NEW YORK (AFP) - R & B star Chris Brown, notorious for brushes with the law including an assault on then-girlfriend Rihanna, ditched a performance on Tuesday in Canada at the 11th hour after he was barred entry.

"Unfortunately I will not be able to perform in front of sold-out crowds in Montreal and Toronto," the controversial American singer wrote on Twitter.

"The good people of the Canadian government wouldn't allow me entry. I'll be back this summer and will hopefully see all my Canadian fans!"

He made the announcement hours before he was to go on stage at the 21,273-capacity Bell Centre hockey arena in Montreal. He was due to play a similar-sized show on Wednesday in Toronto.

He did not elaborate on the reasons why he was denied entry, but many countries refuse to let in individuals with criminal records.

In 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting Rihanna, who suffered facial injuries and was forced to cancel an appearance at that year's Grammy Awards.

Scandalising her fans and advocates against domestic violence, she later resumed a relationship with him.

Last week, he released a collaborative work with rapper Tyga entitled Fan Of A Fan: The Album, which does little to indicate a change of heart.

The songs include B****** And Marijuana - with the refrain Bail any girl that I wanna / Got b****** and marijuana - and Remember Me, which graphically describes sex with a woman "handcuffed like she (was) a slave".

Brown was also arrested in Washington in 2013 for hitting a fan outside his hotel. He pleaded guilty in September.