Chris Brown Tells Texas Lawmaker to ‘Keep That Award’ After Apology

U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett, left, Chris Brown, center, and Texas state Rep. Venton Jones pose together after the lawmakers presented the singer with official recognitions during a stop on The R&B Tour at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. (Photo: Venton Jones / Instagram)

Chris Brown says he never asked Texas lawmakers to honor him.

Now, after one of them apologized for participating, he wants no part of the recognition.

Brown told Texas state Rep. Venton Jones to “keep that award” after Jones apologized for presenting the R&B star with an official State of Texas legislative recognition during Brown and Usher’s concert Saturday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

The response capped several days of fallout from what began as a celebration of two of R&B’s biggest stars.

Jones and U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett appeared during the Sept. 12 stop of "The R&B Tour"d alongside producer and songwriter RoccStar.

They brought separate recognitions.

Crockett announced a Congressional Record entry titled “Recognizing the Artistry of Chris Brown and Usher Raymond,” praising the two singers’ contributions to contemporary R&B and popular music.

Usher was not onstage during the presentation.

Jones separately presented Brown with what the Dallas lawmaker later described in his own social media post as an “official State of Texas legislative recognition” of Brown’s impact on music.

Jones credited RoccStar with helping coordinate the effort.

Crockett told the Arlington crowd they were experiencing “Black joy to the highest level” and said she wanted the moment documented in the Congressional Record.

A Congressional Record entry is a ceremonial recognition by an individual member of Congress. It is not legislation or an honor approved through a vote of Congress.

Jones initially celebrated the appearance, writing on social media the next day that it was an example of how to “mobilize voters.”

The presentation quickly drew criticism centered largely on Brown’s history of violence against women.

Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in 2009 after attacking Rihanna, who was his girlfriend at the time. He was sentenced to five years of probation, community labor and domestic violence counseling.

Jones addressed the criticism Tuesday during an appearance on “The Don Lemon Show.”

“I want to offer an apology,” Jones said, directing his remarks to Black women, women generally and people who have experienced domestic violence.

I have been listening and reflecting. I see you and hear you.

Please accept my remarks in response.

I remain transparent and committed to House District 100, the Dallas community, and Texas, and will allow the work of the Office to continue reflecting that.

Texans, please… pic.twitter.com/0DdW37DWy5

— State Rep. Venton Jones (@VentonJonesTX) September 15, 2026

Jones said he and Crockett had been asked to participate by the venue and that their appearance was also intended to engage voters ahead of the November election.

He later expanded on the apology in a written statement, saying he had listened to people who believed his decision had contributed to circumstances in which Black women’s safety and experiences are pushed aside.

Brown rejected the apology.

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A post shared by Don Lemon (@donlemonofficial)

In posts on Instagram, Brown said the recognition had been brought to him rather than requested by him.

“Y’all came to me with this! Not the other way around,” Brown wrote.

Brown noted that his Arlington shows were already sold out.

While Brown accused the lawmaker of pandering, Jones maintained that his apology followed conversations with constituents and reflection on the criticism.

Brown ultimately told Jones he no longer wanted the recognition and said he wanted to be left alone to concentrate on the fans supporting his tour.

His response to Crockett was markedly different.

Before Jones’ apology, Brown posted a photograph of himself embracing the congresswoman and thanked her for the recognition. He also apologized for any backlash she might receive and said that although he was not political, he was grateful for the gesture.

Crockett’s Congressional Record recognition included Usher as well as Brown, despite Usher’s absence from that portion of the onstage presentation.

Jones’ state recognition was specifically for Brown.

Ye Could Face Up to $23 Million Claim as Donda Academy Case Nears Trial

FILE — Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, is shown in a file photograph. The hip-hop artist and entrepreneur could face up to $23 million in potential damages in an ongoing racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former security employee of Donda Academy and Yeezy LLC, according to newly reported court documents. (Photo: Phil Romans / Flickr via CC BY-SA 2.0)

A former Donda Academy employee is seeking up to roughly $23 million in damages in his discrimination lawsuit against Kanye West as the two-year-old case moves toward trial, according to newly filed court papers.

Benjamin Provo, a Black former security guard who sued the artist, Yeezy LLC and Donda Academy in 2024, has outlined damages he contends could reach approximately $23 million if he prevails, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.

The figure is not a judgment or settlement, and no court has determined that West, who legally changed his name to Ye in 2021, owes Provo that amount.

Provo's lawsuit alleges he faced racial and religious discrimination while working at Donda Academy and Yeezy and was ultimately fired after refusing a demand to cut his dreadlocks, which he has said he wore in part as an expression of his Muslim faith.

Ye and the other defendants have denied wrongdoing.

Provo filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court in April 2024, accusing Ye and members of his management team of treating Black employees less favorably than white workers.

The complaint alleges Ye frequently screamed at and berated Black employees while treating white employees differently. Provo also alleges that Ye began demanding that employees shave their heads.

According to the complaint, Provo was eventually told that Ye wanted "the one with the dreads" to shave his head or be fired. Provo alleges he refused and subsequently lost his job.

The lawsuit extends beyond Provo's hair.

Provo alleges that Ye expressed displeasure with prominent Black leaders and ordered people associated with Donda to dispose of books related to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and other Black figures.

The newly reported court papers also offer a glimpse at testimony gathered as the case moved toward trial.

Provo's latest filing cites deposition testimony from former Yeezy chief of staff Milo Yiannopoulos concerning racially charged remarks and the provocative way Ye discussed religion in the workplace.

That testimony comes as the two sides fight over what evidence may be considered at trial.

Ye's attorneys have asked the court to exclude social media posts attributed to Ye and Yiannopoulos, arguing that much of the material is irrelevant to whether Provo experienced unlawful discrimination during his employment.

The defense filing includes a 919-page report containing social media material that Provo may seek to use at trial. Ye's attorneys contend that some of the posts came from impersonation, parody or other accounts and have argued that Provo should be required to establish the authenticity, relevance and admissibility of disputed material before it is considered.

Another pretrial dispute centers on whether Ye's mental condition during the period covered by the lawsuit has any relevance to the case.

Provo's attorneys have asked the court to prevent Ye's side from arguing that he was of unsound mind, contending that such a defense was not raised in the defendants' answer and that Ye did not produce medical records or designate an expert witness to support such an argument during discovery.

Ye's attorneys have separately asked the court to exclude evidence concerning any alleged mental unfitness, noting that Ye testified during a deposition that he considered himself mentally fit.

Ye has also disputed Provo's characterization of their employment relationship, arguing in court papers that Provo worked for a third-party company that provided workers rather than directly for Ye or his companies.

The $23 million figure represents Provo's calculation of potential damages, not money that has been awarded by the court.

A nonjury trial is currently scheduled for Oct. 12 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Ye's attorneys have asked Judge Brock T. Hammond to postpone it until May 17, 2027, or another date available to the court and Provo.

Tone Capone, Producer Who Connected Bay Area and Houston Rap, Dies at 59

FILE — Producer Tone Capone, born Anthony Douglas Gilmour, is shown DJing in the 1980s. Capone, the Bay Area beatmaker behind Luniz's 1995 hit "I Got 5 On It" and a frequent Rap-A-Lot Records collaborator, died Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026. He was 59. (Photo: Tone Capone / Instagram)

The Bay Area beatmaker behind Luniz’s 1995 crossover hit also produced seven tracks on Scarface’s platinum album and Devin the Dude’s “Sticky Green.”

Tone Capone, the Bay Area producer behind Luniz’s “I Got 5 On It” whose catalog later reached deep into Houston through Scarface, Devin the Dude and Rap-A-Lot Records, died Saturday.

He was 59.

Capone, born Anthony Douglas Gilmour, was born in Berkeley and raised in North Oakland near Bushrod Park. Close family members reported his death online Sunday.

Legendary Bay Area producer Tone Capone has passed away at age 59. Causes are unknown at the time. His body of work includes

Luniz - I Got 5 On It
Celly Cel- It’s Goin Down
3xKrazy - Keep It On The Real
Mac Dre - Fire
Mac Mall - Servin Game

He also produced a lot of the classic… pic.twitter.com/B0jkVK9eER

— Nstant Vntage (@nstantvntage) September 14, 2026

A cause of death had not been announced as of Monday. Capone had lived in the Las Vegas area since 2021.

For many listeners, his signature will always be “I Got 5 On It.”

The 1995 Luniz single reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, while the duo’s debut album, “Operation Stackola,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

The record's construction was more complicated than a simple sample flip.

The official music video for Luniz's 1995 crossover hit "I Got 5 On It." The track, produced by Tone Capone, reached No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became one of the most recognizable anthems in West Coast hip-hop history. (Video via YouTube)

Luniz brought Capone Club Nouveau’s “Why You Treat Me So Bad” as a musical starting point. Capone told The Guardian in 2019 that the original groove did not hit hard enough for the sound he wanted.

“I wanted everything in your face,” he said.

Capone slowed the groove and added bells, voices and scratches. In a separate interview with TheWrap, he explained that he replayed the central musical idea rather than directly sampling the Club Nouveau recording. He identified Audio Two’s “Top Billin’” and Kool & the Gang’s “Jungle Boogie” as the record’s direct sampled elements.

Capone also pushed for a singer on a hook that Luniz originally rapped. Michael Marshall, his old Berkeley High School friend and a member of Timex Social Club, supplied the melody that became one of the song's defining features.

The record found another life nearly a quarter-century later.

In 2019, a slowed, orchestral “Tethered Mix” of “I Got 5 On It” became a recurring musical device in Jordan Peele’s horror film “Us,” turning a familiar party record into something deliberately unsettling.

Capone's work had begun long before his biggest hit. He learned to DJ while attending Berkeley High and was playing parties and other events while still young. By the mid-1980s, he was building beats with four-track cassette recorders, drum machines, turntables and tape decks.

His résumé eventually expanded well beyond Northern California.

By the mid-1990s, Capone had entered the Rap-A-Lot orbit that connected Bay Area artists with Houston. Mike Dean later told HipHopDX that he brought Capone in to help produce Scarface’s 1997 album “The Untouchable.”

The surviving album credits show how substantial that role became.

Scarface's "Smile," featuring 2Pac and Johnny P, from the 1997 platinum album "The Untouchable." Tone Capone served as a co-producer on the track alongside Mike Dean and Scarface, marking one of his most prominent collaborations with Houston's Rap-A-Lot Records. (Video via YouTube)

Capone shares production credit on seven tracks: “Untouchable,” “Southside,” “Money Makes the World Go Round,” “Mary Jane,” “Smile,” “Smartz” and “Faith.” His collaborators across those tracks included Scarface, Dean, N.O. Joe and Domo.

“The Untouchable” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum.

Among Capone’s contributions was “Smile,” the Scarface record featuring 2Pac and Johnny P. Official Rap-A-Lot metadata credits the production to Scarface, Dean and Capone.

The Houston connection continued beyond Scarface.

Capone produced “Sticky Green,” featuring Scarface, from Devin the Dude’s 1998 debut album, “The Dude.” Devin later recalled that Scarface, Capone and a musician named Harm brought the music to him as the song was taking shape.

Back home, Capone’s credits stretched across generations of Bay Area rap. He worked with artists including E-40, Celly Cel, 3XKrazy, The Click, Dru Down, Mac Dre, Mac Mall and the Jacka.

He remained involved in music in later years even after taking a hospital job and eventually retiring from that work.

“I Got 5 On It” will inevitably be the first record attached to Tone Capone’s name.

The credits that come after it — Scarface, 2Pac, Devin the Dude, E-40, Celly Cel, 3XKrazy and Mac Dre among them — explain why his legacy was considerably larger than one hit.