Charlie Stewart
, professionally known as Chali 2na
is an American rapper and hip hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.
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Personal life
Early life
As a young boy, he moved to
South Central Los Angeles, which was the home base of Jurassic 5 since the group's inception in 1993. He was raised by his grandmother and was brought up as a
Muslim. His
stage name is a reference to
Charlie the Tuna, the deep-voiced animated mascot of
StarKist Tuna. He and
Cut Chemist became friends in
high school. Together with
Mark 7even, they were part of a seven-man group called Unity Committee. The Unity Committee crew would often spend Thursday nights performing at The
Good Life Café, where rappers and
spoken word poets showed off their skills in an open mic format. They were, along with another three-person troupe, called the Rebels of Rhythm, routinely chosen as the crowd's favourite performers. The two crews also appreciated one another's styles, and they teamed to record a 12" single, "Unified Rebelution", in 1995. The Rebels of Rhythm were MCs
Akil and
Zaakir (also known as Soup); the men banded together to form Jurassic 5. In 2006, Cut Chemist elected to split from the group to pursue a solo career, and the Jurassic 5 group split up altogether in 2007.
[1]
He is a founding member of the activist
salsa funk band
Ozomatli; although no longer an official member (having been replaced as resident MC by Jabu of 4th Avenue Jones), he continues to collaborate with them on occasion and maintains his friendships with them. Along with salsa, his music and theirs have been influenced by
reggae and
soul music; he is also a fan of
house music.
[2]
Near-death experience
In 2000, while heading to
Nashville,
Tennessee as a stop on the
Warped Tour, Jurassic 5 were involved in a tour bus crash when the driver fell asleep at the wheel and sent the vehicle careening off into a six-foot
ditch. Chali 2na and two of his colleagues were injured and hospitalized, with 2na sustaining the gravest injuries. He was treated for a fractured skull, and as a result, a
titanium plate was implanted into his head.
Career
Jurassic 5
Solo album
Welcome to the Fish Market
was compiled and released in order to whet 2na's listeners' appetites for a solo album, tentatively titled
Fish Outta Water
, whose release date has been pushed back several times. On the album, 2na will reputedly delve into some of the formative experiences that have molded and affected his nature, including an unspecified tragic incident that occurred when he was eight years old. Prospective collaborators include
Beenie Man (with whom he recorded the single "International"),
Raphael Saadiq, and his longtime friend
Rakaa Iriscience.
"Don't Stop", the would-be first single off
Fish Outta Water
, appeared in January 2006. It showcased 2na's familiar
rapid-fire flow; in its lyrics, 2na professed his unwavering dedication to
hip hop culture, insulting rappers who neglect to pay proper respect to pioneers like
Kool Herc and
Afrika Bambaataa. He also spoke
deferentially of the beloved late rapper
Tupac Shakur. This is a notable decision because Jurassic 5 are frequently criticized by a certain segment of the hip hop community, who believe they are preachy and too-traditionalist.
"Don't Stop"'s chorus was sung by
neo-soul artist
Anthony Hamilton. It was featured in the soundtrack of the videogame
NBA Live 06
. A second Chali 2na solo song, "The Anchor Man", is to be featured on the
Dan The Automator-curated soundtrack to the latest installment in the game series,
NBA 2K7
.
Collaborations
Chali 2na
collaborated several times with fellow MCs. Many, but not all of his featured guest appearances, are catalogued on
Welcome to the Fish Market
, a
mixtape he released in 2004. The mixtape is meant to be a warm-up, or perhaps a
prequel to his solo debut album,
Fish Outta Water
.
[4]
He is a good friend of and frequent collaborator with
British hip hop star
Roots Manuva, having worked with him as a tag team on a number of songs (including "Revolution 5", which appears on
Welcome to the Fish Market
and
Dub Come Save Me
, and "Join The Dots", which appears on Roots Manuva's second proper album,
Run Come Save Me
). He has also referenced his friend in rhyme.
He has worked with
Linkin Park on the song "
Frgt/10" on the album
Reanimation
. He worked with Ozomatli on their first album and toured with New Orleans funk band
Galactic. Chali 2na and rapper Ditch recorded a track together called "All Comes Down to Money" which will be featured on Ditch's album
Public Intoxication
which was set for a 2008 release.
On
K'naan's 2009 album,
Troubadour
, Chali was featured on "America" together with
Mos Def.
Film
Chali 2na is featured prominently in the award-winning documentary
This is the Life
, chronicling the music movement that was birthed at The Good Life Cafe in
South Central Los Angeles. The Good Life is the open-mic workshop where he first performed with Unity Committee in the early 1990s and founded Jurassic 5.
Discography
Albums
- Baby Loves Hip Hop
by Dino 5
- Fish Market
By Chali 2na (2004)
- Fish Outta Water
by Chali 2na (July 7, 2009)
References
- Jurassic 5 Break Up, "People See Us As A Loving Group, But That's Far From The Truth"
- http://www.discogs.com/artist/Chali+2NA
- http://www.thaformula.com/chali_2na_welcome_to_the_fish_market.htm Tha Formula.com Interview
- http://www.discogs.com/release/786365