Chris Felix is a producer/composer based in Brooklyn, NY. He blends punchy hip hop drums and eclectic sampling with R&B, pop, jazz, and Haitian/Afropop music. He is currently focused on producing artists in the NYC area. Chris began his career while still in college, recording local artists in South Florida. He studied music composition and orchestration under award winning producer, Michael Zager.
In April 2019, he released his single “Fly Away”. The next month following its release, the song was featured on Spotify’s Official Chill Tracks Playlist. Since then, he has drift in, vol. 1 and a handful of singles.
“This is NY” is the last single, a collaboration with Wombino and Jackson Mathod, from his upcoming debut EP of the same title. The track is a feel-good track about the city Chris has grown to love as he has embraced life in the Big Apple, even the not so great parts. It starts off with an old-timey radio vibe before transitioning into a piano-based instrumental. Chris enters with a soothing hook in which he contrasts some of the more difficult parts of living in NYC with the gratitude of being able to live there.
Wombino picks up the main rap verses. The lyrics explore the complexities of trying to make it as an artist in the city – trying to balance passion with expenses is never an easy feat. What’s even more difficult, as alluded to in the second verse, is trying to stay focused in a city that has so many distractions to offer. As the song continues, it picks up a jazz spin thanks to a cascading flugelhorn played by Jackson, which starts out subtly but delivers more of a punch as the vocals in the hook become more layered. The flugelhorn carries the outro, which mirrors the intro in using the old-timey radio vibe, before everything fades out.
Having grown up in New Jersey, I spent a good deal of time in NYC when I was in high school. I love how well the lyrics capture the essence of The City That Never Sleeps, and I greatly appreciate the new perspective coming from an artist’s point of view. That paired with the jazz-infused hip-hop production, this song has all the right elements to earn a spot on my frequently played. Take a listen below.
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[…] I ever heard from Chris Felix and it’s what got me coming back for more. This is my initial review of the song, but as a quick recap – it’s a feel-good, piano-backed instrumental with a […]