popmusiclife: Chris Brown collaboration was Rihanna’s idea

The Chris Brown collaboration with Rihanna on the remix of her single, “Birthday Cake,” was Rihanna’s idea, according to its songwriter.

The-Dream remembers first getting the call from Rihanna while driving in Miami. "I think I'm gonna put Chris on it," MTV reports the songwriter remembers Rihanna saying to him over the phone nonchalantly. "I don't know which Chris you talkin' about, [but] OK, cool, whatever you say," The Dream remembers responding.

Of course there is really only one Chris, and The-Dream came to grips with the reality that the two would be coming together in song after the damaging 2009 assault that left Rihanna battered and bruised and Brown public enemy #1.

"She's pretty smart too. The same questions that went through my mind, and I'm an artist also, had to have gone through hers," The-Dream told "RapFix Live." "When she raised the question to me, I know she's not crazy. So my thought was you've been thinking about this, you've already thought it out, so evidently you know what reaction you gonna get."

The singer/songwriter said that he was just happy that she gave him enough forewarning that he too could prepare for any type of backlash. Still, despite the rumblings of whether or not Rihanna is sending the right message collaborating with Chris on "Birthday Cake" as well as Brown's "Turn Up the Music" remix, The-Dream says that it all boils down to forgiveness. "Don't say you know how to forgive when you don't," he warned. "Everybody knows what took place, cool. Have the power to really forgive if that's what it is, if not stay on that side of the fence from the beginning."

"At the end of the day, she's my friend, so whatever she wants to do is whatever she wants to do," The-Dream added.

Rihanna