The-Dream Tells Haters Back Off Chris Brown/Rihanna Reunion, "If She Can Forgive, That's Where She Is Mentally"

R&B singer The-Dream is co-signing former couple Chris Brown and Rihanna's decision to hook back up musically for some new records, offering his take on the unexpected reunion.

Rather than focusing on the fact Brown and Rihanna went through a public break-up three years ago in light of a domestic violence incident, Dream narrowed in on the musical aspect of their records.

"For me, it's just music -- two talented people doing a record together, doing two records together, and that's what it was," The-Dream said in an interview. "It wasn't about an incident that happened. The true thing really is to forgive, and -- you want to believe in people. ... I think [the topic] that should be more on the tongues is: how do we proclaim to be a nation of forgiving, and we go by all of these rules and everything, but we can't actually do it? ... It actually makes you look weaker than your adversary -- if you don't have the power to forgive, but you lie and say that you did. Because this is about her. If she can forgive, that's where she is mentally. As a friend, it's like, 'Okay, cool. Let's roll.'" (Billboard)

The duo's new music officially premiered online Monday (February 20) evening.

Chris Brown and Rihanna are back together, musically speaking. Two songs featuring the singers hit the Internet on Monday. Brown sings on the remix of Rihanna's sexually charged song "Birthday Cake," and she's on the remix of his upbeat tune "Turn Up the Music." Brown tweeted a link to the new version of "Turn Up the Music" on Monday, and Rihanna later retweeted it. She also tweeted about the remix for "Birthday Cake." (Washington Post)

RiRi and Breezy previously linked up, musically, roughly five years ago.

Rihanna, whose full name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty, told Esquire magazine in its October 2010 issue that she no longer resented Brown and that she enjoys his music. The two singers first collaborated musically in 2007 on the remix to her monster hit Umbrella. Brown also tweeted "HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBYN" to Rihanna, who turned 24 on Monday. A representative for Rihanna said she had no comment. An e-mail seeking comment from Brown's representatives went unreturned Monday. (USA Today)

A few days ago, reports of RiRi and Brown reuniting on a remix to "Birthday Cake" hit the Internet.

It's one of the most-talked about songs on Rihanna's Talk That Talk, and it's barely a minute long. Now, "Birthday Cake" -- 78 titillating seconds of school bells, handclaps and engines gunning -- is set to get a full-length reboot. But according to co-producers Da Internz, the featured guest on the remix will be more than just icing. "We got the Rihanna 'Birthday Cake' coming out in a week," a bespectacled Kosine told MTV News on the red carpet of the Pepsi-sponsored ASCAP Rhythm and Soul Brunch, held over the Grammy weekend. "It's gonna be crazy," his production partner, Tuo, said shaking his head. And the feature on there is gonna shock the world," Kosine chimed. (MTV)