A name is something you call your own. It’s the start of the new year and I believe I have a story to tell. Well, everyone nowadays thinks they are newsworthy of some sort right? My name is Christian Rabago a.k.a Chris So Fresh. I’m a 21 year old Northern California resident. I am currently a freelance photographer and a special education behavior therapist. You might wonder how I got the name “Chris So Fresh.” Well in 6th grade, I used to always come to school with brand new clothes and the latest street-wear. Hence the name, I’ve come a long way and wear pretty much anything and don’t dress as flashy anymore. Tried getting rid of the name a few times, but it just stuck ya know?
I come from a small town called Brentwood out in the suburbs. It’s a peachy little town where everyone knows everyone. No, seriously, you know everyone… It’s a love/hate ordeal I’ve come to be ok with. Before that, I actually lived in Oakland, California. Guns, drugs, and money is probably what you think. In all honesty, it’s just everyone trying to make a dollar out of 15 cents. So with that said, I’m a little bit of hood and a little bit of a suburb kid.
Dreams are things that you want to make happen, but aren’t sure if it really will happen right? I had big dreams and ambitions. Be famous. Makes lots of money. Be that cool guy. Cliche if you ask me. I’m a pretty easy going person that loves to talk, but I always thought i would just be another face in the crowd. I didn’t do much in high school besides play a few sports and participate in a few extra things. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that I picked up a camera and started to shoot.
I always thought photography was pretty chill. You got to play with a toy and skip class to take photos of things around the school. 2 years go by and it’s time for me to get my ass to college in Hawaii. Keep in mind, I used a camera always on auto setting through out high school. I’m sitting in my college dorm and get an e-mail saying that my bank account balance is $2,000. Thank you for the financial aid and to me buying my first camera. With that happening, I started to take it a little more seriously and shoot damn near every night in Hawaii for clubs. The money was chill and I got to drink as a minor. You wouldn’t mind that right? Girls, alcohol, and I’m only 18…
2 years pass and I gained a little bit of knowledge in the “industry.” I got my first big gig and got to cover a Tyga concert. Keep in mind that, this is before he started making all those “nasty” songs. With that on my resume, I moved back to California and started to snag big gigs thanks to a friend i met on twitter, Dj Jack. Dom Kennedy, Pusha T, The Cool Kids, Starting Six, Mike Dash E,and the list goes on. I started to get my face around the Bay Area and get recognized. I’m just having fun and doing what I love. I couldn’t ask for more at this point.
In 2012, it was a big turning point in my life. I now had all these people I’ve shot for and the determination that nobody could stop. I decided that I was going to make the biggest push that i could possible make. With that being said, I was able to snag a spot to go on tour for MTV’s:Closer to my dreams tour. With Tyga, LoveRance, and Kirko Bangz being the main attractions. I was gone for 3 weeks touring the whole east coast, taking pictures, and just being able to make my dreams come true. I never thought in my wildest dreams, I would see the East Coast and be able to do these type of things. It really showed me that if you put effort into something, that it can become something beautiful.
It’s now the year of 2013. I am currently part of 3rd World Hustle, a group of like minded individuals, that consists of Mike Dash E(rapper), Gabe(business), P-Mac(rapper), JNGFX(graphic design_, DJ B-EZ(dj), and Adrian Per(rapper). We are all collectively working of different projects, but we all have one common goal and that is to be successful. I’ve never met a group of people that I could call my brothers and be able to build on something with. It’s a pleasure to have them with me and always pushing me to do my best.
If you wanted me to sum up everything, it’s that anything could happen. You could be anyone you want to be and quite frankly, I am happy with the person I am today. I only surround myself with positive people and progress to a brighter future. It’s not about who you know, it’s about who you are.
