Chris Pinset

Chris Pinset
Pinset in 2023
Background information
Birth name	Christopher Pinset
Also known as	Chris "Max" Pinset
Born	(1977-08-22) August 22, 1977 (age 47) Brooklyn, New York
Genres	Hip-Hop, Rap, RnB
Occupation(s)	Producer, audio engineer, cinematographer
Years active	2000-present
Labels	Def Jam, Universal, Esclave

Christopher Pinset (born August 22, 1977), known professionally as Chris "Max" Pinset, is an American producer of music and film.^[1]

Chris Pinset was born on August 22, 1977, in Brooklyn, New York to parents Alain Pinset and Marie Pinset. His father was an international chef who owned several restaurants around the world. His mother Marie was born in Martinique and graduated from Sorbonne College in Paris. Born to immigrants, Chris spoke English as his second language, with French and Creole being first. His parents divorced in 1981.^[2]

By the mid 90s, after graduating high school  Chris was professionally recording a variety of artists and genres. When he was not in a studio, he was filming skateboard videos on the streets of Manhattan. His childhood friends CX and Adam Deitch were recording vocals with his camcorder mic, nicknaming him “Max” after the television network “Cinemax”, before they linked him up with BadBoy's recording artists Black Rob and G-Dep. These Harlem connections put Chris in the studio with Camron, Jim Jones, Jay-Z, and Beanie Sigel. By 2000 Chris would begin producing a new project for KRS-One called “Adventures in Emceeing” in Los Angeles, which featured Chuck D and MC Lyte. By 2005 Chris and Redman^[3][4] began working at Universal/Def Jam on “Red Gone Wild”,^[5] which featured artists like Snoop Dogg, Nate Dogg, Method Man and Erick Sermon. In addition to production, Redman mentored Chris as a producer and mix engineer by giving him the opportunity to mix records for Pete Rock and Timbaland. Eventually emerging technology created the window for Chris and Redman to build a new studio in Rockland County.

Opening a studio in 2006 permitted wide range of talent to emerge from Rockland County. Artists such as Meleni Smith^[6] and Jermaine Paul, Alicia Keys background singer and 1/3 of Tall Paul would create a legacy of R'n'B music in the studio. After releasing “My Heart in Focus”,^[7] R’n’B acts knew the studio would be a home to many classic recordings. The studio would eventually create the independent label “Esclave” to release some independent artists directly to consumer. Acts like Ellis Dodi, Anhayla, Divinity Roxx, Busta Rhymes, Blam, Rap and Weed, LDJ, CX, Oran Juice Jones II,^[8][9] B-Hi, Ariel Yvonne, Smoke DZA, 38 Spesh, Conway, Benny The Butcher, ADG, Jay Worthy, Shahef, Test410, Uncle Murda, Chase Fetti, El Camino, Dark Angels, Charles Paul,^[10] Lettuce, Foxy Brown, RJ Payne, The Musalini, Cory Gunz, 33 & 1/3, Fred The Godson, Rome Streetz, Rain 910, Ty Ferris, Eto, Flee Lord, Graph, Rasheed Chappell, Street Justice, Jamal Gasol, Planet Asia, G4 Jag, Reef Hustle, Flashius Clayton, Daniel Son, Black Geez, Jai Black, Hus, King Pin, Rim, DJ Kool, Arsonist, Keith Murry, Ready Rock, Divinity Roxx, Saukrates, and many others have also used Chris's Mood Recording studio^[11] for their releases.

In 2021, Chris Pinset produced a music video "80 Barz" by Redman, that reached almost 3,000,000 views on YouTube.^[12]

In 2010 Pinset worked camera department and swing grip on “The Harvest”,^[13] directed by Marc Meyers.

Pinset directed his first independent film “I'm Afraid it's Arline”^[14] in 2019 and the following year directed and co-wrote “Know Lives Matter”.^[15]