Chris Rene

Christopher Dean Rene (born December 25, 1982) is an American singer/rapper from Santa Cruz, California who finished in third place on season 1 of ''The X-Factor. ''He was mentored by LA Reid. Chris' older sister Gina also auditioned for the show but didn't make it.

Audition
Rene auditioned for the show in Seattle, where he impressed the judges with his original song "Young Homie" & being refered to as "The Truth" by LA Reid. He also admitted to having recently gotten out of drug rehab. Simon Cowell made Rene swear that he would stay clean & sober if he wanted to make it on the show. Rene vowed to do so & progressed through the competition based on his performances, which often earned him praise from the judges.

Finale
Rene finished in thrid place behind winner Melanie Amaro and runner-up Josh Krajcik on December 22, 2011.

Post X-Factor
Due to the popularity of "Young Homie", which he performed on the final performance show and has gained over 10 million views on YouTube, Rene released the song as a single via Epic Records, which signed him to a record deal, on March 13, 2012. His second single, "Trouble" was released on June 26, 2012.

Discography
Singles:


 * "Young Homie" (2012)
 * "Trouble" (2012)

Trivia

 * Chris' grandfather is composer Leon Rene, who composed a number of R&B as well as rock 'n roll songs including the classic song "Rockin' Robin".