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Chris Brown says awards shows haven’t let him perform in years: ‘Let me be great’

A man with a goatee, mustache and short hair dyed half red and half blue arrives at an awards ceremony
Chris Brown at the 2020 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.
(Jordan Strauss / Invision / Associated Press)
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Don’t expect to see Chris Brown perform at an awards show anytime in the near future.

In a recent Instagram post, which featured video of a large, packed crowd attending one of his shows in New Mexico, the “Call Me Everyday” singer wrote that he hasn’t been asked to take the stage at an awards show in years.

“You see the people??? Every show is packed like this…,” Brown wrote in all caps in the since-edited post. “If it wasnt for my incredible fans I would’ve been quit… I don’t like the fake celebrity S—… Award shows havent let me perform in years… yet my shows still sell out. Let me be great…”

The “Run It” singer did not speculate as to why he has not been invited to perform at awards shows. He last performed at the 2017 BET Awards.

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Chris Brown appreciates fans who have supported him over the years and showing that sentiment just might involve grabbing a fan’s butt on request.

Brown has continued to deal with legal trouble after his conviction for physically assaulting Rihanna the night before the 2009 Grammy Awards. He was charged with felony assault after an altercation in Washington, D.C., in 2013, and in 2016, he was arrested for allegedly threatening a woman at gunpoint at his Tarzana home during a party. Following a show in Florida, Brown was arrested on felony battery charges in 2018.

Although he may be boxed out of awards show performances, Brown has not been shut out by his musical peers. He has worked with Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, H.E.R., Jack Harlow, Lil Dicky Anderson .Paak and others in recent years. And he has been nominated for almost every major music award.

He also hasn’t been shut out by fans, as proven by his post showing the crowd at his show. Further evidence? Brown made headlines earlier this month after racy photos he took with fans backstage were shared online.

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“PSA!!!! When artist (everyone) do concerts, they all have something called a VIP Package. I havent done meet and greets in over 7years...,” Brown wrote in an Instagram story addressing the controversy surrounding the nature of the photos. “I have the coolest fans on the planet .. I appreciate the f— outta them. These are memories that will last with them forever.”

He concluded by saying, “I only exist because these fans saw something in me I never thought was possible.. so Ima go all out for my fans!!!!”

The criticism didn’t deter the singer. Twitter handle @chrisbrownewss shared instances of Brown taking photos — some racy, some prom-inspired — with fans after his Aug. 21 show in Irvine.

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Brown‘s next tour stop is at the Kia Forum in Inglewood on Friday.

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