Charles Stewart better known as
Chali 2na is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rapperRapping refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics". The art form can be broken down into different components, as in the book How to Rap where it is separated into “content”, “flow” , and “delivery”...
and
hip hopHip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
artist, formerly associated with the groups
Jurassic 5Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
and
OzomatliOzomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
.
Early life
As a young boy, he moved to
South Central Los AngelesSouth Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South L.A. and formerly South Central Los Angeles, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Los Angeles, California. The area was formerly called South Central, and is still widely known...
, 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
MuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
. His
stage nameA stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
is a reference to
Charlie the TunaCharlie the Tuna, the cartoon mascot tuna for StarKist Tuna, was created by Tom Rogers of the Leo Burnett Agency after StarKist hired Leo Burnett in 1961. StarKist Tuna is the name of a brand of tuna currently owned by Dongwon Industries....
, the deep-voiced animated mascot of StarKist Tuna. He and
Cut ChemistLucas MacFadden , better known as Cut Chemist, is an American DJ and record producer. He is a former member of the funk Latin band Ozomatli, and of hip hop group Jurassic 5...
became friends in
high schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
. 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 wordSpoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
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.
He is a founding member of the activist
salsaSalsa music is a genre of music, generally defined as a modern style of playing Cuban Son, Son Montuno, and Guaracha with touches from other genres of music...
funkFunk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
band
OzomatliOzomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
; 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
reggaeReggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and
soul musicSoul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
; he is also a fan of
house musicHouse music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
.
Jurassic 5
Was a founding member of
Jurassic 5Jurassic 5 was an American alternative hip hop group formed in 1993 from members of two previous groups, Rebels of Rhythm and Unity Committee by rappers Charles Stewart , Dante Givens , Courtenay Henderson , Marc Stuart , and disc jockeys Mark Potsic and Lucas Macfadden...
, which boasted that the four MCs sounded like one.
Solo album
Fish Market, an official mix tape, was compiled and released October 25, 2004.
"Don't Stop", the would-be first single from
Fish Outta WaterFish Outta Water is the debut album by Jurassic 5 front-member Chali 2na. The guests included Talib Kweli, Anthony Hamilton, Beenie Man, Elzhi, and the brothers Damian and Stephen Marley.-Track listing:-Samples:"Don't Stop"...
, appeared in January 2006. It showcased 2na's familiar rapid-fire flow; in its lyrics, 2na professed his dedication to hip hop culture, insulting rappers who neglect to pay proper respect to pioneers like Kool Herc and
Afrika BambaataaAfrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
. He also spoke deferentially of the beloved late rapper
Tupac ShakurTupac Amaru Shakur , known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. Shakur has sold over 75 million albums worldwide as of 2007, making him one of the best-selling music artists in the world...
. 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 HamiltonAnthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
. It was featured in the soundtrack of the video game
NBA Live 06NBA Live 06 is a 2005 installment of the NBA Live series released on the Xbox 360, Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC, PlayStation Portable and PlayStation 2 Mobile. It was developed by EA Sports. The game features several game modes, including Dynasty, Season, Playoffs, or Free Play...
. A second Chali 2na solo song, "The Anchor Man", was featured on the
Dan The AutomatorDaniel M. Nakamura , better known by the stage name Dan the Automator, is a Japanese-American hip hop producer. He founded the record label 75 Ark, which was distributed by Tommy Boy Records during its short existence....
-curated soundtrack to the latest installment in the game series, NBA 2K7. Another song, "Something Different", was also featured on the
All-Pro Football 2K8All-Pro Football 2K8 is a football game for seventh generation consoles and the spiritual successor to the ESPN NFL 2K series. APF2K8 is the first football game to be published by 2K Sports since EA Sports purchased exclusive licenses to the intellectual properties of the NFL and NFLPA. Barry...
soundtrack.
5 years after Fish Market, a solo album, titled
Fish Outta WaterFish Outta Water is the debut album by Jurassic 5 front-member Chali 2na. The guests included Talib Kweli, Anthony Hamilton, Beenie Man, Elzhi, and the brothers Damian and Stephen Marley.-Track listing:-Samples:"Don't Stop"...
, was released. The album received generally positive reviews, holding a score of 70 on
MetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. 2na delves into some of the formative experiences in his life, including a tragic incident in which his cousin, Be-Be, was killed in
The Station nightclub fireThe Station nightclub fire was the fourth deadliest nightclub fire in American history, killing 100 people. The fire began at 11:07 PM EST, on Thursday, February 20, 2003, at The Station, a glam metal and rock n roll themed nightclub located at 211 Cowesett Avenue in West Warwick, Rhode Island.The...
. Collaborators on the album include
Beenie ManAnthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
(with whom he recorded "International"),
Raphael SaadiqRaphael Saadiq is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. Saadiq has been a standard bearer for "old school" R&B since his early days as a member of the multiplatinum group Tony! Toni! Toné! He also produced songs of such artists as TLC, Joss Stone, D'Angelo, Mary J...
, his longtime friend Rakaa Iriscience,
Talib KweliTalib Kweli Greene , better known as Talib Kweli, is an American hip-hop artist and poet from Brooklyn, New York. His first name in Arabic means "student" or "seeker" ; his in Swahili means "true"...
,
Anthony HamiltonAnthony Hamilton is an American R&B, and soul singer-songwriter, and record producer who rose to fame with his platinum-selling second studio album Comin' from Where I'm From , which featured the singles "Comin' from Where I'm From" and "Charlene."-Life and career:Hamilton was born in Charlotte,...
,
Damian MarleyDamian "Jr. Gong" Marley is a Jamaican reggae artist who has won three Grammy awards. Damian is the youngest son of Bob Marley....
and Ming Xia (on the final track 4 Be Be).
Another
mixtapeA Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
was released in 2010,
Fish Market Part 2Fish Market Part 2 is the follow-up mixtape to the 2004 Fish Market mixtape by Chali 2na, released in 2010.-Track listing:# "Fintro" - 1:56# "FM2 Theme " - 3:21...
. Much like the first Fish Market album, this is mainly filled with collaborations 2na has completed throughout his career with famous artists such as
Linkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
.
Collaborations
Chali 2na collaborated several times with fellow MCs. Many, but not all of his featured guest appearances are catalogued on the Fish Market albums,
mixtapeA Mix Tape or Mixed Tape is a compilation of songs recorded in a specific order, traditionally onto an audio Compact Cassette.A Mix Tape, which usually reflects the musical tastes of its compiler, can range from a casually selected list of favorite songs, to a conceptual mix of songs linked by a...
s he released to give his collaborations to "people [who] might not have wanted to buy that album just to hear that song or whatever."
He is a good friend of and frequent collaborator with
British hip hopBritish hip hop is a genre of music, and a culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. It is generally classified as one of a number of styles of urban music...
star
Roots ManuvaRodney Hylton Smith , better known by his stage name Roots Manuva, is a British rapper from Stockwell, South London. He is currently signed to Big Dada.-Biography:...
, having worked with him on a number of songs (including "Revolution 5", which appears on Fish Market and
Dub Come Save MeDub Come Save Me is the third album by Roots Manuva. It is a dub re-working of his second album, Run Come Save Me and was released on Big Dada in July 2002.-Track listing:# "Man Fi Cool"...
, and "Join The Dots", which appears on Roots Manuva's second proper album,
Run Come Save MeRun Come Save Me is the second album released by Roots Manuva. It was released on the Big Dada label in August 2001."Witness " features in the films Children of Men and Kidulthood over the end credits of the first episode of teen drama Skins and in episode 13 of season one The Wire.-Track listing:#...
). He has also referenced his friend in the lyrics.
He has worked with
Linkin ParkLinkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
on the song "Frgt/10" on the album
ReanimationReanimation helped the many underground hip-hop artists that it featured reach a larger audience, as well as changing the nature of the work so significantly that it could be considered an entirely new album...
, also featured on Fish Market, Part 2. He worked with
OzomatliOzomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
on their first album and toured with New Orleans funk band
GalacticGalactic is a funk and jazz jam band from New Orleans, Louisiana, United States.-Origins and background:Originally formed in 1994 as an octet and including singer Chris Lane and guitarist Rob Gowen, the group was soon pared down to a sextet of: guitarist Jeff Raines, bassist Robert Mercurio,...
. He is also featured on Galactic's 2007 release From the Corner to the Block on the cut "Think Back".
FatlipFatlip is a Los Angeles-born hip hop musician. He started his career in the hip hop group The Pharcyde.-The Pharcyde:...
's 2005 "Today's Your Day (Whachagonedu)" from the acclaimed album
The Loneliest PunkThe Loneliest Punk is Fatlip's debut solo album. The album was recorded on Delicious Vinyl records. The name is a play on "Thelonious Monk", the famous jazz pianist....
features a verse from 2na.
Chali 2na was also featured on
Lyrics BornLyrics Born , is a Japanese American rapper, record producer, songwriter, and voice over announcer. He is also one half of the group Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker.-History:...
's
Everywhere at OnceEverywhere at Once is a 2008 album by Lyrics Born.-Track listing:# "Intro Tag"# "Don't Change" # "Hott 2 Deff" # "Differences"...
album, performing on "Hott 2 Deff". Lyrics Born was also the MC for The Deadliest Catch Tour 2009. This hip hop tour featured Chali 2na,
Gift of GabGift of gab is an idiomatic phrase which means the "ability to talk readily, glibly, and convincingly". Gift of Gab may also refer to:*Irish legend of the Blarney Stone*Gift of Gab , a black-and-white film released in 1934 by Universal Pictures...
and Mr. Lif.
On
K'naanK'naan , born Keinan Abdi Warsame in 1978, is a Somali Canadian poet, rapper, singer, songwriter and instrumentalist.-Biography:Born in Somalia, K'naan spent his childhood in Mogadishu and lived there during the Somali Civil War, which began in 1991. His aunt, Magool, was one of Somalia's most...
's 2009 album,
Troubadour-Bonus tracks:-Chart positions:In the U.S., the album sold over 15,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at #32 on the Billboard 200. The album has sold approximately 44,000 copies in the US as of July 2009...
, Chali was featured on "America" together with
Mos DefDante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...
.
On
Long Beach Dub AllstarsThe Long Beach Dub Allstars were a dub reggae/ska/rock band formed in 1997 and disbanded in 2002.-History:Eric Wilson and Bud Gaugh met in childhood and later started their first garage punk band, consisting of drums, bass and vocals. They later formed Sublime with Brad Nowell...
2001 album
Wonders of the WorldWonders of the World is the second album from dub band Long Beach Dub Allstars. It was released during the September 11, 2001 attacks, and was the final album from the band...
Chali was featured on "Life Goes On" also featuring
Half-PintHalf Pint is a Jamaican dancehall, ragga, and reggae singer.He released Money Man Skank, recorded in the early 1980s by King Jammy, which possessed energy, ebullience and style that epitomised the dancehall feel.-Biography:He originates from the West Kingston enclave of Rose Lane; a community...
, Ives (of
Delinquent HabitsDelinquent Habits is a hip hop group. Formed in East Los Angeles in 1991, they are known for their Latin-tinged rap, which is both melodic and hardcore...
), and
Tippa IrieTippa Irie is a British reggae singer and DJ from Brixton, South London.He first came to prominence in the early eighties as an MC on the South London reggae soundsystem Saxon Studio International....
.
Furthermore Chali 2Na recorded a track together with Dutch rap artist Jerome XL in 2008. The track "King Sh#t" was released on JXL's solo debut album The Last Day in the first quarter of 2010.
In June 2010 British
dubstepDubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
star
RuskoChristopher Mercer, more commonly known as Rusko, is an English dubstep record producer and DJ who was born on 26 January 1985 in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:Rusko graduated from Leeds College of Music with a degree in Music Performance...
released a collaboration with Chali 2na entitled "Gadget GoGo". The track was released as a
bonus trackIn terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
to accompany the release of Rusko's debut solo record
OMGO.M.G.! is the debut album by British dubstep musician Rusko. It was released May 3rd 2010 for the UK, and May 4th 2010 for the US. The first singles from the album are Woo Boost and Hold On.-Track listing:# "Woo Boost"...
. The track was also featured on Fish Market, Part 2.
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.
Chali 2na appears painting a graffiti mural in Melbourne, Australia including a short interview in 2004 in feature documentary
RASHRash, stylized as RASH, is a 2005 Australian documentary film, directed by Nicholas Hansen. Its subject is contemporary urban Australia and the artists who are making it a living host for illegal artwork called street art...
, (2005).
Chali 2na is also featured in the documentary Freestyle - Art of Rhyme .
Chali 2na is also featured in the movie
Never Been KissedNever Been Kissed is a 1999 comedy film directed by Raja Gosnell and starring Drew Barrymore, David Arquette, Michael Vartan, Molly Shannon, Leelee Sobieski, John C. Reilly, Jessica Alba, Marley Shelton, James Franco , Giuseppe Andrews, Jeremy Jordan and Garry Marshall...
as a part of
OzomatliOzomatli is a seven to ten piece band playing primarily Latin, hip hop, and rock music, formed in 1995 in Los Angeles. They are known both for their vocal activist viewpoints and their wide array of musical styles - including salsa, jazz, funk, reggae, rap, and others.In a 2007 NPR interview, band...
, performing in a club.
Solo albums
- Fish Market (mixtape) (2004)
- Fish Outta Water
Fish Outta Water is the debut album by Jurassic 5 front-member Chali 2na. The guests included Talib Kweli, Anthony Hamilton, Beenie Man, Elzhi, and the brothers Damian and Stephen Marley.-Track listing:-Samples:"Don't Stop"...
(2009)
- Fish Market Part 2
Fish Market Part 2 is the follow-up mixtape to the 2004 Fish Market mixtape by Chali 2na, released in 2010.-Track listing:# "Fintro" - 1:56# "FM2 Theme " - 3:21...
(mixtape) (2010)
With Jurassic 5
- Jurassic 5
Jurassic 5 is the debut album by Jurassic 5. The material from the Jurassic 5 EP plus a few additional tracks were repackaged as an album and released by Pan Records as Jurassic 5 in 1998.-Background:...
(1998)
- Quality Control
-Supplemental information:* The photo on the cover is at San Vicente Boulevard and La Brea Avenue in Los Angeles, California* On the European release of Quality Control, one track differs - track 14 is "Concrete and Clay"...
(2000)
- Power in Numbers
Power in Numbers is the third studio album from the alternative hip-hop group Jurassic 5 .It picks up where their previous album, Quality Control left off, with a short double bass sample playing the same riff that the last song on Quality Control, "Swing Set", ended with.The album features a...
(2002)
- Feedback
Feedback is the fourth & final studio album from Los Angeles-based hip hop group Jurassic 5, released on July 25, 2006. It is the only album the band released as a quintet, in the wake of Cut Chemist's departure earlier that year....
(2006)
External links