanna while they were driving in the former's car, authorities might have uncovered something equally criminal.
The Assault Investigation Revealed Inappropriate Texts From Chris' Manager
In a recap of the assault charges and the investigation, NY Daily News explained that investigators noted that the spat that reportedly set Chris Brown off began when Rihanna saw a questionable text on her boyfriend's phone.
The publication explained that a police affidavit declared that, "a woman who Brown had a previous sexual relationship with" sent a three-page text that "talked about hooking up later."
Some unnamed sources apparently alleged that the texts came from Brown's manager, Tina Davis. NY Daily News also pointed out that in 2007, other accusations of a relationship between Davis and Brown were "shot down" by both, who maintained their relationship was "strictly professional."
Because Chris was a minor when Tina began representing him, a relationship that started at that time would have been worrisome for everyone involved.
As it was, there was no confirmation from any party (save for the gossipy "sources") that the text really was from Tina, or that the altercation that led to Chris assaulting Rihanna even started because of a text.
Fans will recall that Chris and Rihanna later reconciled after the drama surrounding the case died down, though they later split for good.
Does Tina Davis Still Represent Chris Brown?
Many people seemed to abandon Chris after he assaulted Rihanna and admitted to it. That has, as it turns out, overshadowed any other possible drama in his backstory or current life.
Even his documentary mostly focused on the drama with Rihanna, versus his origin story and that uncomfortable storyline.
While some celebrities have supported Chris Brown since all the drama began, it doesn't seem that his former manager stuck by his side. Though it's unclear when she may have stepped down or been fired, Your Tango reported in 2020 that Chris had a new manager named Anthony Wilson. At the time, Wilson was reported to be dating Chilli of TLC fame.
Other sites list two additional former managers but don't appear to name Tina Davis. It wouldn't be surprising if Chris has changed management teams a few times, especially because his legal issues haven't seemed to stop.
Chris was also sued for an alleged assault after the Rihanna scandal, and seems to be lying low while working on his music for the most part—at least, he was until announcing a 2023 tour.
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