He founded the record label the Ultimate Group (or TUG Entertainment) in 1997, whose roster included B2K, Omarion, Jhené Aiko, Marques Houston, IMx and NLT, among others.

[2] In 2007 Stokes launched a clothing and fashion line,[4] the Christopher Brian Collection, which debuted at Magic in Las Vegas February 2007.

[8] Also in 2011, Stokes returned to the dance battle genre with the dance-drama Battlefield America, starring Houston, Gary Anthony Sturgis, and Lynn Whitfield.

The film follows a young businessman whose community service obligations require him to turn a group of misfit kids into a dance team.

[13] That same year, the company released Always and Forever, directed by Stokes and starring Lauren London, Cynthia Addai-Robinson, Deborah Ayorinde, Rocsi Diaz, Wood Harris and Loretta Devine.

[15] Stokes announced in 2021 that Footage Films was greenlit to produce a new series, Foster Law, for the Black streaming network UrbanFlix.

Each film follows Elizabeth Carter (Erica Mena)'s escapades to find the perfect family and stars recurring Stokes cast members, including Houston.