Chris Rel, last name pronounced real was born in The Bronx, and raised in Spring Valley, NY. While attending Stony Brook University for computer science, he created the rap duo “Kenek” with then roommate Omni Blaize. The two eventually parted ways to pursue solo careers. Before working on his first solo effort, Chris became a light wheel mechanic in the national guard. Within a year he was accepted into the OCS program to become a 2ND lieutenant. Recharged after receiving his honorary discharge from the military, Chris recorded his solo debut “Follow Me” while traveling abroad to Malmo, Sweden. Collaborating with Swedish producer Bushman for the title and other key tracks on the album. He performed his new material at venues in Sweden and London.
After performing at the Swedish Music Festival in Malmo, Chris returned to New York to hit the studio with Sire; producer of 50cent's ''Window Shopper'' and Vodo’s “Speaking in Tongues”. It was a beautiful collaboration where Chris could dig much deeper than on his past efforts. Out of the union came his second album “Voice of Truth”.
Chosen by Jazz at Lincoln Center in 2007 to participate in the Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad program to perform and teach classes in India, Malaysia and Burma. Lincoln Center sent Chris along with Denny Jackson, and Sire on tour to increase exposure to American culture in various countries. A month long program which the trio taught a HipHop 101 class in addition to performing in such cities as Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Kuala Lumpur, and Rangoon. Later that year Chris was handpicked by Spike Lee as a featured extra in “Miracle at St Anna”. Set in 1944 Italy, the story of four black American soldiers who get trapped in a Tuscan village during WWII. While filming in Italy, Chris performed at local lounges and recorded a verse about the Buffalo Soldiers for a local news channel covering the movie.
In February of 2009, Chris Rel and Denny Jackson accompanied by Omni Blaize and Dj Pretty Nyce were chosen once again by Jazz at Lincoln Center to go abroad as Diplomats. Barack Obama’s new vision of soft diplomacy. The quartet went to 6 countries on the western coast of Africa; Mauritania, Togo, The Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso and Diplomatic Republic of Congo. A cultural exchange to open up dialogues between the two regions through HipHop.
The embodiment of a triple threat, Chris can easily jump from one medium to the next. Though he started as a model with MAD Models, now you can see him as a featured extra on Law and Order SVU one day, and on stage in front of thousands in Uganda at the Bayimba Music Festival the next.