Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer, actor, record producer and entrepreneur. Born in Tappahannock, Virginia, he was involved in his church choir and several local talent shows from a young age. Having signed with Jive Records in 2004, Brown released his self-titled debut studio album the following year. It peaked at number two on the US Billboard 200 and was later certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), selling an overall three million copies worldwide.