Less than two years ago, Chris Brown was the 16-year-old boy next door, a teenager from the small town of Tappahannock, VA (population: 2,000), with a world of talent and big dreams, fueled by the artists he grew up with, from Sam Cooke, Stevie Wonder and Donnie Hathaway to Michael Jackson and Usher. With the release of Exclusive, his sophomore album for Jive Records (certified platinum), Chris Brown is ready to take his place alongside those heroes.