Chris Brown has something new to celebrate. The American R&B singer posted photos of himself in full academic robes on Instagram over the weekend, holding an honorary Doctor of Philosophy certificate from Harvest Christian University.
“I DID A THING!” he wrote.
The certificate recognises his contribution to music, dance and entertainment. Brown has had a big year. He has multiple Grammy nominations, a stadium tour with Usher in the works, and last December he drew more than 92,000 fans to FNB Stadium in Johannesburg.
He rose to fame in the mid-2000s with songs including Run It!, Forever and With You, and has won Grammy and BET Awards across a career spanning two decades as a singer, songwriter, dancer and performer.
The university behind the certificate is less straightforward. Harvest Christian University lists its accreditation through the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi Royal Accreditation Commission, known as KOHRAC. The body was established in January 2018 by a man who calls himself HRM King Edmund K. Paki-Silva Jr. Hawaiʻi is a US state. It does not have a king.
KOHRAC does not appear on any list maintained by the US Department of Education or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. The university’s website says it is also recognised by “other international accrediting bodies” but does not name them.
Neither Brown nor Harvest Christian University have addressed the accreditation question.
Pictured above: Chris Brown.