Chris Brown: He's looked at his Grammy from both sides now [Poll]

Chris Brown was all sunshine and light Wednesday afternoon, proclaiming on Twitter, "TeamBreezy, the Grammy I received was for those of you who supported my music and the hard work and growth in my life. I thank you! Love U!"

Nice enough, if you were unaware that on Tuesday he -- or whoever was powering his Twitter feed -- had gone rather ballistic about that very same Grammy.

Seems Chris wasn't cool with it when a few folks, celebs included, raised an eyebrow about his high-profile performance presence at this year's Grammy Awards, only three years since he missed the show after losing his temper and hitting then-girlfriend Rihanna in the face.

(It was an outburst that resulted in a guilty plea to one count of felony assault, for which Brown is still on probation. He's already completed the anger-management program he was sentenced to.)

"How dang long did they give Nicki Minaj to do whatever that was? Strange," Miranda Lambert said Monday on Twitter, discussing performances at the Sunday awards show. "And Chris Brown twice? I don't get it. He beat on a girl... Not cool that we act like that didn't happen. He needs to listen to Gunpowder and lead and be put back in his place. Not at the Grammys."

Well, at a certain point, Brown had apparently had enough. His Valentine's Day outburst read, in part, "HATE ALL U WANT BECUZ I GOT A GRAMMY Now!" And in case that in-your-face all-caps missive wasn't enough, he wrapped it up with profanity that you can find here unredacted (the tweet itself has been removed from the @chrisbrown stream).

Brown addressed the media in a later, also-deleted tweet: "DEAR MEDIA.. Ur plan is not working.. I'm not going anywhere so get used to me." The Times' opinion section, for one, has had a thing or two to say about Brown's appearance Sunday.

So who is the real Breezy -- the soft-spoken singer-dancer stumbling over his Grammy acceptance speech for R&B album Sunday and tweeting rainbows and unicorns on Wednesday afternoon, or the zero-to-60 anger blaster telling folks they could "blank off" Tuesday, now that he had that Grammy in hand, imagining a media conspiracy Tuesday morning and beating his girlfriend's face bloody back in 2009?

Let us know what you think in the poll below, and in comments.

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— Christie D'Zurilla
Twitter.com/dzurillaville
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Photo: Chris Brown in his second performance at the 2012 Grammy Awards on Sunday. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Nicki Minaj performance slammed by Catholic League

Nicki Minaj and her religiously themed Grammy Awards performance didn't have many converts among the Catholic League on Monday: The organization slammed the singer-rapper for what it called an attack from the entertainment industry.

After arriving with a red carpet plus-one dressed like the pope, Minaj on Sunday unveiled her alter-ego character Roman Zolanski onstage in an extravagant production of the song "Roman Holiday."

The performance, backed by stained-glass windows, started in a mock confessional and later moved through various interpretations of demonic possession — think gyrations, crotch-grabbing, flames — before ending with the "Super Bass" singer's character levitating triumphantly over a vanquished priest and two altar boys.

"Perhaps the most vulgar part was the sexual statement that showed a scantily clad female dancer stretching backwards while an altar boy knelt between her legs in prayer," Catholic League President Bill Donohue noted in a statement on the group's website.

"None of this was by accident, and all of it was approved by the Recording Academy, which puts on the Grammys. Whether Minaj is possessed is surely an open question, but what is not in doubt is the irresponsibility of the Recording Academy. Never would they allow an artist to insult Judaism or Islam."

He closed with contact information for those wishing to lodge a complaint with the folks behind the Grammy Awards.

Minaj, meanwhile, reveled in the support of her Twitter fans Monday and offered a possible dismissal of her critics: "Were they offended by 'the devil inside'??? Shut-up & watch the movie ... !"

(On a loftier note, shortly after Whitney Houston's death hit the news Saturday, she'd tweeted, "Jesus Christ, not Whitney Houston. Greatest of all time.")

Whose side are you on?

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Photo: Nicki Minaj performs at the 54th Grammy Awards at Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit: Kevin Winter / Getty Images.

Grammys: Win or lose, Kings of Leon to party, El Pollo Loco style

The band Kings of Leon seemed happy just to be on the Grammy Awards red carpet Sunday in the wake of their canceled U.S. summer tour, which inspired rumors about substance abuse on the part of singer Caleb Followill.

No matter if they win or lose in the best rock album category, the band still plans to live it up after the show.

"The party is always in the same place either way," drummer Nathan Followill said, joking that that place would be a local El Pollo Loco.

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

Most of all, however, Kings of Leon are looking forward to watching Paul McCartney and to the tribute planned for Whitney Houston.

"I think there will be some really awesome performances," Nathan said before trying to lighten the mood. "I got the inside scoop on my celeb phone."

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Photo: Kings of Leon at the Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times.

Diane Warren shocked, disconcerted after Whitney Houston's death

Songwriter Diane Warren, who worked on seven songs with Whitney Houston, expressed a deep sense of sadness at the Grammy Awards on Sunday over the loss of the pop icon, as well as shock and a bit of discomfort about the way Houston's death was being handled less than 24 hours after the fact.

"I think people are all feeling really weird," Warren said. "Even at Clive [Davis]'s party last night, Alicia Keys was really good, but sorry, I didn't want to see Pit Bull jumping around the stage."

It was reported by several sources that Pit Bull used explicit language to encourage guests to "party" since Houston herself "loved to party."

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

Warren also was a bit disconcerted, she said, by Tony Bennett's remarks during his performance about how drugs should be legalized in the wake of deaths including Michael Jackson, Amy Winehouse and now Whitney Houston.

"No, sorry. She got legal drugs from her doctor," Warren said sadly. "So that was inappropriate."

-- Jessica Gelt

Photo: Songwriter Diane Warren at the 54th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times.

Grammys: Adele wears her heart on her sleeve, songwriters say

Dan Wilson, who co-wrote, produced and played piano on British singing sensation Adele's No. 1 hit song "Someone Like You," and is likewise nominated for album of the year for his work on "21," appeared on the Grammy Awards red carpet Sunday alongside fellow Adele songwriter Fraser T. Smith.

Both men expressed a great deal of admiration for the young singer, saying that working with her was a pleasure because she made it her mission to bring out the best in them.

But it is Adele's ability to wear her heart on her sleeve and be herself in the face of fame, they said, that has helped her capture and keep the world's attention.

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

"The woman is a musical genius," Wilson said. "She's just a powerhouse of a musical figure and creator. And she can't help but be herself."

"She's got her heart on her sleeve, coupled with integrity and a great sense of humor," Smith added.

Was the thought of a possible Adele sweep dimmed by the shadow of Whitney Houston's death?

"It's gonna take people weeks to process what happened," Wilson said. "Whoever wins, we don't want to take it away from them. But Whitney's such a huge and significant artist."

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Photo: Singer Adele arrives at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards at Staples Center on Sunday. Credit: Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Grammys 2012: Jean Baptiste is excited for friend Chris Brown

Quiet and unassuming, Jean Baptiste — who is nominated alongside the controversial Chris Brown for the rap song award for the triumphant single "Look at Me Now" — walked down the Grammys red carpet Sunday answering questions in hushed, respectful tones.

"That's the biggest thing," he replied when asked if Brown's reemergence center stage at the Grammys, three years after his Grammys weekend assault of then-girlfriend Rihanna, was causing a stir. "Chris Brown is an actual friend of mine and seeing him break through with this song again is wonderful."

So this is huge for both of them, right?

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

"It's one of his biggest singles ever," Baptiste said. "It took on a life of its own."

The creation of the song "was me and Chris in the studio being really goofy and having a great time creating."

What else helped?

"Just a bottle of Jameson's," Baptiste said, smiling shyly.

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Grammys 2012: Mumford & Sons work the deja vu angle

Ben Lovett and Ted Dwayne of the British folk rock band Mumford & Sons were a bit sheepish about appearing on the carpet at the Grammys for the second time in as many years for the same debut album, "Sigh No More."

Last year the band skyrocketed to international attention with their best new artist nomination, and this year they were back for the song "The Cave," which is nominated for record of the year.

"It's a bit of deja vu," said Dwayne. "It's as much of an honor, but it's still the same record, and we're here celebrating artists with new records."

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

"When we heard, we were like, 'Wait! It's 2012. We should have a new album out now,' " Lovett added.

The band members, who were on their way to Clive Davis' pre-Grammy party Saturday night when they heard the news of pop legend Whitney Houston's death, expressed a deep sense of sadness about the loss. The said they initially were surprised that Davis' party was not canceled, but realized why it wasn't when the event turned into a memorial tribute for the lost singer, with Davis speaking eloquently about how much Houston would have wanted the Grammys to go on as a celebration of the music and artists she loved so much.

"Last night Clive Davis spoke so well on the subject," Lovett said, shaking his head slowly. "It's an undeniable tragedy, and it's so soon after the event, there's a lot of grieving yet to happen."

The band is in the thick of getting a new album out into the world, but they say they have no expectations of being on the Grammys carpet again next year.

"But we'd like to attend whether we're nominated or not," Lovett said, while Dwayne smiled in agreement.

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Photo: Mumford & Sons at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday. Credit: Kirk McKoy / Los Angeles Times.

Grammys 2012: The Band Perry giddy, 'surrounded by our heroes'

Nominated for best new artist, the giddy Band Perry were beside themselves Sunday about performing with country star Glen Campbell later during the Grammy Awards telecast.

The band of well-coiffed siblings, whose song "All Your Life" is currently the No. 1 country song on Billboard, said they were "over the moon" about the whole experience.

"I have a bit of nervous energy, because we're surrounded by our heroes and we're real fancy and dressed up," singer Kimberly Perry said.

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

"I just eat a lot of nervous food, like pita and hummus," bassist Reid Perry added.

All three — Neil Perry rounds out the group — said that besides performing with Campbell they were most excited to see Paul McCartney, in front of whom they'd already rehearsed.

"I can't believe we sang for a Beatle!" gushed Kimberly, who then struck a somber note to talk about her love for Whitney Houston, who died Saturday at age 48.

"We're heartbroken. We were performing in Tacoma, Wash., last night when we heard," she said. "It's a shock that we lost her so early. She was one of my most favorite singers.

"I remember singing 'I Will Always Love You' in the car with my mother."

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Photo: Kimberly Perry of the Band Perry arrives at the 2012 Grammy Awards on Sunday. Credit: Larry Busacca / Getty Images.

 

 

Grammy Awards 2012: Steve Martin arrives early on 'a sad day'

Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Grammy Awards-nominated for bluegrass album for "Rare Bird Alert," walked the red carpet at the early hour of 12:45 p.m. Sunday.

Dressed in an unassuming light gray suit with black-rimmed glasses, Martin said the Grammys was a more relaxed scene than the Oscars red carpet, where you have to dress to the nines no matter what.

As expected, Whitney Houston, whose tragic death collided squarely with Grammys weekend, was first and foremost on everyone's mind, and the mood on the carpet was understandably muted.

PHOTOS: Grammy Awards 2012 arrivals

"I think I damaged my hearing from listening to her so loud and so long," Martin said. "It's a sad day."

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Photo: Steve Martin at the 2012 Grammy Awards. Credit: Larry Busacca / Getty Images

 

Justin Bieber finds a fan in Steve Stoute after Grammys loss

Nothing like taking out a full-page newspaper ad to declare yourself ... a Justin Bieber fan? In an open letter calling the Grammy Awards "a series of hypocrisies and contradictions," Steve Stoute has outed himself as yet another Belieber.

"How is it that Justin Bieber, an artist that defines what it means to be a modern artist, did not win Best New Artist," the former hip-hop manager and music industry exec asked in an open letter critical of the Grammys, NARAS and NARAS President Neil Portnow, published Sunday in the New York Times.

Stoute also questioned Eminem and Kanye West's losses in previous years in the album of the year category to Steely Dan and Herbie Hancock, respectively. He blamed the "Grammys fail" on an overzealous desire to produce a popular TV show, and a disrespect of cultural shifts. Stoute is president of Translation Advertising, which he founded in 2008 with Jay-Z.

"What truly inspired the writing of this letter was that this most recent show fed my suspicions," Stoute wrote in the letter that was also published on the Huffington Post. "As the show was coming to a close and just prior to presenting the award for Album Of The Year, the band Arcade Fire performed 'Month of May' -- only to ... surprise ... win the category and, in a moment of sheer coincidence, happened to be prepared to perform 'Ready to Start.'"

Of Arcade Fire's two-song stint at the end of the Grammys, "Some in the audience thought that it was a punk-spirited coup of the microphone," The Times' Geoff Boucher wrote, "but Grammy executive producer Ken Erhlich said in recent days that he would let the band do an extra song if the show was running ahead of schedule."

Baby, baby, baby, oh -- but does Stoute have a point?

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Photos: Justin Bieber and Rihanna, top, at the NBA All-Star game at Staples Center on Feb. 20, 2011. Steve Stoute, left, in 1999, when he was managing Nas and allegedly assaulted by Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs; Combs was later acquitted. Credits: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images, top; handout, left.