6 Ways Ray J Can Redeem Himself

The fallout from his scuffle with Fabolous has Brandy's little brother feeling down and out. Complex offers a few suggestions to help him turn it all around.

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Image via Complex Original
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Intro

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Fans

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Fall back on your fans

Role Model: Chris Brown

What happened? When Chris Brown beat up Rihanna, his career took a beating too. Breezy lost endorsement deals and several radio stations refused to spin his songs.

So what did Brown do? He launched a clever Twitter campaign to turn the career-crippling negative energy around. He encouraged #TeamBreezy to constantly heap praise on the singer, resulting in multiple trending topics that made Brown seem more relevant than ever, paving the way for his "Look At Me Now" moment.

Complex says: Quit playing the thug role, Ray-J. We don’t believe you; you need more people. You need to gather up whatever fanbase you have left and get those random hashtags flowing. Music fans tend to be fickle, so use that short attention span to your advantage. They’ll forget about those #ThingsTougherThanRayJ jokes in no time.

Go away

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Go live in a foreign country for a while

Role Model: Kanye West

What happened? For years, Ye’s loose lips have written him some checks his you-know-what couldn’t cash. But the mother of them all had to be his infamous Taylor Swift slip-up. Kanye’s brilliantly strategy for redemption?

He packed up his Louis Vuitton suitcases and left the country. Then he made an album in Hawaii which is technically still in the country even though it’s halfway around the world.

Complex says: Time for a Ray-J vacay—just so he can clear his mind and his name. Because certain parts of India are clearly balling right now, we can almost guarantee Ray he’ll have no problem finding a suite with an indoor pool and an outdoor pool…an indoor basketball court and an outdoor basketball court.

Job

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Offer Fabolous a job

Role Model: Jay-Z

What happened? Rap fans love to argue about who won the epic lyrical battle between Jay-Z and Nas. But once Jigga cut the little homey a check and signed him to Def Jam, Nas obviously took an L.

When Nas signed to Def Jam, the decision seemed epic but still puzzling—that is, if you haven’t read Robert Greene’s 48 Laws of Power. It’s all about winning the war as opposed to the individual battles.

Beef is an ego thing, and Jay overstood that the ultimate win was lording over Nas as the big cheese. Let others argue all day about who won the lyrical war; as president of Def Jam, Jay was Nas’s boss. Case closed.

Complex says: Nobody can deny Ray J’s business acumen. As a producer of several successful VH1 shows, Ray should offer Fabo his own reality show. That way he can take his stand as a boss, as opposed to looking like the biggest loser.

Apologize

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Apologize

Role Model: T-Pain

What happened? No matter what anyone says, a true apology takes courage.  Just ask T-Pain. The former Auto-Tune king caught feelings behind Jay-Z’s hit song, “D.O.A.”—so much so, he decided to diss Jay while doing a little poolside gig in Vegas. But Fabolous was in the crowd and blew up his spot via Twitter.

After some soul-searching, T-Pain came to the conclusion that “D.O.A.” probably wasn’t about him after all. Instead of a simple Hallmark card, T-Pain kicked it up a notch by recording a freestyle called “More Careful.”

Complex says: Though Ray’s already apologized to his embarrassed fans, it wouldn’t hurt if he followed in T-Pain’s footsteps and wrote a little ode to Fab. We wouldn’t even be mad if he performed it in Floyd Mayweather’s living room.

Wyclef

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Throw some benefit concerts

Role Model: Wyclef Jean

What happened? If there’s anything America respects right now, it’s standing up for a cause. From the Troy Davis tragedy to Occupy Wall Street, more and more Americans are spending their time thinking about bigger issues in society, as opposed to the usual frivolous celebrity drama.

Wyclef Jean ranks high among hip-hop’s fearless defenders of social justice. A proud Haitian, the former Fugees star drove hardcore rap fans to tears when he eloquently described the devastation of his homeland following the 2010 earthquake.

Unfortunately, Jean’s Yele Haiti foundation was accused of shoddy book-keeping, including allegations that Clef paid his alleged mistress over $100,000 worth of alleged charity money. Wyclef’s solution? Hold a press conference, deny everything, and then fill up his calendar up with benefit concerts.

Complex says: Since Ray J already has “three new Rolls-Royces” and “a 20,000 square foot crib,” the time seems right for him to hop on the lineup for a benefit concert—or two—this year. If Kanye can show up at Occupy Wall Street draped in Givenchy and gold, we’re assuming Ray J can pretty much show up anywhere.

No

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Just say “No!”

Role Model: Eminem

What happened? Before Fab suggested that Ray was “on that ‘Whitney’” rumors were already swirling around the industry regarding the health-state of Brandy’s lil’ brother. Back in 2008, TMZ reported the R&B heartthrob being kicked out of the Hyatt Regency in Washington D.C. after being caught with PCP.

Though he has issued a statement denying the allegations, no one with a heart wants to see Ray (or anyone else for that matter) succumb to the addictive lure of angel dust. If Ray was on drugs, we’re definitely not expecting him to admit it, so we suggest he hook up with someone who can at least tell him about the dangers of tap dancing with the devil. Who better than Eminem?

In 2009, the Relapse rapper admitted to battling a addiction to prescription drugs and almost overdosing on methadone. Elton John stepped up to help support Em as he kicked the habit. Time to pay it forward.

Complex says: Because some of the best substance abuse counselors were former addicts themselves, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to assume Marshall Mathers could kick some serious knowledge to Willie Ray Norwood Jr. And Em could certainly help with Ray J’s other recovery—not just physically (if that’s the issue), but artistically as well.

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