During Chris Brown’s interview on New York’s Hot 97 yesterday, he said he didn’t think rumors that Jay-Z forced BET to pull Brown’s performance from the BET Awards were true.

“I have no issues with dude. Honestly, I don’t know and I don’t think it was him.”

Brown also praised Will Smith and Sean “Diddy” Combs for standing by him during all the controversy that surrounded him after he attacked Rihanna.

“As a young man I needed older black role models to mold me. I didn’t need people bashing me or shutting the door on me.”