Chris Brown celebrated his 36th birthday on Monday, May 5, with even more cause for celebration after receiving another diamond certification from the RIAA for his 2011 hit “Look at Me Now.”
The track, which featured Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, achieved diamond status after going eight times platinum in 2021. Produced by Afrojack and Diplo, “Look at Me Now” was part of Brown’s F.A.M.E. album. The Recording Industry Association of America awards diamond certifications to singles that have sold 10 million units in the United States.
Busta Rhymes’ rapid-fire verse, set against a backdrop of spacey synths, became one of the most iconic moments of his career. It has been widely praised and imitated in karaoke bars around the world, though never fully duplicated. The music video, directed by Colin Tilley, debuted in March 2011 and has garnered nearly 580 million views on YouTube. The song peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped both the Hot Rap Songs and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Diplo, who co-produced the track, reflected on its creation in an interview with VIBE. “I knew I was working on something for a Chris Brown record, but I thought it was for a mixtape,” he said. “When I did the beat, I gave it to one of his writers. Then Busta Rhymes got on it and I was like, ‘OK, this is going to be a club record.’ And then when Wayne got on it, ‘Look at Me Now’ became a radio record. It just took off from there.”
This is Brown’s third diamond certification, following his collaboration with Drake on “No Guidance” and his feature on RVSSIAN and Rauw Alejandro’s “NOSTÁLGICO.” For Lil Wayne, “Look at Me Now” marks his fourth diamond certification, while it is Busta Rhymes’ first.
Despite being released 14 years ago, Chris Brown continues to dominate the music scene. He is gearing up for his global Breezy Bowl XX stadium tour, set to begin in Amsterdam on June 8. The tour will feature Jhené Aiko, Bryson Tiller, and Summer Walker at various stops around the world.
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