Some people do things visibly and loudly. One look and you know everything. Others never announce what it is exactly that they do, may remain of unknown occupation for months or years or entire careers, and even manage to build a following on this exact obscurity.

Chris Heyn Jr is one of the latter figures. His bio-listed occupation is ‘water park.’ He posts images you wouldn’t think go together paired with songs you haven’t heard yet. He has relationships with emerging artists and several very much emerged ones.

His journey to cultural relevance began with a love of music and cultural history, and the desire to share them. A natural result of his passion was that Chris discovered new artists before the rest of us. It all gained traction by accident. As more people looked to Chris for new music, he became able to do more than share songs. He became a facilitator for new artists’ careers.

Chris’s degree of involvement with artists varies. Sometimes it is as simple as a friendship. He has involved himself in much of the currently ascending talent class’s journeys in some way: think Ian, Nettspend, Feng, 2Hollis, fakemink, osamason, Sombr, devstacks, YT, joeyy, and more.

It doesn’t stop at music. Chris Heyn has become a one man independent cultural business. Something like an A&R and Creative Director and several other things, without label or institutional backing, still working a day job, living ostentatiously well, and highly culturally relevant. Speaking to Chris Heyn is speaking to someone implanted in the cultural grassroots. More than that, he’s helping them grow. He’s been called an Industry Fertilizer, and that term seems to fit best.

We spoke to Chris about what he does, how he lives, discovers music, gets inspired, and, as always, much more. Read on.

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Welcome: What’s your story?

Chris: I've been in commercial real estate since college—that's my Miley Cyrus day job. On the side, I've built this cultural media persona, and that’s where my passion lies. I try to keep them separate because I believe in boundaries. There's a bit of corporate Chris versus creative Chris. I saw a comment earlier today that someone called me an industry fertilizer, as in whatever up-and-coming artist I touch or promote, it fertilizes them. I thought that was kind of a funny term. I'm so happy and blessed to find myself in that position.

Welcome: Let's focus on creative Chris. What are some formative moments in your life that inspired you to get involved in the cultural industries?

Chris: There are a few. I've always been plagued with nostalgia. And I've always liked being a little different. I know that sounds cliché, but my interests have always been all over the place.

When I was young, I’d spend summers in Newport Beach, California. My cousins there were surfers and skaters. I was into the punk rock scene even though I knew that wasn’t me—I’m from Connecticut. But I loved that energy, the beach, that Rocket Power vibe. Blink-182, Sum 41, The Cure. That’s one aspect of my childhood.

Another is my preppy upbringing—country clubs, tennis, golf, being near the water in New England. Being in a fraternity added another layer. Like JFK Jr., that kind of old-world energy. I was actually in Martha’s Vineyard the weekend JFK Jr. crashed his plane. I was 5, but I remember it very well. It was also the first weekend I saw Jaws—a traumatic but evolving time.

The third big category is music and fashion. That’s always been huge for me. My dad’s in fashion. I grew up caring about how I dressed. Growing up close to New York was great—middle school, we’d take the train to Soho and go to Bape, Billionaire Boys Club, Kid Robot. Those early Soho spots really formed me. I bought my first pair of Bapes in sixth or seventh grade, around 2007. I’ve always been into what I’m into now—it’s just evolved.

A common type of criticism you get surrounds your authenticity. It sounds like you've faced that from an early age. At what point did you realize there was a tension between who people expect you to be and what you're actually interested in?

People are always going to have expectations or want to put people in a box. It takes a strong personality to stay true to what you are and what makes you tick. I've tried to do that. There have definitely been times where I doubted myself. Initially I was nervous because I knew some people wouldn't like it, some of my boys might roast me, my aunt might talk to my mom. Of course I thought about it. But I get a high out of sharing what I love. So I just kept doing it because I wanted to.

What made you not want to go the record label / A&R route?

I ask that too. I think I was trying to please my parents too much. I guess I was a little bit scared. I just didn’t see the path. I also didn’t have the clout or voice yet or backing to get respect. I think it’s hard to get respect as an A&R and really make it. I loved Lil Peep early. I loved Juice WRLD. A lot of those guys. But I wasn’t in the place where I could reach out to them and link up with them because I didn’t have the legitimacy or following yet.

How do you think having independent financial security outside of your creative work impacts your creativity?

It has allowed me to share more of myself. There's an evolving media and tech space we live in, and when I was younger, it was hard to get a foothold as a young kid in a creative industry and make an impact right away.

With media, we’re seeing the evolution of streamers and new types of stars. It might sound lame, but I hope I'm carving my own space—a bit of my own creative director, my own A&R, my own creative agency. And I’m allowed to do this because I have stability from my corporate job.

Do you have a name for what you do? What kind of cultural figure you are?

I’m trying to figure that out. There are a couple comps from the past. I have so much respect for Johnny Carson and Paul Newman. I like thinking of myself as a new version of that, mixed with MTV, TRL, or BET 106 & Park, and being my own GQ.

There are so many things I’m trying to mold together. Having my fingers in so many different things can be confusing—like, how is this going to play out? Where is it leading? But trusting my gut and having fun with it has helped these past few years.

You also mentioned you get a high off of sharing with other people. Why do you think that gives you so much joy?

I think you're born with it. I've always enjoyed sharing music and my taste with my friends. In middle school I would download a new Lil B mixtape and play it for my friend Matteo while we were driving to soccer practice. I got so much happiness if he fucked with the music. It's just evolved more and more over the years.

I started my own blog in high school because I wanted to share what I liked. I liked finding artists early or finding music or fashion or certain things that I think are cool or could be bigger than they are. It’s just like: look at this, look what I found. I want you to enjoy what I’m enjoying too because it’s gotten this emotion or feeling out of me. So I want to share it with you.

The music discovery process has changed as the technology we use to listen to music has changed, as we get things like SoundCloud and streaming platforms. How has the way that you find new music shifted over the years?

Staying with the times and evolving with different platforms has helped me. I’ve always been on blogs and was there for the early SoundCloud days. TikTok and Youtube have helped a lot. TikTok’s FYP is so strong. Spotify has been great for that as well. Every Monday I’ll do Discover Weekly and every Friday I’ll do my Release Radar. If there’s a song I really like, I’ll go on the radio of that song and sift through. I get to explore these artists that I care about and like. Versus having a big label that might tell you what type of sound or what type of artist to go after, I’m grateful that I have the freedom to just do it myself.

You mentioned coming up, running around with your friends, hitting shops. It sometimes feels like that era—the excitement of going out and doing retail shopping with your friends, that youth energy—isn't as prevalent anymore. Do you feel like the youth fashion scene is in a good place? Is it deteriorating? What are some of the factors affecting it?

I think it's funny that so much of the youth scene now is back in the Y2K era, pulling from my generation or young millennials. I hope people still want to go out and shop. I still go shopping with a lot of my friends. I know there are so many platforms now. I use them too. But the in-person retail experience can still be really fun, especially in big cities. I hope the youth feel like they can be a part of those events—whether it's pop-ups or other events fashion houses are putting on. I hope they feel encouraged to go out, find new brands, and just have fun with it.

When you think about how you used the internet as a kid to discover things and develop your taste versus how people use it now, how do you see the role of the internet changing?

I think there are a few ways to look at it. Sometimes it feels almost predetermined—what you're shown, what you're fed. The algorithm is so strong now. Back in the 2010s, when we still had Limewire and iTunes, you really had to find things yourself. Now you’re being spoon-fed what to like, which is a little scary. Especially with AI—it makes you question: do I actually like this, or do my friends like it and now I’m seeing it too?

I hope kids can still find their own lane and not just be fed everything by the algorithm. But at the same time, it is helpful. So much of what I find in music, fashion, photography, videography—it comes from the Explore pages. So it’s really a blessing and a curse. Having these phones and this kind of access—screen time is delicate. I explore and discover so much through my phone, but you also need to get out in the real world and experience life.

Speaking of life: what do you think the value of listening to and appreciating quality music is in the context of living a fulfilled, happy life?

Music is everything to me. Music kind of dictates our lives and our interests. I was actually thinking about this this morning—someone asked what kind of music I listen to at different times. I’ll be at the gym listening to sad music, or before bed I’ll listen to house. I just go with what I want to hear. I don’t limit myself. I’ll listen to whatever’s popping, or whatever I feel like.

How do you approach selecting images for your carousels and the songs that go with them? How do you think about posting?

Putting a great song with an image—I'm so thankful for the internet and how it lets us strike emotion like that. I know it sounds lame or dumb, but as a kid I used to sneak and watch TRL and 106 & Park just to see music videos. I’ve always been into visuals and aesthetics.

It depends on which page—whether it’s my personal page or the Havoc Henry page—but usually I just go with what feels right or what I’m listening to at the moment. That said, I’ll check if I’ve posted too much rap or too much emo, and try to keep a broad base to show people more of what I like and what I think they might like too.

I love the dichotomy of things. I’ll put an alternative song on a picture of Lucki, or a fun rapper I like. It keeps people on their toes and confused. When people are trying to figure something out it intrigues them. Even if they don’t like it, it sparks a feeling or emotion. I’m really into that.

Tell us about your Havoc Henry project.

It started as Beef Wand, which was my Halo 3 gamer tag in high school. In a fraternity in college, when I started Beef Wand as an Instagram page, I wasn’t ready to share a lot of these images with people I knew—some were super sexy or a little risky. So I created Beef Wand as an alter ego, and also as a place to store pictures I liked. It was partly just to remember things and clear space on my iPhone.

Over time, it gained a following. It was probably at 60K or so when COVID hit. I was at home, bored, and wanted to take the page to the next level. I changed it to Havoc Henry. My middle name is Henry, and at the time, SNOT had just dropped an album—I think a track or the whole thing was called Beautiful Havoc. I love double alliteration, and Havoc Henry just clicked.

During COVID, I made these Land Rover t-shirts. I bought maybe 70 on Alibaba, distressed them myself, and sold them online. They sold out, so I knew I had something. From there, I continued using it as a kind of mood board. My personal page also started to grow, but Havoc Henry became this alter ego—just a bank of photos and things I’m feeling in the moment.

What’s next for Havoc Henry? Any projects in the works?

I’m thinking about doing merch again. I’ve been having some meetings around that. I haven’t released anything in a couple years because I’ve been focused on other things—growing my social presence and all that. But I want to get the merch rolling again.

I’m also trying to figure out how to start my own show where I sit down and chop it up with artists I like. I’ve found myself in this unique position where I’m friends with a lot of these new artists early on. So I’d love to bring them in for interviews—make it casual. Like, bring a fashion designer on and talk music. Or bring a new rapper or DJ on and talk about their origin story. Think Ellen Degeneres meets Johnny Carson meets 106 & Park. Or Martha Stewart and Lil B. I just think there’s something funny and interesting there.

What are your favorite clothing brands right now?

I’ve loved Chrome Hearts for a while. Tom Browne has been big for me too. Tom Browne, Moncler—those are kind of my staples. I know they’re a little predictable. I fuck with Prada and Bode too. And obviously Margiela

What do you think the key to happiness is?

I saw this quote recently that really stuck with me. Quality of life minus envy equals happiness.

Do you believe in good and evil?

I do. I think people are inherently good, but experiences in life can turn them. I try to look for the best in people. Being friendly to everyone—that’s just the way to be. It might sound a little dumb, but a random smile can make someone’s day. I try not to think too much about the evil side, though—bad thoughts can overwhelm and consume you. But yeah, it’s real.

If you could go back and give yourself a piece of advice on your college graduation day, what would it be?

Risk it a little more. Over the past nine years, I’ve taken the safer route out of fear of the unknown—which is one of the biggest fears there is. I chose stability. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized you have to risk it to make it. Nothing comes without some pain or discomfort. I’d tell my younger self to risk more and fail more. Failing helps you figure out your future. I still wonder, do I really know what I want?

All photos by Lucas Creighton (@lucas.creighton)

Interview by Noah Jordan (@nnoahaonn)