Chris Brown appears in court Thursday
Photo: Gina Ferrazi/ AP Images

Chris Brown appeared in a Los Angeles courtroom on Thursday (November 19) for a progress hearing on his probation — and in the eyes of officials, the singer/actor has earned an "extremely favorable" report.

Brown was in the courtroom again in connection with his June plea for attacking former girlfriend Rihanna earlier this year. Brown was ordered to give Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg an update on his compliance with the sentence given to the 20-year-old singer following his guilty plea to a felony assault charge in the case.

According to The Associated Press, Brown attorney Mark Geragos said in the courtroom that Brown has already completed 100 hours of community service in Richmond, Virginia. This time has included such hard labor as picking up trash alongside state highways. Brown has also completed seven of his 52 domestic-violence classes.

On August 25, Brown was sentenced to five years of probation and 180 days of community labor, which he has been serving in his native Virginia by picking up garbage by the roadside and removing graffiti. In exchange for the guilty plea and the avoidance of any jail time in the case, Brown was also sentenced to a 52-week domestic violence prevention class. Brown must also stay at least 100 yards away from Rihanna for the next five years.

After months of silence, Brown and Rihanna have begun giving interviews over the past few weeks discussing the assault. Brown apologized again to Rihanna in a recent sitdown with MTV News' Sway Calloway while Rihanna has talked with both ABC's Diane Sawyer and MTV News.

Schnegg has warned Brown that he could face jail time if he violates any of the probation terms. The singer is in the midst of his "Fan Appreciation" tour. The next step in Brown's legal proceedings was also scheduled on Thursday: a February 18 date in which he'll once again have to speak with the judge on where his court-ordered probation efforts stand.

• 'Chris Brown: The Interview'

• Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline

• Chris Brown
• Rihanna

Rihanna
Photo: Joe Kohen/WireImage

Despite all that's gone on between them, Rihanna told a radio interviewer on Thursday (November 19) that she still misses ex-boyfriend Chris Brown and doesn't turn his music off when it comes on the radio.

When asked on Atlanta's Q100 if she misses Brown, Rihanna said, "Sometimes ... actually yes. There are a lot of reminders, like a lot of hotel rooms, a lot of places we've been to together, music. ... There are different things that come up that are reminders of your ex."

Brown, who was in court on Thursday for a status hearing tied to his probation for assaulting Rihanna in February, has spoken several times about how he still pines for Rihanna. He has said he wishes he could be with her, despite a court order to stay 100 yards away for the next five years.

"When [Chris' music] comes on on the radio, I don't snub or turn it off; I listen," said the singer, whose new album, Rated R, comes out on Monday. "I like his music."

Like with any breakup, Rihanna said there are things that make her think of Brown from time to time, and it's been hard to move on. "I've gotten over it," she said. "But there's definitely constant reminders, and a lot of it is listening to the radio and songs coming on, songs that were our favorite songs, or his songs."

Brown, who was sentenced to five years probation and 180 days of community labor when he pleaded guilty to felony assault in the case, told MTV News that he's not quite ready to date again. And Rihanna quickly shot down rumors that she is already moving on with alleged new beau "90210" star Tristan Wilds.

"I don't even have his number," Rihanna said. "I had a house party, this is funny, and you know how you have house parties, and people come over that you don't even know. He came by, which was fun for me, I appreciated the company. He brought a bunch of friends, and everybody's hanging out, but I don't even have his number, so I don't know how I could be dating him."

While admittedly a "very flirty girl," Rihanna said she's not dating now because she doesn't really have a lot of time, or energy, for a commitment. "A relationship really is another life, another career, really."

• Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline

• Rihanna
• Chris Brown

Chris Brown
Photo: MTV News

Chris Brown is ready to move on with his life following his assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna.

He has been sentenced and has begun his community labor and counseling; he's made the media rounds, apologizing for his actions; and he's gearing up for the release of his album next month. But when it comes to jumping back into the dating pool, the singer said that's on hold — for now.

"My whole dating thing, I've been kinda chillin'," he told MTV News. "I mean, I'm Chris Brown. I'm not saying it like that, but it's just, like, girls are gonna be around. I love women. But I would say I've just been chillin'. I haven't really been trying to get into a relationship or trying to date anybody. I've just kinda been working on me. Like I said, just really getting me straight."

Brown premiered his new video for "Crawl" on Friday during a brief appearance on "The Wendy Williams Show." The singer spoke about the song recently to MTV News and admitted it was inspired in part by his ex-girlfriend.

"When I heard the whole concept and everything, I was like, 'Yo, this is crazy,' " Brown said about the track. "So being able to express the feelings, it was like, probably one of the best [records I've done]. But it was more than me trying to do a record that meant crawl to love, crawl back to love — meaning whether it's from your negative situations, whether it's from any problems you've dealt with, like anybody's situation. Mine being my personal situation with shorty, but for anybody, for being inspired as far as it being the war or a death in the family, whether it's anything, anybody just crawl back to love. 'Cause love conquers everything. Love, at the end of the day, makes everybody happy."

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

• Rihanna And Chris Brown: A Photo Timeline

• Chris Brown

Audio Push
Photo: Interscope

The New Boyz have bust the door wide open, haven't they? The jerk movement is in full swing, with the Boyz, female duo the Bangz (Ella, we're going to keep you in our prayers) and today's Mixtape Daily subject Audio Push. West Coast isn't all gangsta music — the kids are trying to party.

This Week's Main Pick

Street Newcomers: Audio Push

Holding It Down For: San Bernardino, California

Mixtape: The Soundcheck

Real Spit: Cali teenagers Oktane and Pricetag are doing their part to take jerkin' from a fad dance to a movement. The duo's "Teach You How to Jerk" has become a YouTube blockbuster, and you have to check for their new record "Aviator" with Brandy. The duo's album isn't due until sometime next year, but they just put out a mixtape, The Soundcheck.

"We were in the airport, and we felt the soundcheck, before a big show, that's our preparation to make sure everything is ready, everything is right," said Price, who was in nursing school before his group started to blow up.

The fellas are slated to open up for Chris Brown on his Fan Appreciation Tour.

Joints To Check For

» "The Soundcheck Intro." "It's just setting the table for everything we do," Pricetag said. "How we prove ourselves in this whole music thing."

» "Up N Down." "That shows the other side of us," Oktane said. "By now, they know I sing. I'm singing on a lot of the record. Price always comes through and does his thing. That song is for the ladies. It's on a whole 'nother grown type of level. You're welcome in advance."

"Y'all gonna love it," Price insisted.

The Streets Is Talking: News & Notes From The Underground

Barring a holiday miracle, Gucci Mane will spend his album-release date — December 8 — in jail. He was sentenced to 12 months in jail last week for probation violation. Still, his camp said his spirits are high, and his lawyer notes that with extremely good behavior, he could be home in as little as two months, if a judge sees fit.

Gucc's friends in the A say that even with the jail time, his popularity won't die down.

"Gucci is the hottest rapper out," producer Zaytoven said. "Hopefully this is only a minor setback. Knowing Gucci, he always bounces back."

"You can't hold down a man like Gucci for long," Shawty Lo added. "His situation is unfortunate, but he'll be back on top in a few."

"I think for the moment, it's unfortunate, given the fact he's moving with a lot of features and has an album coming up," DJ Scream said. "But he has a genuine fanbase. His fanbase is so strong, he'll be able to come out and resume business as usual. I think it's messed up for right now that his album is coming out, but he's somebody the streets need. He's somebody that feeds the streets with a lot of mixtapes and songs."

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

• Mixtape Daily: Jay-Z, Robin Thicke, Nicki Minaj, More

• Chris Brown
• Gucci Mane

Chris Brown
Photo: Elsa/ Getty Images

It's a unique dilemma in modern radio history: How do you deal with programming multiple new singles from a former couple that were involved in the most widely publicized domestic violence incident in recent memory?

That's the potentially sticky issue facing radio programmers across the country as they seek to make space for songs from Rihanna and Chris Brown, who, between them, have five different singles currently getting airtime. As the former couple continue to shadow each other with the promotional campaigns for their respective upcoming albums — releasing videos and announcements on the same day and appearing for major interviews — a number of programmers contacted by MTV News said they're not worried about playing Brown and Rihanna close together, considering Brown's guilty plea in June to felony assault in connection with his February 8 attack on his former girlfriend.

"We have no restrictions on whether we play their songs back-to-back or not," said Colby Colb, Operations Manager for Cleveland's WENZ 107.9 FM. "They've both got hot records out and however it's scheduled is how it's scheduled. It's music. What does it have to do with their personal lives? There's so much other stuff we have to worry about at radio stations, I couldn't care less if we play them back-to-back."

Colb's feelings were echoed by a number of other urban programmers who are juggling two singles from Brown's forthcoming album, Graffiti, "I Can Transform Ya" and "Crawl," as well as a potential three songs from Rihanna's forthcoming Rated R, "Russian Roulette," "Hard" and "Wait Your Turn" — along with "Run This Town," the Jay-Z joint featuring a hook from Rihanna that is one of the hottest songs at radio at the moment. Late Thursday, Brown dropped yet another single, the slow-grind ballad "Sing Like Me," which could soon by pushing for airtime as well.

Los Angeles hits station KIIS-FM (102.7) has been playing both "Transform Ya," "Hard" and "Russian Roulette" in light rotation, which is a switch from how things were just a few months ago, according to Program Director John Ivey. "We stopped playing [Brown's] records after the Rihanna confrontation because they weren't testing well [with our audience]," said Ivey. "But when that wedding video with 'Forever' in it got popular, we put that song back on."

Now, Ivey said, with both singers angling for airtime, he too has not given much thought to putting distance between them on the station, opting instead to focus more on what sounds go back-to-back and the overall musical mix on the airwaves.

"We're not as urban as urban radio, and those styles are a bit different," he said of the Brown club track and Rihanna's more downbeat "Roulette." "So they probably wouldn't come up back-to-back and it wouldn't cross my mind to not play them that way. I'm more concerned about the overall sound than people putting it together and feeling it's weird to hear them like that. News is different than music flow. I just want it to flow."

Ebro Darden, program director for New York's tastemaking WQHT Hot 97.1 FM, said he doesn't think anyone at the station is playing the singer's songs close together on purpose. "We haven't had any conversations about it," he said. "What does the music have to do with what went down?"

At Cincinnati's WIZF 101.1 FM, songs by Brown and Rihanna have indeed played right after one another, but program director Simone Party said it wasn't intentional and, frankly, she hasn't even really given it much thought.

"Both artists have very good requests with the station right now and they have hot, topical songs," she said. "I haven't thought about dropping one to play another or playing them back-to-back. The audience is definitely feeling both singles from both artists."

• MTV News Extended Play: Rihanna
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• 'Chris Brown: The Interview'

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Chris Brown appears on "The Wendy Williams Show"
Photo: FOX 5

• Chris Brown

Chris Brown in "Crawl"
Photo: PictureGroup

In Chris Brown's video for "Crawl," the singer pines for a girl (singer Cassie) as he makes his way through a snow-covered city, his heart glowing under his shirt. Eventually Brown finds himself dancing alone in the desert and never actually makes a connection with the girl, even when they come face to face.

The video's director, Joseph Kahn, insists that the deeply personal clip was all of Brown's creation. "The entire video for 'Crawl' was his idea. I'm talking every single idea in there is Chris', and it's pretty awesome," Kahn told MTV News. "It's an interesting video for me, because it's so rare that music videos ever try to achieve anything emotional. With 'Crawl' you feel it in here [points to his heart].

"Chris just basically told me a story of what he felt this video was going to be, with his heart glowing and how he's, like, cold. It is a very personal story," Kahn continued. "But it's told in such a graphic manner that I fell in love with the idea. It's Chris' story. Period. I am the pencil that put it down on the paper."

Working with Brown as he deals with fallout from his assault on Rihanna might be difficult for other directors, but Kahn is also the guy that directed Britney's "Womanizer" comeback video after her public breakdown. "I seem to be the guy that record companies go to when they need help," he joked. "I truly feel he is remorseful. You don't drop people just because they made a mistake [even if it was a big mistake]."

Kahn noted that Brown is uniquely talented — so talented that he honestly believes that Brown can achieve the same type of fame that Michael Jackson did in his lifetime. "They talk about who can step in Michael's footsteps?" he said. "I mean he is, like, Michael Two. The way he dances, the way he moves, the way he sings — it's, like, so next-level."

• Chris Brown In 'Crawl'

• Chris Brown

Chris Brown
Photo: MTV News

During his "Fan Appreciation" tour, which kicks off on Saturday in Houston, Chris Brown will hit 19 cities to thank fans for supporting him during his tumultuous 2009, which saw the 20-year-old singer pleaded guilty in June to a felony charge of assaulting his then-girlfriend Rihanna in February.

Brown has pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds to a pair of charities from the outing, one benefiting people with developmental and intellectual disabilities and the other aiding victims of domestic violence.

Brown explained that despite being sentenced to 180 days of community labor in the case, he is able to go on tour because he has five years to complete the term. "I'm doing as many hours as I can now, like knocking em' out, trying to do all the many hours so when I do go on tour it's kind of like a break period and then I can go right back to it," Brown explained. The shows will hit primarily clubs and intimate theaters, which are much smaller than the arenas Brown hit on his last major headlining tour in 2008.

One of the beneficiary organizations, Best Buddies International, was founded by Anthony Kennedy Shriver in 1989 and is the world's largest non-profit organization aimed at providing friendships, jobs and leadership opportunities for the developmentally disabled. Brown announced that he plans to visit with some Best Buddies participants while on tour and encourage fans to consider volunteering with the organization.

In a statement, Kennedy Shriver said he was fully behind Brown's efforts at rehabilitation. "I support Chris Brown's efforts to show the world why he deserves a second chance, given that the commitment he has made to Best Buddies — not only to perform at our Miami Gala, but also to join the Best Buddies family as a volunteer — is a huge step in the right direction," he said. "I also appreciate Chris' generous offer to donate a portion of the proceeds from his tour to Best Buddies. I believe Chris' fans will be equally inspired to support Best Buddies' mission to provide opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities once they see his enthusiasm and commitment to the cause — and just how much his efforts mean to our participants." A source close to Brown said that the singer personally chose the two charities and that his commitment to helping them is not court-ordered.

"Best Buddies, who actually [does] deal with kids with disabilities and adults with disabilities, it gives [those people] an opportunity to feel like they have a friend and [feel] like a normal person, so they feel like their life isn't any less, like they're equal," Brown said. "So they get to have a best buddy or friend or whatever the case may be, and technically, I guess I'm the best buddies for all of them. So I try to give back to them and have fun."

Though the press release announcing the tour did not mention that the nearly 30-year-old Los Angeles-based Jenesse Center is an organization primarily aimed at aiding domestic violence victims — noting their stated goal to "empower and equip women and men, address the needs of children and strengthen families for the next generation" — Brown has said he's hoping to get the word out to his fans about the group's work.

"It's not like a whole world tour," he said. "It's for all of my fans. It's basically for the people who supported me, who stick by me, who actually genuinely love my music and want to see me perform again. So I'm going back out there and just giving them a nice little show, having fun."

Brown, who told MTV News' Sway Calloway that he's still a bit "confused" about his public perception in the wake of the assault, said he's incorporating the charities into the outing not to prove anything to doubters, but for himself.

"I'm doing stuff to show — not showing the world, because I'm doing it for me — [that I'm using] my power and my actual talent to show people that I can give back and really, from my heart, make a change, make a difference," he said.

Go here for domestic-violence resources, or check out Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

• Chris Brown

Chris Brown
Photo: MTV News

In the lyrics to Chris Brown's song, "Crawl," the singer not-so-subtly seems to be calling for the return of his ex-girlfriend Rihanna, with whom he has apparently finally split in the aftermath of his assault on her in February.

"So we'll crawl, until we can walk again," Brown sings on the tune. "Then we'll run, until we're strong enough to jump/ Then we'll fly, until there is no wind/ So let's crawl, crawl, crawl, back to love."

But Brown, who debuted the video for "Crawl" on "The Wendy Williams Show" on Friday (November 13), told MTV News that the song actually isn't just about his own relationships. He said "Crawl" is more of a universal message dedicated to moving on past any type of heartache.

"When I heard the whole concept and everything I was like, 'Yo, this is crazy,' " Brown said about the track. "So being able to express the feelings, it was like, probably one of the best [records I've done.] But it was more than me trying to do a record that meant crawl to love, crawl back to love. Meaning whether it's from your negative situations, whether it's from any problems you've dealt with, like anybody's situation. Mine being my personal situation with shorty, but for anybody, for being inspired as far it being the war or a death in the family, whether it's anything, anybody just crawl back to love. 'Cause love conquers everything. Love, at the end of the day, makes everybody happy."

Joseph Khan, who directed the song's video, predicted the visuals to "Crawl" will make as much of an impact as the song. Khan spoke to MTV News recently about the video.

"It's my first ballad with Chris, and it was easy," Khan said of "Crawl." "Again, it's another idea that he clearly had, in terms of what the genesis of the idea is. I don't even know if Chris is trying to say anything with the video. I think he just sort of, as an artist, I think Chris communicates more through what he does ... and so what he does in the video will speak for itself."

• Chris Brown's 'Crawl' Premieres

• Rihanna
• Chris Brown

Chris Brown appears on "The Wendy Williams Show" on Friday
Photo: Talk WW Production, Inc

Chris Brown premiered his video for "Crawl" on "The Wendy Williams Show" on Friday morning (November 13), and sat with the gossip maven afterward in a brief interview where he told her he was in "a better place."

"It's probably the most exciting moment I've had in a while," Brown said of his return to music following the aftermath of his assault on Rihanna. His next album, Graffiti, drops on December 8.

Prior to sitting down with Williams, Brown's video debuted. The Joseph Khan-helmed clip features Cassie and shows a more somber Brown compared to the visuals for his lead single, "I Can Transform Ya."

The video opens with brown sitting on the edge of a bed in a plain white T-shirt. As the music begins, the singer's heart starts beating underneath his shirt and is illuminated in a florescent shade of red. The chill in the air reveals itself as Brown breathes.

Khan — who helmed both "I Can Transform Ya" and "Crawl" — said the Brown clip will hopefully give insight into what the singer is going through these days.

"I think of the two videos, 'Crawl' is my favorite one, because — gosh, I'm going to let you in on this — 'cause it's probably his most personal thing he's ever done," Kahn told MTV News. "I mean, everything that's happened to him in the year, I think this is going to be his big statement, in terms of what he's feeling and what he's living through right now."

Throughout "Crawl," Brown appears isolated as he walks by a storefront broadcasting images of Cassie. In another scene, Brown is dancing alone in a desert. He and Cassie come face-to-face at one point, but Brown restrains from reeling her in.

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• Chris Brown In 'Crawl'

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Chris Brown In 'Crawl'

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