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Last night’s BET Awards featured lots of big names – Kanye West, Usher, T.I. – but perhaps the most talked-about performance came from Chris Brown.

The embattled singer, who has kept a relatively low profile of late, provided an emotional tribute to the late Michael Jackson, breaking down in tears.

Chris was introduced by Michael’s brother, Jermaine Jackson.

After a lengthy performance featuring the sickest Michael-inspired dance moves you’ll ever see, Brown took the mic to sing “Man in the Mirror” and lost it.

Nearly six minutes into the elaborate MJ homage, his voice cracked, he couldn’t sing, and at one point he crumpled to the stage in apparent agony.

MAN IN THE MIRROR: For Chris Brown, that Michael Jackson hit took on an entirely different meaning as he paid tribute to his idol on stage at the 2010 BET Awards.

Coupled with the one-year anniversary of Michael’s death, the moving moment was made even more so by the song’s lyrics and Chris’ recent past.

The 21-year-old returned to the stage later to apologize to his fans: “I let you all down before, but I won’t do it again. I promise you,” Brown said.

Say what you will about the guy and what he’s been through, the performance was actually pretty cool and showed how MJ’s music influenced him.

Was that really what it was about, though? Or was it about exploiting Michael’s memory for some much-needed positive PR, as some fans have said?

Here’s Chris Brown channeling Michael Jackson

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