Chris Brown Reflects On His Public Image [Video]

Chris Brown and studied self-reflection aren’t, one would assume, natural bedfellows. However, the 23-year-old singer has given a surprisingly reflective and candid interview to MTV, in which he appraises his own public image.

The interview, which was shot for MTV‘s This Is How I Made It, sees the Grammy winner discussing how he has attempted to mend his reputation with fans and the public. Ever since he was arrested for the assault of girlfriend Rihanna in February, public perceptions of Chris Brown have generally been in the gutter.

This latest interview is the most recent PR attempt from the Chris Brown camp to resuscitate the singer’s flagging reputation. In the two-minute clip released online by MTV, Brown is seen meeting disabled fans, and admitting he could not “hate people for making judgment on me”:

“You always going to know me for situations and life obstacles. For me to have that achievement and to go through people’s whole opinion’s changing of me. Having to get personal opinion back and having to gain personal success back, it’s not all the way back, you know? But it’s one of my most humbling experiences. I can’t hate people for making judgment on me or making a decision of liking me or not liking me. All I can do is try to be better as a person, and I’m good with knowing everything isn’t always going to be perfect…

“I just want my fans to be able to identify, whether it be the ones that maybe could of had everything or they maybe blew their chance and they failed and didn’t know how to get back up. My story or my life or my legacy can hopefully show them that once you’re down, that don’t just mean you’re down forever. You never let up. A lot of the negatives that we always go through, we’re gonna have to get through that. It sounds crazy, but that’s what makes us who we are.”

Even if Chris Brown never fully revives his public image, he can at least take heart in something: things seem to be back on track with Rihanna. His former girlfriend told Oprah in August that she had forgiven Brown, saying, “I have to forgive him, because I cared about him still.”

You can watch the edited clip of the Chris Brown interview below. The full interview airs November 3: