Brandy Opens Up About Ray J

In this month's issue of EBONY magazine, R&B star Brandy comes to the defense of her polarizing younger brother, Ray J. Brandy says that Ray J gets a bad rap and the fans, media and general public don't really understand what her little brother goes through.

"I know who he is. And I”m pissed off about some of the things I’ve been hearing. It really bothers me that [those are] the kind of things that people do for money," Brandy said.

"He’s misunderstood," she continued. "It’s one thing to have this image of [a ladies' man], but it’s another to become this other type of person that they’re trying to make my brother out to be. I know who he is. This is a man who loves his mama and his sister and his niece. Ray J loved Kim Kardashian. They were irresponsible with their–you know–but he loved her. For five years, he was with her. In his mind and in the world’s mind, he was in my shadow for such a long time. To watch his sister become whatever I became and to not have that same path or that same way it happened for me; to be called ‘Brandy’s brother…’ To finally break out of it, you’re going to brag; you’re going to feel something about yourself. It’s not coming from a bad place, and I can tell you: Some of the shoes Ray J’s walking in, you’d take off immediately. You wouldn’t be able to handle the type of shoes he’s in.