Chris Brown graffiti paint

Chris Brown graffiti paint

It looks like Chris Brown has been forced to clean up his act. No, not by improving his reputation, but by removing the graffiti that adorns the walls of his Hollywood Hills house.

Painters covered up the neon monsters graffitied on the home's facade today after the Department of Building and Safety denied the rapper's appeal to preserve the art.

The singer received a city citation in May for the "unpermitted and excessive signage" after his neighbors complained about the 8-foot-tall colorful creatures tagged on the retaining wall and along the side of his concrete-and-steel pad. It's illegal to paint murals on the vast majority of private properties in Los Angeles.

Breezy's attorney, Mark Geragos, paid the fine, but filed an appeal with the city. Geragos argued that his client has the first amendment right to free speech and expression. In the appeal, he said that the work is art, not signage, and therefore does not require a permit, especially because it's on a home and not on a place of business.

"The murals painted on the exterior of the structure are for the sole purpose of enhancing the architectural and aesthetic features of the residential property," Geragos wrote.

He also wrote that it's unlawful that city building inspectors are buckling to pressure and reacting to complaints, thereby targeting murals for their content.

After neighbors complained that children in the area were scared of the monsters, Brown tweeted in mid May, "Keep em inside then! It's art. There are scarier creatures on Harry potter. Get a f**king life!" He also wrote, "'Lords of dogtown' is how I live my life. #Free ima paint until my hands fall off."

This lord has just been dethroned.