Chris Brown says he’s ‘the king’ in new message aimed at critics and peers

The singer criticized fellow celebrities and the music industry in an Instagram post that did not name a specific target.

Chris Brown lashed out at fellow celebrities and the music industry, declaring himself its best artist and rejecting the need for anyone’s approval. The Chris Brown rant comes days after his dispute with Venton Jones over a Texas honor presented during his concert with Usher.

Brown posted the message on Instagram stories on Sept. 22. He did not identify a specific person who prompted it.

“I don’t like none of you celebrities,” Brown wrote, directing his frustration at his peers alongside people he accused of offering insincere support.

The singer’s Instagram outburst also included a claim that no artist could compete with him, even when he was performing below his best. He called himself “the king” and signaled that he was done trying to appear agreeable, ending with “I’ll be the villain.”

Brown is currently sharing the stage with Usher on their joint R&B Tour. His latest comments did not name Usher, and Brown did not say they were aimed at his tour partner.

The rant follows a separate public disagreement over recognition he received in Arlington, Texas. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett and Texas state Rep. Venton Jones participated in a presentation at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 12 celebrating Brown and Usher’s contributions to music.

The tribute drew criticism because of Brown’s history, including his 2009 guilty plea to felony assault involving Rihanna, his girlfriend at the time.

Jones later apologized to Black women and domestic violence survivors during an appearance on Don Lemon’s show. Brown responded that he had not requested the honor and no longer wanted it, accusing Jones of backing away to protect his political support.

Brown separately thanked Crockett and apologized for the backlash she faced. He has not established a connection between that dispute and his latest post, leaving the target of his industry criticism unspecified.