Who is C-E-O?

Christopher Emile Ortiz, born June 12th, 1986, is a Queens-based rapper, artist, songwriter, filmmaker and entrepreneur that’s in the midst of his climb from struggle to success, taking charge of his story through the mediums he knows best. Fueled by his love of music and passion for film, C-E-O combines all of his skills to become an introspective artist who’s able to marry his vulnerability and reflection in order to connect with his audience.

The son of immigrants, Chris’s father is from Ecuador and his mother from Haiti. Together they raised three children, Chris and his two younger sisters. In 1999, they all moved to Pennsylvania in order to help their father overcome his dependence to alcohol, but in 2000 his parents would separate regardless, due to his father’s addiction. Chris's mother eventually remarried and took in 4 new stepchildren. With all the new changes going on in his life, Chris discovered a new outlet besides drawing to express himself. Music. He began teaching himself how to rap while listening to albums from artists like, DMX (And Then There Was X) and Eminem (The Marshall Mathers LP).

Eventually, Chris left PA and moved back to New York to attend college at the School Of Visual Arts, graduating with a B.F.A. in Film & Animation. Still feeling a strong calling towards music post-college, he decided to pursue that instead of a career in animation. Chris added the skills and experience he acquired through his years at SVA to his musical talents, finally leading to his debut album titled “Who Is CEO?”, released on March 1st, 2019.