Before They Were D**ks: Remember When Chris Brown 'Wasn't' R&B's Bad Boy?

As Chris Brown gets ready to drop what could presumably be his final studio album (his words, not ours), we can't help but recall what his image was like when he first burst on the scene in 2005. The uncannily talented teen wowed us with his amazing vocals and slick dance moves, poised to be one of the greatest performers of his time.

Even with edgy lyrics that charmed young girls everywhere, the singer maintained a relatively sweet persona that made him hip hop and R&B's boy next door. He boyishly sported backpacks, made lighthearted public appearances, and even played a lovable brainiac in a guest role on The O.C.

Then it all changed. With his ongoing legal woes, Breezy's clearly come quite a long way from that carefully crafted image. It's almost hard to reminisce about that simpler time before his fall from grace, but we did just that in our gallery — check out the Chris Brown that made us say "awww," and not, you know, "ewww."

[Photo Credit: Getty Images]