HBO Writer and Hip Hop Artist Chris Gabo Discusses What It’s Like to be a MultiMedia Artist

Currently contracted to an overall deal with HBO, writer and Hip Hop artist Chris Gabo has written six episodes for the recently aired reboot of In Treatment. In the six episodes of season four, Gabo created the character of “Eladio” played by Anthony Ramos. It’s a very personal story for Chris.

After spending six more months in a writing studio for a mini-series based on the Bong Joon Ho movie “Parasite” produced by Adam McKay, Gabo acted as the consulting producer on The Weeknd’s show “The Idol”. Now, Gabo has just sold an original pilot to HBO that is set in his hometown of Tampa, FL.

Originally starting out as a rapper and playwright, his focus started to shift while he was in college as the storytelling landscape entered a new phase that many refer to as the ‘Golden Age’ of television. Eventually, Chris would start seeing TV as the realm in which all of his favorite writing, acting and directing was taking place.

Since then, Gabo’s work has been recognized by the Sundance MENA Theatre Lab, the O’Neill National Playwrights Conference and much more.

Now, the biggest challenge he faces as a screenwriter is retaining authorship and autonomy. And the challenges vary from playwriting to TV to film. While playwriting doesn’t provide the most ‘stable’ compensation, they do what they can to stay true to the writer’s vision for the script.

It’s the opposite with film and TV. In Film/TV, they will pay a generous sum, including benefits, but will take a complete creative agency to produce a product that the writer will likely never see before it airs.

While he plans to obtain more creative agency as a director/producer someday, Chris also records as a successful Hip Hop artist. He has opened for Ana Tijoux and DJ Rob Swift, while also licensing music to Hulu’s Broad City as well as the independent film Coldwater. His prolific writing abilities prove to be a seamless fit for Hip Hop’s confident delivery and lyricism.

Eventually he hopes to merge his two worlds, but authenticity and honesty are his first priority so whatever manifests, will be 100% true to who he is as a dreamer and a versatile multimedia artist; we can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!

Follow Chris Gabo on Instagram HERE for more updates.

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