16/01/2025
Why the Name “Big Chris”?
I get asked this all the time, so let me take you through the twists and turns that led me here.
First off, I’m probably the only person you’ll meet who’s been kicked out of Mexico for working without papers.
I spent six years living in Cancun, Mexico, playing everything from salsa and cumbia to reggae and Top 40 hits at bars, on boats, and around hotel pools. But when I got kicked out (yes, for working illegally), I had planned to head to Berklee College of Music. Instead, after being sent back to California, I decided to pursue a degree in music at Musicians Institute in Hollywood.
Knowing I needed a backup plan in case I wasn’t famous and rich in five years, I decided to take a year of recording classes. Best decision I ever made. After graduation, I didn’t wait for opportunities to come to me—I took my car, drove to 11 studios a week. There was no Internet.I personally handed out resumes. For every 11 studios, I’d land one interview.One of those interviews was with Babyface. That led to a two-year stint working at his private studio, where I assisted on projects with The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Usher, and Kenny Loggins.After two years, I left to take a job as Chief Engineer at a hip-hop label called King Pin Records. It turned out that’s where Bone Thugs-n-Harmony were recording .One night, while working on a track, Layzie Bone walked in without me noticing. He heard what I was working on and said, “Damn, Chris, you make BIG tracks! I’m calling you Big Chris from now on!” I’ve placed more than 350 songs in TV and film, Produced Slash and Fergie, Lynch Mob , Chester Bennington and I’ve been credited as Big Chris . I’ve grown tired of the name but I have too many credit with it .