'I learned from it': Chris Brown opens up about infamous Rihanna 'incident' revealing it was his 'biggest wake up call' in new interview

Not many people can think of Chris Brown without picturing Rihanna's battered and bruised face.

But when Chris thinks of that terrible night four years ago, he remembers it as the time he woke up to himself.

In a new interview with the 24-year-old, the singer has reflected on his assault of his then pop star girlfriend - which he refers to as 'the Rihanna incident'.

Jagged love story: Chris Brown has said his arrest for domestic violence on on and off again girlfriend Rhianna, seen here at the Grammys after reuniting briefly this year, was a wake up call

Chris told The Guardian: '[It was] probably the biggest wake-up call for me.

'I had to stop acting like a little teenager, a crazy, wild young guy.'

But Chris said despite his arrest for domestic violence he is not a violent man.

Not fair: While he says he learnt from the dark period in his life he believes he was made an example of by the legal system

'You can talk with all my girls that I did mess with before, and it's never been a violent history.'

Even though he has had a history of public incidents since then - including an on-air tantrum and violent brawls with other rappers Drake and Frank Ocean - the 24-year said he has learnt from that tragic night in 2009 and its aftermath, which he calls 'one of the most troubling times in [his] life.'

'I learned from it, and it was almost like… I wouldn't say it happened for a reason, but it was something to trigger my mind to be more of a mature adult. To handle myself in situations, don't throw tantrums, don't be a baby about it.'

Chris - who described himself as a 'walking art piece' - was not as accepting about having to continue to pay for the 'incident'.

Last month, the star was given more community service hours after it was ruled he had failed to complete many he had claimed to had done.

The Don't Wake Me Up star said he had no doubt he was being target because he is black, citing the difference between his treatment and the treatment of white celebrities who have also found themselves before the court.

'They want me to be the example. Young black kids don't have the fairer chances.

'You can see Lindsay Lohan in and out of court every day, you see Charlie Sheen, whoever else, do what they want to do.'

The rapper claims despite recent incidents where he has been involved in physical altercations, he was not the aggressor but instead was defending himself.

'There hasn't been any incident that I started since I got on probation, even with the Frank Ocean fight, the Drake situation, all those were defense modes.

'People think I just walk around as the aggressor, this mad black guy, this angry, young, troubled kid, but I'm not. I'm more and more laid-back. It's just that people know if they push a button, it'll make more news than their music. Attaching themselves to me, good or bad, will benefit them.'

Former fairytale: Rihanna and the rapper were R&B's prince and princess when they first started dating even performing together regularly

Chris said the 'incident' has meant he has been able to find out who his real friends are and he continues to surround himself by those people - even though many do not have squeaky clean pasts either.

The Stomp The Yard star said: 'They were there when nobody else was there, when I was at my lowest.

'The people that really cared, that's who I hold dearest. And I root for the underdog, so I'm around the guys that, well, my friends aren't the guys that society would label perfect.

'People kind of, like, look nervous when I'm going to walk in with all my friends. And I'm not even a rapper, I'm a singer.'

Moving on: Chris now dates Karrueche Tran whom he split from briefly to get back with Rihanna