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And Finally
Rihanna comments on “innocent” Chris Brown collaboration
By CMU Editorial | Published on Friday 16 March 2012
Now, Rihanna choosing to feature Chris Brown as guest MC on a remix of her ‘Talk That Talk’ track ‘Birthday Cake’ may have seemed an inexplicable move to many, it being barely three years since he, the R&B singer’s then boyfriend, severely beat and hospitalised her.
Rihanna, however, has for the first time voiced her views in defence of the collaboration, telling US radio host Ryan Seacrest that she “reached out to him about doing ‘Birthday Cake’ because [he was] the only person that made sense to do the record. Just as a musician, despite everything else”.
Having also appeared on a recent rework of Chris Brown’s ‘Turn Up The Music, she adds: “I thought about rappers and the hottest R&B artist right now is Chris Brown, so I wanted him on the track and in return, he said: ‘Why don’t you do the remix on my track?’ We did the two records so our fans could come together, there shouldn’t be a divide. It’s all music and it’s innocent”.
Of course it’s only because fans and the music industry at large has seemingly forgiven Brown for his violent assault on Rihanna that he can claim to be “the hottest R&B artist right now”. But many think that fans and especially the industry have been far too quick to forgive, not least because Brown has shown himself to still have anger issues, and those people rightly wonder whether Rihanna joining in with the public forgiving so soon doesn’t send out a bad message to those who commit domestic violence, whatever her private personal feelings on the matter, and however good at singing and selling records her ex may be.