Chris Brown receives honorary PhD in Visual & Performing Arts from Harvest Christian University

Dr. Breezy

Chris Brown now holds an honorary PhD. According to Billboard, the Chris Brown R&B star received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree in Visual & Performing Arts from Harvest Christian University, a private faith-based institution in Dallas. The ceremony took place on Saturday, May 23, and Brown marked the occasion with a characteristically unfiltered Instagram post: "I DID A THING!"

In the photos he shared, Brown is wearing black-and-purple graduation regalia, holding up the certificate with a medal around his neck. A second image showed him receiving the honor during the official ceremony.

A busy May for Brown

The degree caps a notably eventful month for the 37-year-old singer. His 12th studio album, Brown, dropped on May 8 and has since attracted a mixed critical reception. After a harsh review from Pitchfork, Brown took to Instagram Stories to push back, telling fans he was not going to dwell on the negativity: "I know exactly who my fans is and I know exactly who hearing this album."

Earlier in the month he had already addressed the broader wave of criticism in similarly direct terms, promising more music and a tour. That tour, a joint run with Usher, is scheduled to kick off in Denver on June 26.

What comes next

Brown has been deliberately vague about whatever else is in the pipeline, telling fans on Instagram that "more s--t" is coming without offering specifics. With a new album out and a major co-headlining run on the horizon, the honorary doctorate is, at the very least, a tidy piece of rollout theater.