Music News: Chris Brown PAID for his 2012 R&B Grammy?

The rule is generally known as, "Three strikes, you're out," but it seems that for R&B/pop star Chris Brown, just one will elevate him to fields beyond what he was originally capable of in the first place. The Virginia-born singer, 23, seems to have had relatively close ties with Grammy producer Ken Ehrlich, who defended the annual music ceremony's backing of Brown on "CBS This Morning".

An insider of Brown's, whose name is being hidden for legal and security purposes, has forwarded e-mails sent between Brown and Ehrlich to Neil Portnow, President of The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

In the e-mails, Ehrlich was "practically begged" to secure a Grammy for the star with much of the public's disdain for a "substantial amount of money," which was not disclosed by the insider. Portnow released a statement after firing Ehrlich for his indiscretion and violation of the Academy's ethics and integrity in rewarding talent. "Ehrlich was subsequently terminated, after many years of being involved with deliberating which of the past decades' talents were worthy. With almost ten years of being President for The Academy, I would have never predicted that this would happen. My lack of blessing for Chris' nomination was known, but as I've always respected by colleagues' insights, I mustered all I could not to fight it so much. I have worked alongside Ken for years now, and I am heavily disappointed, and will have to raise the conduct around this board. will see to it that nothing of this caliber of humiliation will happen again."

Brown's publicist and Ehrlich have released no comments after multiple endeavors of contact.

Thoughts?