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R&B Star Brown Rocks Forum

Tribune photo by JOSEPH BROWN III

Chris Brown’s props and dancing trumped his singing at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa on Monday night, but a youthful crowd liked what it saw and heard.

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By CURTIS ROSS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 15, 2008

TAMPA - When the set begins with a cartoon featuring the star as an intergalactic superhero, questions of musical value seem beside the point.

Chris Brown is one of contemporary R&B's more promising young talents. His show Monday night at the Forum, however, was consumed with pyrotechnics, flashy visuals and choreography to the point of obscuring Brown's skills as a singer (although not as a dancer).

The show was, however, undeniably, even relentlessly entertaining, and the mostly young crowd of 8,793 ate it up.

Of course, with that many bells and whistles, expecting a real live musical performance as well seems almost churlish. It's just that Brown seems capable and so few are these days.

The evening began far less promisingly.

After Shop Boyz opened the show with 10 minutes of "Party Like a Rock Star" interspersed with pointless yammering, YouTube sensation Soulja Boy took the stage.

The 17-year-old's "Crank That" was one of last year's biggest hits, and is a tribute to the teen's ambition, business savvy and knack for a hook. It is not, however, a tribute to his rhyming abilities, craft or artistic abilities. Soulja Boy rhymes lackadaisically over a steel drum sample and stereotypical Dirty South beat. The hit concluded his mercifully brief set, one which suggested he puts as much effort into performing as he does his lyrics.

Rapper Bow Wow gave the show a much needed shot of energy, punctuating his rhymes and beats with the moves of a fighter. His pacing, though, was erratic, and the momentum ebbed and flowed throughout his set.

Not yet 21, Bow Wow has yet to fully shake the teen heartthrob image he cultivated as Lil Bow Wow in the early part of the century. Still, the audience showed plenty of support, especially when he served up familiar hits such as "Let Me Hold You," "I'm a Flirt" and "Take Ya Home."

Curtis Ross can be reached at (813) 259-7568 or cross@tampatrib.com

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