Hooks up in the professional sense, that is. Not in the sense of a make-out session between them, or delivering a devastating right hook to her dome.

Even with his preliminary hearing scheduled for tomorrow, Chris Brown isn’t letting legal problems get in the way of putting together his new album.

Keri Hilson, a hit-making songwriter and singing superstar in her own right, tells E! Online that Chris recently asked for her help in the studio.

“He contacted me like four or five days ago,” Hilson said. “Us working together will be the first project I’ve worked on as a songwriter in a while.”

This wouldn’t be the first time for the two. They dueted on “Superhuman,” plus Hilson wrote “Young Love,” a track on Brown’s debut album.

It is unfortunate what they are going through, but I feel like if you’ve ever had a fan base, you’re really only one song away from appeasing that base,” she said of Chris Brown, whose PR firm is actively trying to remake his image.

“Whether that song is autobiographical or whether you want to talk about it or not, you’re just one hit away. That’s what I think of the industry in a nutshell.”

Lil Wayne is another controversial star Hilson has collaborated with. Most recently, two women (Nivea Hamilton and Lauren London) came out and said that they are currently pregnant with babies fathered by the frequently-arrested rapper.

“I’m still kind of hoping it’s not true,” Hilson said of Lil Wayne’s losing battle with condoms. “I’m a face-value person. I won’t believe it until I see it.”

Give it about 6-7 months then, Keri.

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For about three months following his “alleged” brutal assault on Rihanna on February 8, Chris Brown was content to lay low as his lawyer did the talking.

In late May, for whatever reason, his self-imposed exile ended.

Chilling with Usher, balling with Shaq, posing lame YouTube shout-outs and leaking a set of cute, post-coital pics of himself with Rihanna, the embattled star has embarked on a PR blitz of sorts even as he faces serious felony charges.

But if Chris Brown really wants us to believe he “ain’t a monsta,” maybe he should start by not being a tool and posing like a complete thug in pics like this.

Just a thought.

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It seems hard to believe now, but there was a time when Rihanna lay next to boyfriend Chris Brown with a look of satisfaction – as opposed to terror – on her face.

There was a time when the term “banging” between this couple was a synonym for love-making, not face-pummeling.

There was even a time when Chris Brown made Rihanna laugh, not bleed out of numerous orifices as the result of a beating so brutal it made professional boxers wince.

Those days are long gone, of course. But the following photos serve as a reminder of happier times between this pair.

While not as intimate as the recently-discovered Rihanna nude pics, we’ve uncovered a few shots of the singers from the days of yore. Where did it all go wrong?

So, where did these photos come from? It’s unclear. But we know this:

Chris Brown has an album coming out, Chris Brown says he is not a monster and now these pics have surfaced that are meant to show Chris Brown’s soft side.

Seems like someone is doing his publication relations homework to us. What a violent phony.

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Rihanna grabbed headlines with a surprise, eye-popping appearance in which she wore a menswear-influenced Dolce & Gabbana creation at the Met Gala in New York Monday – but Brown was the one who has something to celebrate: His 20th birthday.

The birthday greetings poured in for Brown on this celebrity gossip site, as fans wished the embattled, allegedly abusive star well on the 5th of May.

How did he actually spend the day?

Laying low with family in Virginia.

According to a source, Brown had a small birthday celebration with friends and family. Probably a good move to stay out of the limelight, as he faces two felony counts – assault and making criminal threats – to which he has pleaded not guilty.

The on-again, off-again pair have spent time apart lately, but reunited briefly in L.A. last month before Rihanna headed to her native Barbados.

There, she is rumored to have rekindled a romance with her ex-boyfriend, Negus Sealy, a.k.a. The Love God. She has not commented on this.

Inside at the bash, after Kanye West finished his set, partygoers erupted in cheers when Rihanna – still clad in her suit – joined the rapper onstage for a duet of his tune, “Say You Will.” She then sang her hit, “Live Your Life.”

In March, just weeks after the alleged confrontation with Brown, Rihanna celebrated her 21st birthday with a night out on the town in L.A.

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Since Chris Brown’s arrest in February, his normally loquacious attorney, Mark Geragos, has said nary a word about how he plans to defend Brown against charges that he punched, choked and threatened to kill his pop star girlfriend, Rihanna.

But comments by the attorney in court Wednesday suggest part of the strategy might be attacking police for the leak of a photo of Rihanna’s bruised face.

The defense lawyer told a judge he planned to request information about possible police misconduct or bias and mentioned by name an appellate court ruling that provides defendants access to files in internal police investigations.

Geragos’ remarks seemed a clear reference to the probe sparked by TMZ’s posting of a photo consistent with Rihanna pictures taken by police that night.

LAPD investigators have been interviewing their own officers and scouring computers for two months – so far in vain – in an effort to determine if someone inside the agency sold or gave the photo to the celebrity gossip website.
With a preliminary hearing date now set for May 28, Geragos’ actions indicate he may seek to have the case thrown out over the photo at that time.

Whether he proves effective or not, the attorney’s focusing on the photo’s leak would most definitely compound the LAPD’s embarrassment over the apparent failure to safeguard evidence in a case that has attracted world attention.

A state law makes it a misdemeanor for officers or law enforcement employees to profit by leaking confidential reports or images. Police Chief William J. Bratton promised “a very painful experience” for any LAPD employee found to be involved.

“We are still following leads and the case is far from closed,” said Deputy Chief Mark Perez, head of the LAPD’s Professional Standards Bureau.

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Chris Brown’s high-powered lawyer, Mark Geragos, plans to ask the court to dismiss the assault and criminal threats case against his client because of leaks.

Geragos told reporters that the leaks in the Rihanna case “form the basis for a motion to dismiss the case in regard to outrageous governmental misconduct.”

Whether he’s successful remains to be seen, but in any case, a court date is set for Brown today in Los Angeles for his February 8 altercation with Rihanna.

The singer will not appear before the judge.

Geragos will be present on behalf of the singer. Sources say Brown signed a waiver, although it remains unclear exactly what said waiver entails.

Brown appeared in court earlier this to enter a not guilty plea on charges that he beat and threatened to kill Rihanna in a violent altercation that left the Barbados native, and his girlfriend at the time, bruised, bitten and unconscious.

Following the not guilty plea, Brown’s team and the L.A. County District Attorney’s office were said to be working on a plea deal. That was weeks ago.

Several reports now suggest a deal is closer, if not imminent.

According to legal experts, Mark Geragos (above) is expected to ask for more time in the case to search for further evidence. If he is unable to secure additional time from the judge, a preliminary hearing date may be set in the case.

At the preliminary hearing, prosecutors presens the case before a judge explaining they have enough material to pursue a conviction. Geragos will counter that they do not, and the judge will decide if a criminal trial is warranted.

Regardless of the outcome, Rihanna and Chris Brown want no part of that, as it could result in information going public that both want to suppress.

Brown has sought a plea deal in which he does not serve jail time, but as the felonies he’s charged with carry almost five years, that’s a hard sell.

“I would imagine all parties would be interested in resolving the case so as to avoid the public airing of dirty laundry at a trial,” said Shawn Chapman Holley, who has represented The Game and Lindsay Lohan but is not involved here.

“If the D.A. makes a ‘tough’ offer, this makes it a difficult choice for the defendant,” the attorney added.

“For example, if they offer a deal that still carries significant jail time, the defendant might want to take his chances at trial. Doing so, however, exposes a high-profile defendant to unwanted negative publicity.”

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At his arraignment today for aggravated assault and making criminal threats Brown will plead not guilty tomorrow, however the plea may just be a formality.

Chris Brown’s lawyer and prosecutors in the Rihanna case are currently engaged in serious plea bargain negotiations and according to one source, a “deal is close.”

Sources say Rihanna has made it quite clear she does not want to testify in the case and wants Brown – with whom she is “taking a break” – to cop a plea.

One reason Rihanna’s in Barbados right now is because “she wants to be as far away from this case as possible,” and she’s trying to keep her distance – literally.

Chris Brown is inclined to plead either guilty or to plead no contest to a misdemeanor, provided he got no jail time. The District Attorney and Mark Geragos, Chris Brown’s lawyer, have since gotten down to the specifics.

What is not known is if the R&B star has changed his view and would now accept jail time to avoid a trial. That would be a bit surprising, although the charges he faces – which carry more than four years in jail – are no joke.

Chris Brown will be in court in person today at his arraingment.

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Chris Brown is getting ready to face the music after “allegedly” pummeling Rihanna, but his legal team is apparently still getting its act together.

A private court meeting had originally been called for Monday, March 23, at his legal team’s request. On Friday, the in-chambers hearing was postponed, purportedly for scheduling conflicts. At some point later, it was canceled altogether.

“The next date [in Chris Brown's felony case] is April 6 for the defendant’s arraignment. The hearing is not being rescheduled,” said a court clerk.

E! previously reported that the 19-year-old singer’s attorney, Mark Geragos, has been trying to work out a plea deal, or to prevent Rihanna from testifying, but Geragos has declined to comment on why the meeting was nixed.

Brown’s manager (we don’t know if this is Tina Davis or someone else) reportedly denied an earlier story alleging the meeting was called because Brown was looking to ditch Geragos, his management and PR team in one fell swoop.

The embattled Brown faces two serious felony counts – assault likely to produce great bodily injury and making criminal threats – stemming from the alleged February 8 altercation with Rihanna following a Grammys pre-party.

Brown was not required to be in court for this week’s hearing. No word on whether he and Natasha Ellie had been getting it on and sending booty call texts.

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Disgraced R&B singer Chris Brown has made his first statement after beating up the hell out of his ex-girlfriend, Rihanna. He posted an update on his private Facebook page, according to the N.Y. Post, which reads as follows:

“You’ll begin to see her true colors. Believe it!”

Brown’s comment appears to suggest Rihanna is partly to blame for the alleged attack – which she says was not the first in their relationship and ended in his arrest Sunday on charges of battery and making criminal threats.

It’s obvious that after inflicting horrific injuries upon Rihanna, both of them have split up and he confirmed his split by changing his relationship status to “single.”

There are various rumors swirling as to what caused the alleged attack. One of it is that Brown had been cheating on Rihanna and that a “booty call text message” sparked a heated argument as the couple drove back to their L.A. hotel prior to the Grammy Awards.

The text message reportedly angered Rihanna, who lashed out about it, only to have Brown attack her. She then faked a call to the cops and threw the keys to his rented Lamborghini out the window, further enraging him and leading to more violence.

The fight ended with Chris Brown fleeing the scene, leaving unconscious Rihanna needing to be hospitalized.

Brown, who posted $50,000 bail, had been holed up at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas before leaving for an undisclosed location. There are still doubts on whether the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office will be pressing charges.

So far, L.A. police have booked him on suspicion of making criminal threats, although that may not stick. However, a felony battery charge is a lock. Meanwhile, there is no word on Rihanna’s whereabouts since the incident.

Whatever happened to them is a tragedy as they are famous people. Since it’s Valentine’s Day, let’s recall some of the beautiful memories created by this ex-couple.

The romance rages on for Rihanna and Chris Brown, who spent Wednesday night at a Kanye West concert at Spotlight Live, a hip Times Square restaurant, a karaoke bar – and possibly the bedroom!

One day after Rihanna helped Brown celebrate his 19th birthday at a Manhattan club (his actual b-day was May 5) the pair got even more HOT and affectionate in plain view of other concert-goers.

Chris Brown draped his arm around Rihanna, 20, as the two flirted, danced, clapped and sang along to the short concert. As Kanye West left the stage, Rihanna leaned over and planted a big kiss on Brown.

The couple then hung out with some friends in back. An hour after the concert, music’s smoldering new couple retreated out the back door, posing for pictures – but only separately.

Chris Brown and Rihanna both stopped when fans asked to take photos with them, but they declined to be photographed together.

Although they’ve been spotted hooking up from Les Deux to Europe to the Caribbean – including a romantic vacation in Jamaica in February – Brown and Rihanna won’t publicly confirm their love.

Earlier this month, Rihanna shared the most information yet when she told Elle Magazine that she and Brown had become “very close.”

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