Chali 2na

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Chali 2na

Background information
Birth name Charlie Stewart
Genre(s) Hip hop
Occupation(s) Rapper
Associated acts Jurassic 5, Ozomatli

Chali 2na is an American rapper and hip-hop artist, formerly associated with the groups Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.

Contents

[edit] 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. Teamed with Mark 7even, they were part of a seven-man group called Unity Committee. The other members (Kermit, Metalogik, Lonjevity and Jahli) later formed a group called Darkleaf; Cut Chemist is still in contact with them, but 2na does not usually work with them. 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 (aka Soup); the five 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 racially integrated 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]

[edit] 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 whereupon 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.

[edit] Collaborations ("J5's Ambassador")

Chali 2na has become something of an ambassador for Jurassic 5 to the hip-hop community at large, because of his propensity for collaborations with other 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.[3]

“ The mixtape is called the Fish Market, and basically it's just an accumulation of a bunch of songs that I did with other people man, that a lot of people might not have heard or might have, but might not have wanted to buy that album just to hear that song or whatever. So people could just pick it up, and it can kind of be like a little hand book on Chali 2na, before he actually comes out with a actual solo album. It's a series as well, because there is gonna be a Fish Market Part II with a bunch of other stuff that didn't make it.[4] ”

He is a good friend of, and frequent collaborator with, the senior 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 also 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 (DItch420) recorded a track together called "All Comes Down to Money" which will be featured on the Ditch CD Public Intoxication which was set for a 2008 release.

In K'naan's 2009 album, Troubadour, Chali was featured on the 9th track with Mos Def called America

[edit] 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 who is frontman of Dilated Peoples, another Los Angeles-based group with whom Jurassic 5 has consistently allied itself.

"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 fallen gangsta 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

  • Baby Loves Hip Hop by Dino 5
  • Fish Market By Chali 2na (2004)
  • Fish Outta Water by Chali 2na (July 7, 2009)

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Jurassic 5 Break Up, "People See Us As A Loving Group, But That's Far From The Truth"". 4CONTROL MEDIA, Inc.. 2007-03-19. http://www.sohh.com/articles/article.php/11181. Retrieved on 2007-11-03. 
  2. ^ http://www.discogs.com/artist/Chali+2NA
  3. ^ http://www.discogs.com/release/786365
  4. ^ http://www.thaformula.com/chali_2na_welcome_to_the_fish_market.htm Tha Formula.com Interview

[edit] External links

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