Chali 2na

Chali 2na, born Charles Stewart, Jr., carries a distinctive deep baritone that positioned him as the de facto spokesperson for the West Coast underground crew Jurassic 5. Hailing from Chicago’s south side, Stewart first explored graffiti art before turning to rap, pursuits that both served as alternatives to drugs and street gangs while prompting his relocation to Los Angeles with his grandmother during his mid-teens. He soon joined the Unity Committee alongside turntablist the Cut Chemist and rhyme sayer Marc 7even, a circle that regularly performed at open-mike nights held at the Good Life Café. At that venue the trio encountered Akil, Zaakir, and DJ Nu-Mark from a rival group, and the six musicians officially launched Jurassic 5 in 1993. Prior to the group’s breakthrough, Chali 2na and Cut Chemist co-founded Ozomatli, whose sound blended worldbeat, rock, hip-hop, and Latin dance/funk. Through these two acclaimed outfits he generated considerable attention, particularly when Jurassic 5 delivered its major-label debut Quality Control in 2000, an album widely regarded as a landmark for alternative West Coast hip-hop. Within J5, Chali stood out as the most visible member and consequently received numerous invitations to contribute guest verses for Swollen Members, Linkin Park, Blackalicious, Kardinal Offishall, and Roots Manuva. His independent path opened in 2004 via the Fish Market mixtape series, initially intended as a prelude to a solo project on Interscope; repeated postponements and the 2007 breakup of Jurassic 5, however, left the album in limbo. Two years afterward he finally released his debut proper, Fish Outta Water, on the Defcon imprint. During the same period he appeared on recordings by J-Live, K’NAAN, and NASA.