Chris Brown: 'I should be treated like Jay Z'

Chris Brown is convinced the public should overlook his legal problems and support his music career in the same way Jay Z's supporters accept the rapper's troubled past.

The singer has struggled to regain his popularity after he was convicted of a brutally beating his ex-girlfriend Rihanna in 2009, and Brown feels he has been unfairly treated as so many other stars are able to carve out careers despite having previously broken the law.

The Kiss Kiss star cites Jay Z as an example, insisting the hip-hop star's fans don't judge him for his drug-dealing past, or his conviction for stabbing a music producer in 1999.

Brown tells Jet magazine, "Jay Z... is accepted by White America because he shakes hands and kisses babies. No disrespect, because I'm a fan, but nobody brings up the fact that he stabbed somebody and sold drugs. He gets a pass... Instead of being an artist, I've been called a woman beater; I've been insulted in public and judged."

The star also insists he is working through his anger issues to become a better person, adding, "You have to go through the struggle before you can get to the good part. I don't try to lash out at people, or be as mad or impulsive as I used to be."