Ebony Features Chris Brown: No Longer Your Parents' Publication

By Jawn Murray, BlackVoices.com

Ebony magazine has been a staple in African-American households long before we were called African-Americans.

The monthly glossy, founded by the late John H. Johnson in the 1945, was groundbreaking for the publishing world and has been the voice of our race more than six decades.

Over the last decade, many joked that the Chicago-based publication, and its sister magazine Jet, had become "out of touch" and "dated" in its approach to the magazine business.

But since the death of Mr. Johnson on Aug. 8, 2005, the magazine has gradually began modernizing its design and layout features.

Once known for featuring the likes of Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte, Ebony more recently showcased contemporary entertainers as cover subjects including Janet Jackson and Chris Brown, who is featured on the upcoming Black Music Month issue in June.

The sexy image of the shirtless 19-year-old singer, with his pants sagging and underwear showing is definitely a departure from the Ebony we once knew.

Is this transition a good thing? I think so! But that's just my opinion.

Regardless, the Tappahannock, Va.-bred singer opens up about dating, sex and taking his music to the next level in his cover story.

"I wanted to do something more along the lines of a grown record," explained Brown about the June re-release of his sophomore album, 'Exclusive: The Forever Edition.'

"I wanna take her down," he continued, talking about the new single by the same name of the title that he carefully considered. "That sounds a lot better than drill, nail, smash. We made it a little bit more classy."

Brown, who has been dating pop sensation Rihanna for the last several months, spoke candidly about his perspective on relationships. "I date sometimes. If I ever had a girlfriend, it'd always be a problem. Fans want you to be attainable. I try to stay away from even having a girl. I go on dates, talk to a couple chicks on the phone," he said.

Maybe giving the impression that he's still "attainable" is why he has yet to confirm that he is dating Rihanna.

The Black Music Month issue of Ebony hits newsstands soon.

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