Anokute's entry point into the music industry came when at the age of 17, he approached John Houston, father of Whitney, and asked to be part of his management team.
Pon De Replay was the song that landed the 16-year-old a deal with Def Jam Universal, becoming her debut single as a major label recording artist.
There, he worked closely with Motown President Sylvia Rhone, assisting her on Kelly Rowland's first album for the label, Here I Am, which included the #1 single Motivation (featuring Lil’ Wayne).
In 2012, Chris made a lateral move to Island Def Jam Music Group, where he served as the company's senior vice-president of A&R.
While at Island Def Jam Music Group, Chris signed Australian rapper Iggy Azalea, and worked A&R on her debut album The New Classic.
They saw some early success together with Bebe's songwriting and vocal collaborations on breakthrough hits such as: "The Monster", by Eminem & Rihanna, "Hey Mama" w/ David Guetta & Nicki Minaj, and "Me, Myself and I" w/ G-Eazy.
At Epic, Chris handled A&R on Fifth Harmony's breakthrough album 7/27 , which delivered their biggest hit to date, "Work from Home" featuring Ty Dolla Sign (5× platinum).