Daily Inspiration: Meet Chris Moner

Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Moner.

Hi Chris, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m from Detroit, Michigan. Before the music, I was a top prospect in baseball, but injuries and legal trouble got in the way. At 19, I was moving between New York and New Jersey. I needed to get away from the noise and find a new lane. Being around all those different cultures and environments really changed my perspective on life.

Coming out of Detroit, music was part of the DNA. My pops stayed on the keys, playing James Brown and Stevie Wonder. My mom was heavy on Michael Jackson and ’80s/’90s R&B, and I grew up watching my older siblings rap. I was coming up on Jay-Z and Lil Wayne, watching the prime battle-rap eras, just taking all of that in at a young age. So naturally, I gravitated toward everything.

I grabbed an old laptop, fired up FL Studio, and started making beats, really teaching myself how to produce. I always had an ear for music and wanted to push it further. Later, I upgraded to an MPC Live.

Eventually, I made the jump to Los Angeles. I spent the next few years building my foundation alongside Grammy-nominated writers, top-tier producers, and heavy-hitting engineers. Being in those rooms and seeing how everything worked behind the scenes taught me the game from the inside out and gave me the space to figure out who I really am as an artist and visionary.

I started with experimental collaborations, testing the waters with different genres and sounds to see what worked. Over time, that led me to lock in on my own identity. As I continue to grow, I’m still figuring out where it can take me. That keeps me inspired.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Far from it. I had to figure out who I was again and find a new purpose. At the same time, I was dealing with family and personal issues, legal problems, and trying to break old habits and grow into a different version of myself.

Moving away gave me the space to really look in the mirror. There were moments where it felt like I was climbing a mountain with a piano on my back, while trying to stay true to myself when I wasn’t seeing immediate results. But those experiences taught me how to block out the noise, believe in myself, and keep putting in the work when nobody else is cheering. I still go through things and have setbacks. I just know how to lock in and focus on what’s important instead of letting distractions derail me.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an artist, songwriter, and producer, performing as XIV while building my independent catalog as Chris Moner. My music sits somewhere between hypnotic trap, R&B, melodic bounce, and late-night dance music. I’m big on tracks that have a feeling to them, something you can ride to, party to, or get lost in.

I’ve always been drawn to slow, nocturnal tempos, hazy atmospheres, and that slowed-and-reverb feeling. There’s something about that sound that’s always pulled me in.

XIV comes from my birthday, February 14. It started as a code for me, but over time it became a persona and a whole world around the music. It gives me a space to express different sides of myself without being boxed into one sound or one identity.

I want to take that further and turn XIV into a movement beyond music, fashion, fragrance, and other creative spaces, with different names and ideas living under the same umbrella. The goal is to build something people can step into, not just something they can listen to.

Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I pull inspiration from everywhere, but a lot of it comes from real life, film, photography, fashion, fine art, and just being outside and paying attention to what’s going on around me. I keep up with culture and music podcasts to stay tapped into what’s moving, but I’m especially drawn to visual storytelling and how an image can make you feel something without saying a word.

I’ve always been hands-on with the visual side too. I like post-production, composition, lighting, and just figuring out why certain things hit the way they do. Women are also a big source of inspiration for me. I pay attention to how they connect with music, fashion, and visuals because so much of what I create is rooted in emotion, attraction, and nightlife. Their perspective matters.

I treat the visual identity almost like a living mood board. Every single, EP, or project should have its own language, where the cover art and imagery feel like actual art pieces that expand the world of the music. I’m also heavy into cars, especially old-school muscle and sports cars. I love the design, the attitude, and the feeling they carry.

For me, the sound and the visuals aren’t two separate things. They’re the same experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ccxivv.carrd.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccxivv
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@ccxivv