The Hundred Acres to the Throne: Chris Robbin’s Journey Inward
Photography by Amy Schwartz
I sit across from Chris in front of his engineering desk at Classick Studios, we play the newest joint of his on the speakers as Amy Schwartz snaps photos in the dim studio lights. “How should I pose?” He sits on the couch pensively. I respond, “Give 'em that sad boy edge”, he chuckles and knows what to do in an instant, because that's him - he's a playful, and sensitive soul who's about to drop some hot tracks come January 1st for his upcoming mixtape Porcelain Princess 2: Momentary Lapse.
Chris Robbin’, a name you've heard or face you've seen performing with his unforgettable live band or solo around the city's venues. Running open jams like “Unfamiliar Sessions” at Coles and BYOS in Hyde Park and Wicker Park. If you haven’t seen him live, you might've also heard his producing stylings on tracks like “half a joint and jazz” and “#DAWG” by KAICREWSADE, or “ACORNS & BRAMBLEBERRIES” and “NOT LIKE ME” by WINDOW to name a few.
Chris Robbin’ started his music journey at age seven with piano lessons in an after-school program. Music quickly became a constant in his life. By eighth grade, he picked up the trumpet and spent summers performing in Drum and Bugle Corps, a passion he carried through college. He briefly pursued a Music Education degree at Vandercook but dropped out to focus on creating his own music and exploring career paths centered around sound. Along the way, he taught himself production and audio engineering. He says he really started to feel like a music artist around 19, and now, at 27, the years of growth, learning, and creativity are getting clearer everyday in his creative choices.
Born in Detroit, Robbin’ spent his earliest years with his adoptive father before relocating to Chicago. Raised primarily in Englewood, he often references it as the “hundred acres” in his work, a nod to the neighborhood that became both playground and classroom, where neighbors were extended family and the streets offered endless exploration. Listening to him, it’s clear how these experiences shaped his perspective on community, challenge, and adventure, and how they continue to influence his music.
In the early days of Robbin’s music career, Many fans knew him as F.A.B.L.E. (Finally A Black Life Explained). While exciting at first, over time the moniker felt like a lens through which people engaged with him as a concept rather than a person. The only Black life he could truly explain was his own, yet the name made him feel abstracted. Changing his name to Chris Robbin’ allowed him to reclaim his identity and write as himself. The true Christopher Robin, one symbolizing the loss of childhood innocence, but a brave daily attempt of still trying to find joy and magic even when it's hard to disconnect from who we imagined we would be.
“When people talked to me as “F.A.B.L.E” it felt like they were talking to someone else. I felt like a character in a videogame. I changed my moniker to ‘Chris Robbin’ so that it felt like I could be me and write about me. It allowed me to be flawed, wrong, selfish, and vulnerable.”
From 2021 until now, Robbin’ has built his armor but is open through a series of artistic, personal hardships and turning points. Some singles to touch on that were released after albums in 2020 like (IX) The Hermit, Duckweed, Green Room which laid the foundation for his sound, while in 2023, the single Orbit softly closed out his F.A.B.L.E. era. A quiet, reflective goodbye to his old self, capturing the feeling of stepping out on your own, floating out in orbit, alone, taking a chance, taking a risk…
As we focus on the continuation of the project he made as F.A.B.L.E., Porcelain Princess (PP1) below Chris expands that world with Porcelain Princess 2: Momentary Lapse (PP2).
If PP1 was a confession tape, PP2 is a confrontation. PP1 observes Robbin’ from the outside; PP2 finds him fully stepping into his skin.
Flowing seamlessly into the new era of Robbin’ with a hit of a first single, Humble Me, with its hypnotic bass line and undeniably groovy melody, and his distorted voice, this felt like a connected continuation of “Orbit”, a conversation left purposefully open to be continued. He so beautifully bridges his past and present experiences, commentating on his desires as he publicly challenges his ego.
Leading up to this new release of PP2, Chris and his long time collaborator Seb Zel made DARK PROJ. Introducing a sharper, harsher, bolder side he jokingly calls “unnecessarily aggro”, Robbin’ is a voice unafraid to call out jadedness and hate culture on tracks like “NEED REASON”, “CONFLICTED” ft. keni can fly and “COFFEE CUP” ft. Ghais Guevara.
“Making this EP (DARK PROJ) was like playing in a rage room. I got to let out a lot of my grievances in regards to Chicago and its music scene.”
After this aggro-therapy got him to a new place mentally, Chris moves into making a continuation of his old self. Revisiting old pieces he is finally ready to connect with in order to begin to heal.
Breaking the Porcelain: Confrontation, Reflection & Growth
When discussing why the Tape is named Porcelain Princess:
“Most of this song I’m actually referring to myself. In the Greater Porcelain Princess Universe, I am said ‘princess’. We as people deal with so much shit day to day, and it’s hard to process everything we go through. It really is a cleanse of sorts. What are all the thoughts I haven’t said out loud yet? What do I regret? What don’t I regret? What do I want to do more of? I sort through those ideas. It’s a delicate process for sure. It’s healing. Healing has two sides though, there’s the beautifully processed and reformed end, but the process itself is gross. No one wants to experience the other end, but we all have to go through it eventually.”
Now let's take it back to 2021. On PP1, produced by Chris Robbin’ (F.A.B.L.E), .Sage, and B.E. Songs like “Way” showcase Chris fully producing for the first time. It’s about confronting past mistakes, regrets of not following through and, paradoxically, following through on the wrong things. In Porcelain, he questions how we handle ourselves, embracing imperfection and self-compassion.
To get right into it on PP1, songs like “Shit Ain’t Cute” and “I Ain’t Shit” dive into the more brutal parts of life, for Chris it meant examining how his upbringing as an adopted child shaped his relationships. These tracks tear down to rebuild songs like “Yeah and What” and “Copa”, channeling self-encouragement when external support is lacking; these feelings echoed in his music featuring intricate rhyme schemes and a sharpened sense of self. Across PP2, heart to heart dialogue becomes central and refined. This new tape feels like the moment after a long exhale, where all the clarity rushes in and the internal conversation becomes more honest and direct.
Now, the sequel, PP2, leans into vulnerability, reflection, and emotional clarity. There’s a sense of space here, Chris is opening up, song by song, allowing listeners into the quieter, more introspective corners of his overly productive mind. One filled with pulsating cadences, catchy song structures, and stripped back acoustic guitar lending to a folk sound. Where the first half oozes with presence, confidence, confrontation, and assertiveness, the latter half slows down to explore connection, self-awareness, and the work of understanding one's place in relation to others, naturally ending on a punk rock aesthetic. There’s something so freeing about Chris’s production, he is allowing himself to be whoever he wants depending on the message, reminding us yet again he values play and versatility within the genre of hip hop.
Photo by SugarTone
Hearing the new tape for the very first time, you can immediately hear how much he’s grown as a producer, with a maturity that draws the listener in from the very first beat. The first line, it’s impossible not to start bobbing your head. Each song brings us closer to his confessions and carries our ears and hearts through his digitally textured voice. PP2 is produced by himself and some other impressive producers in Chicago, Seb Zel, Lonzo, Brendan Whalen and Ykkdanny.
“LOCK AND KEY” (preview)
“ATLAS” (preview)
With tracks that open the project like “LOCK AND KEY”, a bouncy twinkly string filled piece and “ATLAS”, a laid back groove backed with a catchy sample along with swelling strings, he balances the weight he carries in relationships and his newfound self reliance when left to unknown surroundings. Then he released “NORTHSIDE”, a textured slap of a beat including a catchy phrase “I had to peel off from the northside” as the first single. He nods to a period in his life when he lived on Chicago’s North Side and the petty feelings that come with living there. Next he released “WAYWARD SON”, a catchy self-talk session, where he begins to dive into his unknown circumstances, retelling his tests of blind faith and learning to let the universe catch him.
“HAPPY NOW” (preview)
He then features Elle Brooks on “HAPPY NOW”, an ambient guitar led composition. It captures a quiet sense of acceptance, a realization that growth has occurred and contentment is possible, even after chaos. TJ the Prophet In “SLOW TF DOWN” a tough love type talk discussing the practices of intentional movement through life and tonal shifts of moving the way you need to without external judgement. Where one is more grounded and contemplative, the following brightens the mood, feeling like you just received a pep talk you’ve been needing.
Folk sound and childhood memories come to life on “LAKE MINONA”, where he recalls formative experiences that shaped his understanding of what connections felt genuine to him. This track makes one feel like they're strolling through the snow, taking time to look at every flake. The guitar is sparse, leaving room for the vocals to shine through, and the listener acts as a bouncing board as he verbalizes the softness and sweetness of his past.
“I spent a long time in Madison, WI as a kid. And I was always with my Godmother. She lived super close to Lake Minona, and I was always around it. My fledgling experiences with romance and genuine social complexities started here. Learning to navigate that was kinda magical. There was this weird and foreign mysticality around figuring out how I felt about other people and the world. I was literally a kid. But it really was the only time I felt like I was around other people my age that liked me.”
“LAKE MINONA” (preview)
“SHRUG ME OFF” (preview)
Songs like “PRINCESS” are a huge callback to the first project to complete “Porcelein”(PP1) which brings up his fragility and transforming pain. PRINCESS brings somber self-reliance as he calls out like Rapuzel in the highest tower in the chorus to himself. The deep bass and drums crash to the gut, followed by catchy vocal samples and tasteful hi-hats that leave one in a trance.
While “LURKING” adds a darker, ominous tension, beginning with a warm guitar led in with a lingering tone, a dog bark warns us of danger in the distance, an alarm to those who hover only in moments of success and the truth about what it means to watch your back in the music industry. The beat and flow hit as his high pitched vocals wonder who is around the corner, matching the uncertainty of the lyrics, a smooth vibe to keep it cool, every rhythm more unstable yet conscious.
The outro “BACKROOMS” rounds out the tape with a pop punk vocal and electric guitar. He finds more self awareness and moves toward acceptance after overcoming obstacles. Here Chris embraces his identity as an outcast, acknowledging his flaws, sensitivity, and stubbornness while closing the project on a “to be continued…” note, one where you feel like you’ve made it through the first of a saga. The mood of the tape, taken as a whole, is an unfinished yet productive quest: from confrontation to introspection, from frustration to tenderness, ultimately tracing the path of someone who has blossomed into a new phase while remaining unafraid to show every facet of hard work it took to get there.
“Like, I know I’m weird. But it kinda is what is. I got a lot of flaws. I’m a little selfish, very sensitive, and for the sake of protecting myself, I’m gonna be pretty stubborn. With all that being said, it’s not the end of my journey. It’s always gonna feel like I’m navigating the backrooms of my life while encountering horrors better left unprovoked. One day I’m gonna have to confront them though, and that’s the scary part. I trust I’ll be ready for it when I do, however.”
With Porcelain Princess 2: Momentary Lapse, Robbin’ proves himself not just as a skilled musician and producer, but as a storyteller unafraid to confront all his shadows and demons. He blends introspection with bold energy, creating a sound that is both deeply personal and universally relatable to anyone with a big enough heart.
“I really stress musicality as much as possible. I feel like it’s pretty easy to have production just loop over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, that definitely creates a vibe, and I still do that every once in a while, but I believe music is meant to move and have moments. It reflects life, and life is always moving too. There’s highs and lows. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s busy. I don’t know, I just love when my work feels organic, even if I’m just trying to emulate that sensation.”
Chris Robbin’ is one underdog in the city to keep an ear out for, one who's just on the pulse of it all, in an exciting time to release a vibrant new sound. This fresh multi-hyphenated artist brings a sentimental yet edgy perspective to the Chicago music scene and beyond. His ability to navigate between raw “fed up” energy and intimate, reflective honesty sets him apart, certainly promising more innovation, collaborations, and boundary-pushing projects in the years to come.
If you haven’t yet immersed yourself in his world, now is the time. Robbin’ is redefining what it means to be honest, bold, and unapologetically “that guy” in music. If you haven’t already, go check out the first single “NORTHSIDE” under Chris Robbin’ on Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and Deezer. And in the new year keep a look out for the full Tape! Porcelain Princess 2: Momentary Lapse will be unveiled to the world on January 1st! For now, enjoy these samples provided by the artist to show you what you have to look forward to.