Chris Brown Laments Missed Michael Jackson Tribute in "Vibe"

Since Michael Jackson's untimely death in late June, the King of Pop has been honored at almost every major awards ceremony, from the VMAs to the AMAs. Now comes word Jackson will posthumously receive a lifetime achievement prize at January's Grammy Awards, where his remarkable achievements will almost certainly be celebrated once again.

Chris Brown was slated to perform at last year's Grammys, but pulled out of the ceremony after his altercation with then-girlfriend Rihanna the night before the event. The assault — which resulted in Brown pleading guilty in exchange for probation, community labor and anger-management classes — also prevented the young star from participating in the Jackson tribute at the BET Awards, which were held just days after the King of Pop's death. In the new issue of Vibe, which hits stands next week, Brown confirms what Rolling Stone had learned at the time: that he was yanked from the show at the last minute.

"I was watching it, holding my face, like 'Oh my God, this is wack,' " he tells Vibe, complaining about the production values of the BET tribute. "I was expecting them to have Usher, Omarion and even Justin [Timberlake]. They were so bent on not getting me there that they messed up their own show."

Brown says the show told him he was pulled over concerns about sponsors. "I felt like BET should have been looking at the people who got drug charges, gun charges, weapons, other stuff," he adds. "You can't discriminate against one person because you're afraid the media is going to kill you."

Talking about the clubby song "Pass Out" on his new album Graffiti, Brown says he was aiming for a wider appeal, inspired once again by his fallen idol. "Michael Jackson didn't make music for one audience. Rolling Stones and the Beatles, too."

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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