Welcome to My Life | |
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Directed by | Andrew Sandler |
Produced by |
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Starring | |
Music by | Kevin Lax |
Production company | |
Distributed by | Riveting Entertainment |
Release date |
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Running time | 95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Welcome to My Life is a 2017 self-documentary focused on the life and career of American R&B singer and dancer Chris Brown, directed by Andrew Sandler. [1] Numerous celebrities participated in the movie, making statements and sharing stories about the artist such as Jennifer Lopez, Mike Tyson, Rita Ora, Usher and Tyga. [1]
The film analyzes Chris Brown's life and career as a whole. The artist was born in a poor and disadvantaged social context, in which he also suffers the harassment of a violent stepfather, until his mother found the courage to send that man away. Nevertheless, from an early age Brown managed to excel at school level and to get noticed thanks to a great charisma and predisposition for the musical arts. Afterwards he has a massive rise to fame, following the huge success of his first two albums, Chris Brown and Exclusive , while also starting a love relationship with singer Rihanna. Brown recounts how they met, how their relationship developed between bright and dark times, and the moment where the incident of domestic violence, for which he was subsequently convicted, took place. [1] Brown dwells on his emotions, revealing to have had suicidal thoughts derived from his sense of guilt. [1] In the trailer to the film, Brown says his reputation dropped sharply after his 2009 assault on Rihanna, "I went from being on top of the world, number one songs, being kind of like America's sweetheart, to being public enemy number one." [2]
From here on, Brown explains the subsequent difficulties, the return to commercial success with his F.A.M.E. album, and the psychological problems and drug abuse that led him to other legal problems, ending up spending three months in jail. Then he focused on putting the pieces back together and building a new life with his partner Karrueche Tran. Brown recounts the feelings he felt during the three months spent in jail, being almost always in isolation, a condition imposed by his fame, expressing the way in which fans and loved ones supported him right at that moment, allowing him to obtain one of his greatest hits while incarcerated, with the song "Loyal". [1] The artist also explained the ups and downs of his relationship with Tran and how, during a moment of pause in their relationship, he unwittingly conceived his first daughter Royalty Brown, definitively ending the relationship, but starting a new one as a parent, that deeply affected him as a man and artist. Brown concludes the documentary by talking about the moment when the judge in charge of following his case finally ended his probation period, starting a new phase in his life. [3]
During various parts of the documentary, various celebrities and people that are part of Chris Brown's life, share anecdotes about him, describing him from a human and professional point of view. Brown's mother also participates in the documentary. [1]
According to the official statement shared in conjunction with the publication of the movie, the documentary was made with the intention of allowing Brown to speak firsthand about his private affairs after years of tabloids profiting from them. [4] The artist announced that he was working on the project in late 2015, then officially announcing it in March 2016. [5] Singer Rihanna has granted Brown's permission to talk about her and show images that include her in the documentary, however preferring not to directly release her own testimony in the movie. [6]
During a 2017 interview, the singer said it was important to become vulnerable during the shooting process of the documentary, to let his audience in on his personal life:
I think with this film it just embodied what my fans actually respect me for and them getting to know me a lot more instead of me painting an image or coming up on the radio or anywhere I go. I just let it be natural, be real, let it flow from the heart but at the same time just being a man about everything in its entirety and who I am as an artist. [7]
The documentary's initial trailer was released in April 2017. [8] The premiere took place on June 7, 2017 during an event that featured the presence of Brown, his family and those that participated in the making of the documentary, but also other celebrities such as Jhené Aiko, Kap G, Puff Daddy and Kid Ink. [8] Its theatrical distribution included screening in a few selected cinemas exclusively in United States, United Kingdom and Mexico. [9] [10] [11] Subsequently, the documentary was distributed worldwide by Netflix and through a home video publication and on demand market. [12] Currently the work is no longer available in the Netflix catalog.
For the documentary, Brown has released a track entitled "Welcome To My Life", in collaboration with rapper Cal Scruby. [13]
The film was positively received by critics, it holds a 75% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 25 reviews. [14] Craig Jenkins of Vulture defined the movie as "one of the strangest music documentaries I’ve ever seen", stating that it's "star-studded but sort of sketchy", finding it to be "all the way honest" with Brown being "hoarse and glassy-eyed in spots, lucid but struggling through the daunting business of owning his many faults", ending up saying that "the most illuminating scene is one where he says abuse is “learned behavior,” remembering the boyfriend who brutalized his mother through his childhood". [15] Reviewing the documentary, Rachel Leah of Salon talked about what the singer said on domestic violence, stating: "Chris Brown's actions are inexcusable, but what he says about male violence is vital". [16]
Although theatrical distribution has been limited, where the film was released it has achieved generally good success, having most of its venues sold out. [17] [18] Welcome to My Life sold, between domestic DVD sales and domestic blu-ray sales, more than 70,000 copies. [19]
Robyn Rihanna Fenty is a Barbadian singer, businesswoman, actress, and songwriter. She is widely regarded as one of the most prominent singers of the 21st century. After signing with Def Jam in 2005, Rihanna soon gained recognition with the release of her first two studio albums, Music of the Sun (2005) and A Girl Like Me (2006), both of which were influenced by Caribbean music and peaked within the top ten on the US Billboard 200 chart. Her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad (2007), incorporated elements of dance-pop and established her status as a major icon in the music industry. The chart-topping single "Umbrella" earned Rihanna her first Grammy Award and catapulted her to global stardom.
Christopher Maurice Brown is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. He's regarded as one of the most prominent artists in R&B music, being credited as an evolver of the genre, and often being referred to by contemporaries as the "King of R&B". His R&B has been characterized by several influences from other genres, mainly pop music and hip hop. His lyrics develop predominantly over emotional and hedonistic themes. Brown has had wide comparisons to Michael Jackson for his singing and dancing abilities, as well as for his stage presence.
Kenneth C. Coby, better known as his stage name Soundz is an American record producer and rapper from Milwaukee, Wisconsin signed to US Records and EMI Publishing. He was born to Charles and Lolita Coby, both former singers and musicians.. He is a producer specializing in Hip-Hop and R&B genres. Soundz has produced many songs of these genres, including "Look at Her" by One Chance, and has produced much content for Ciara, Chris Brown, Pitbull, Justin Bieber, Trina, Brandy and Young Boss. In 2019, Soundz released a documentary, 11:11.
Micheal Ray Stevenson, known professionally as Tyga, is an American rapper from Gardena, California. After a number of independent releases, he signed a recording contract with Lil Wayne's Young Money Entertainment, an imprint of Cash Money Records and Republic Records in 2008. His major label debut, Careless World: Rise of the Last King (2012) peaked at number four on the Billboard 200, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and saw generally positive reception. It spawned the successful singles "Rack City", "Faded", "Far Away", and "Still Got It". His third album, Hotel California (2013) saw trailing critical and commercial reception, along with his collaborative album with singer Chris Brown, Fan of a Fan: The Album (2015).
"Crawl" is a song by American recording artist Chris Brown. It is the second single from his third studio album Graffiti, released as a digital download on November 24, 2009. The song was produced by The Messengers and was written by Brown. The song is about yearning to rebuild a failed relationship and was interpreted by critics as being about Brown's former relationship with Barbadian singer Rihanna. However, Brown has stated the song is not about any of his previous relationships.
"Love the Way You Lie" is a song by the American rapper Eminem featuring the Barbadian singer Rihanna from Eminem's seventh studio album Recovery (2010). The singer and songwriter Skylar Grey wrote and recorded a demo of the song alongside the producer Alex da Kid when she felt she was in an abusive romantic relationship with the music industry. Eminem wrote the verses and chose Rihanna to sing the chorus, resulting in a collaboration influenced by their past experiences in difficult relationships. Recording sessions were held in Ferndale, Michigan, and Dublin, Ireland. Backed by guitar, piano and violin, the track is a midtempo hip-hop ballad with a pop refrain, sung by Rihanna, and describes two lovers who refuse to separate despite being in a dangerous abusive relationship.
"Deuces" is a song written and performed by American singer Chris Brown featuring fellow American musicians Tyga and Kevin McCall. Produced by McCall, "Deuces" was released digitally on June 25, 2010, as the lead single from Brown's first collaborative effort with Tyga, titled Fan of a Fan (2010). The song is a slow, down-tempo R&B ballad featuring elements from the genres of house and pop music, while the song is lyrically about "breaking it off with a girl after failed attempts to make the relationship work". "Deuces" was later included on Brown's fourth studio album, F.A.M.E. (2011).
F.A.M.E. is the fourth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. It was first released on March 18, 2011, recorded by Jive Records. The album serves as the follow-up to his third album Graffiti (2009). The album also marks his last album with Jive Records.
Tyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He first gained recognition for his feature on fellow Los Angeles rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It." He signed to Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year. He has released three studio albums: Free TC (2015), Beach House 3 (2017), and Featuring Ty Dolla Sign (2020), the latter of which peaked at number four on the Billboard 200.
Deshawn Carter, better known by his stage name Parlay Starr, is an American rapper from South Los Angeles, California, United States.
The music video for Barbadian singer Rihanna's 2011 single "We Found Love" was directed by Melina Matsoukas. It was filmed on September 26–28, 2011, in the New Lodge area of Belfast and Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. People driving around the location of the set informed BBC that traffic in the area was congested as drivers wanted to see the singer. The video premiered on October 19, 2011, and was made available to download digitally three days later on October 22. As of July 2023, the video has amassed over 1 billion views on YouTube.
Gerald Earl Gillum, better known by his stage name G-Eazy, is an American rapper and record producer from Oakland, California. Beginning his career in 2006, he released two independent studio albums until signing with RCA Records to release his third album, These Things Happen (2014). The album peaked at number three on the US Billboard 200 while its single, "I Mean It" received triple platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and entered the Billboard Hot 100. His second studio album, When It's Dark Out (2015) was met with similar success and contained the single "Me, Myself & I", which peaked at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100.
Ready is a song by American rapper Fabolous, released as a single on January 17, 2013. The song features American singer Chris Brown and was produced by The Runners and The Monarch. The song has since peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
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"Loyal" is a song by American singer Chris Brown, released as the fourth single from his sixth studio album X (2014). Produced by Nic Nac and Mark Kragen, the song features American rapper Lil Wayne and another rapper depending on the version: French Montana, Too $hort and Tyga respectively feature on the East Coast, West Coast, and video/album versions. The song was written by Brown, Wayne, Bobby Brackins, Ty Dolla $ign, and the producers, as well as different interpolative-credited artists, varying for each respective version. "Loyal" peaked at number nine on the US Billboard Hot 100. It stayed on the chart for 36 weeks. The song was promoted with performances by Brown and Lil Wayne at the BET Awards 2014, Summer Jam, 2014 Soul Train Music Awards, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Brandon George Dickinson, better known by his stage name Lil Bibby, is an American rapper and record executive from Chicago, Illinois. Beginning his career in 2011, Bibby released his debut mixtape, Free Crack in 2013. The project was followed up with two sequels: Free Crack 2 (2014) and Free Crack 3 (2015) before he signed with Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records, an imprint of RCA Records. However, he released no studio albums under the label. He soon after switched focus onto forming his record label—Grade A Productions in 2017—through which he signed fellow Chicago native, rapper and singer Juice Wrld as well as Australian rapper and singer The Kid Laroi; both artists would go on to achieve success globally.
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Heartbreak on a Full Moon is the eighth studio album by American singer Chris Brown. The album is a double-disc, consisting of 45 tracks, and was released digitally on October 31, 2017, and onto CD three days later by RCA Records. Brown worked with several producers, including Prince Chrishan, A1, Amadeus, Boi-1da, D. A. Doman, and Scott Storch. The album also features guest appearances by Jhené Aiko, R. Kelly, Dej Loaf, Lil Yachty, Usher, Gucci Mane, Yo Gotti, A Boogie wit da Hoodie, Kodak Black, Future, Young Thug, Ty Dolla Sign, and Verse Simmonds, with the deluxe edition having additional features from Agnez Mo, Trippie Redd, Ella Mai, and Solo Lucci. Recording sessions for Heartbreak on a Full Moon took place between the end of 2015 and August 2017.
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