Charles Stewart (born June 26, 1971), better known as Chali 2na (), is an American painter and

rapper Rapping (also rhyming, flowing, spitting, emceeing, or MCing) is an artistic form of vocal delivery and emotive expression that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and ommonlystreet vernacular". It is usually performed over a backing ...

, associated with the groups

Jurassic 5 Jurassic 5 (stylized JuraSsic 5) is an American alternative hip hop group formed by rappers Charles Stewart (Chali 2na), Dante Givens (Akil), Courtenay Henderson (Soup (Jurassic 5), Soup, Zaakir), and Marc Stuart (Marc 7); and disc jockeys Mar ...

and Ozomatli. He is known for his

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...

voice and quick-delivery rapping style.

Personal life

Early life

As a young boy, Stewart moved to South Central Los Angeles, where the group

was formed in 1993. He was raised by his grandmother, a practicing Christian, he later converted to Islam. His

stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...

is a reference to Charlie the Tuna, the deep-voiced animated mascot of StarKist Tuna. He and

Cut Chemist Lucas MacFadden (born October 4, 1972), better known as Cut Chemist, is an American DJ and record producer. He is a former member of Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli. He has collaborated with DJ Shadow on a number of projects. Early life Cut Chemist gr ...

became friends in

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

. Together with Marc 7, they were part of a three-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 Spoken word is an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a 20th-century continuation of an oral tradition, ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetic ...

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 favorite 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 salsa

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

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 Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

and

soul music Soul music is a popular music genre that originated in African-American culture, African-American African-American neighborhood, communities throughout the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Catchy rhythms, stressed by handclaps ...

; he is also a fan of

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

. Chali 2na is a teetotaler.

Music career

Jurassic 5

He is a founding member of

, which boasted in the song "Improvise" that the four MCs sounded like one.

Solo album

''Fish Market'', an official mix tape, was compiled and released October 25, 2004. Chali 2na

"Don't Stop", the would-be first single from '' Fish Outta Water'', appeared in January 2006. It showcased 2na's familiar rapid-fire flow; in its lyrics, 2na professed his dedication to

hip hop culture Hip-hop culture is an art movement that emerged in New York City, in the borough of The Bronx; Primarily within the black community. Hip Hop as an art form and culture has been heavily influenced by both male and female artists. It is charac ...

, insulting rappers who neglect to pay proper respect to pioneers like Kool Herc and

Afrika Bambaataa Lance Taylor (born April 17, 1957), also known as Afrika Bambaataa (), is a retired American DJ, rapper, and record producer. He is notable for releasing a series of genre-defining electro tracks in the 1980s that influenced the development of ...

. He also spoke deferentially of

Tupac Shakur Tupac Amaru Shakur (; born Lesane Parish Crooks; June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor, regarded as one of the greatest and most influential rappers of all tim ...

. "Don't Stop"'s chorus was sung by neo-soul artist Anthony Hamilton. It was featured in the soundtrack of the video game '' NBA Live 06''. A second Chali 2na solo song, "The Anchor Man", was featured on the

Dan The Automator Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark. Early life Daniel M. Nakamura wa ...

-curated soundtrack to the latest installment in the game series, '' NBA 2K7''. Another song, "Something Different", was also featured on the '' All-Pro Football 2K8'' soundtrack. Five years after ''Fish Market'', a solo album, titled '' Fish Outta Water'', was released. The album received generally positive reviews, holding a score of 70 on

Metacritic Metacritic is an American website that aggregates reviews of films, television shows, music albums, video games, and formerly books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created ...

. 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 2003 E2 nightclub stampede. Collaborators on the album include

Beenie Man Moses Anthony Davis OD (born 22 August 1973), professionally known as Beenie Man, is a Jamaican dancehall deejay. His awards include DJ of the Year Award eight years in a row. His twelfth studio album '' Art and Life'' received a Grammy Award ...

(with whom he recorded "International"),

Raphael Saadiq Raphael Saadiq (; born Charles Ray Wiggins; May 14, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He rose to prominence as a vocalist and bassist for the R&B band Tony! Toni! Toné!, which he formed with h ...

, his longtime friend Rakaa Iriscience,

Talib Kweli Talib Kweli Greene (; born October 3, 1975) is an American rapper. He first earned recognition through his collaboration with fellow Brooklyn rapper Mos Def (now known as Yasiin Bey) in 1997, when they formed the group Black Star. Kweli's music ...

, Anthony Hamilton, Damian Marley and Ming Xia (on the final track 4 Be Be). Another

mixtape In the modern music industry, a mixtape is a musical project, typically with looser constraints than that of an album or extended play. Unlike the traditional album or extended play, mixtapes are labeled as laid-back projects that allow artists mo ...

was released in 2010, ''Fish Market Part 2''. 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 Park Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...

. In an interview with Mr. Wavvy, 2na revealed that he has a series of 5 EPs prepped for the near future. Chali 2na's song "Step Yo Game Up" was featured in a popular video game in 2012 called '' Sleeping Dogs''.

Collaborations

Chali 2na collaborated several times with fellow MCs. Many, but not all of his featured guest appearances are cataloged on the ''Fish Market'' albums,

s he released to give his collaborations to "people homight 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 hop UK rap, also known as British hip hop or UK hip hop or British rap, is a music genre and culture that covers a variety of styles of hip hop music made in the United Kingdom. The development of UK rap was shaped by a distinct set of regional inf ...

star Roots Manuva, having worked with him on a number of songs (including "Revolution 5", which appears on ''Fish Market'' and '' Dub Come Save Me'', and "Join The Dots", which appears on Roots Manuva's second proper album, ''

Run Come Save Me ''Run Come Save Me'' is the second studio album by English hip hop musician Roots Manuva. It was released on Big Dada in 2001. Critical reception John Bush of AllMusic wrote, "Roots Manuva handled every type of song with flowing confidence and ...

''). He has also referenced his friend in the lyrics. He has worked with

on the song " Frgt/10" and the skit "Chali" from the 2002 album '' Reanimation''. The song was also featured on ''Fish Market.'' He worked with Ozomatli on their first album and toured with New Orleans funk band Galactic. He is also featured on Galactic's 2007 release ''From the Corner to the Block'' on the cut "Think Back". He collaborated with

Blackalicious Blackalicious was an American hip-hop duo from Sacramento, California, made up of rapper Gift of Gab and DJ/producer Chief Xcel. They are noted for Gift of Gab's often tongue-twisting, multisyllabic, complex rhymes and Chief Xcel's soulful pr ...

on their 2002 album '' Blazing Arrow'' on the track "4000 Miles," alongside Lateef the Truthspeaker. 2na appears alongside fellow

MC, Akil, on the track "We know something you don't know" on the 2003 album '' Music for the Mature B-Boy'' by UK artist DJ Format. 2na's work in Jurassic 5's "Red Hot" features alongside "International," in the 2005 video game '' SSX on Tour''. Fatlip's 2005 "Today's Your Day (Whachagonedu)" from the acclaimed album '' The Loneliest Punk'' includes a verse from 2na. Chali 2na was also featured on

Lyrics Born Tsutomu William "Tom" Shimura (born September 2, 1972), better known by his stage name Lyrics Born (formerly Asia Born), is a Japanese-American rapper, singer, and producer. He is one half of the duo Latyrx with Lateef the Truthspeaker. Early ...

's '' Everywhere at Once'' 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 Gab and Mr. Lif. On K'naan's 2009 album, ''

Troubadour A troubadour (, ; ) was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100–1350). Since the word ''troubadour'' is etymologically masculine, a female equivalent is usually called a ''trobairitz''. The tr ...

'', Chali was featured on "America" together with

Mos Def Yasiin Bey ( ; born Dante Terrell Smith; December 11, 1973), formerly known as Mos Def ( ), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. A prominent figure in conscious hip hop, he is recognized for his use of wordplay and commentary on social an ...

. Chali 2na appears on the song The People Tree, which is track 2 on N.A.S.A. (musical group)'s 2009 album The Spirit of Apollo. On Long Beach Dub Allstars 2001 album ''

Wonders of the World Various lists of the Wonders of the World have been compiled from antiquity to the present day, in order to catalogue the world's most spectacular natural features and human-built structures. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is the o ...

'' Chali was featured on "Life Goes On" also featuring Half-Pint, Ives (of Delinquent Habits), and Tippa Irie. In 2008 Chali 2Na recorded with Ditch for Ditch's CD ''Public Intoxication'' on the song "All Comes Down To Money" which he co-wrote with Ditch. 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

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...

star Rusko released a collaboration with Chali 2na entitled "Gadget GoGo". The track was released as a bonus track to accompany the release of Rusko's debut solo record '' OMG''. The track was also featured on ''Fish Market, Part 2''. Most recently, Chali 2na appeared on the track "Break in the Glass" from the album ''Ways of the World'', the 2019 release from the alternative-reggae band, The Movement. Chali 2na appeared on the track "

Speaking in Tongues Speaking in tongues, also known as glossolalia, is an activity or practice in which people utter words or speech-like sounds, often thought by believers to be languages unknown to the speaker. One definition used by linguists is the fluid voc ...

" from the album '' Drinking From the Sun'', the 2012 release from Australian hip-hop artists

Hilltop Hoods Hilltop Hoods are an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1994 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the " larrikin-like" style of Australian hip hop. The group was founded by Suffa (Matthew David Lambert) ...

. Chali 2na featured on the song "Get Original" on the

Black Eyed Peas The Black Eyed Peas are an American musical group formed in Los Angeles in 1995, composed of rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo (rapper), Taboo. Fergie (singer), Fergie was a member during the height of their popularity in the 2000s, and ...

album '' Bridging the Gap'' released in 2000. In 2012, he featured on the remix of "Dreamers" by British hip-hop duo Rizzle Kicks. In 2012, he featured in

Slightly Stoopid Slightly Stoopid is an American Rock music, rock band based in the Ocean Beach, San Diego, Ocean Beach neighborhood of San Diego, San Diego, California, who describe their music as "a fusion of folk, rock, reggae and blues with hip-hop, funk, m ...

's track "Just Thinking" on their album, '' Top of the World''. In 2014, he guest starred in Epic Rap Battles of History, portraying famous scientist

Neil deGrasse Tyson Neil deGrasse Tyson ( or ; born October 5, 1958) is an American astrophysics, astrophysicist, author, and science communication, science communicator. Tyson studied at Harvard University, the University of Texas at Austin, and Columbia Univ ...

. In 2015, he was featured on the song "Love Is Killing Me" by Savoy, which was released on Monstercat. In 2016, he collaborated with Canadian electro-funk band The Funk Hunters for a 5-song EP titled ILLectric, released through Westwood and also with Australian beatbox/ loop station specialist dub FX on two tracks: "in another life" - which is a reworking of his track love's gonna getcha, and "the sky" which is with dub princess as well as dub FX. 2017 saw a partnership with Krafty Kuts, the English DJ and this has seen the release of two tracks "It Ain't My Fault" ft Dynamite MC and "Hands High". An album is due for released March 2018 according to Chali himself on Lauren Laverne's BBC 6 Music show

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 is also featured in the documentary '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme'', and in the movie Never Been Kissed as part of Ozomatli, performing in a club. Chali 2na is interviewed in

RASH A rash is a change of the skin that affects its color, appearance, or texture. A rash may be localized in one part of the body, or affect all the skin. Rashes may cause the skin to change color, itch, become warm, bumpy, chapped, dry, cracke ...

– a 2005 documentary film about Melbourne street art and graffiti – on his passion for graffiti as he paints his signature Tuna fish in murals with Australian artists including Phibs. The session involved painting murals on Smith St and Brunswick St in Melbourne. Chali was taking a short breather while on the band's 2005 Australian tour. Chali 2na has also starred in the Epic Rap Battles of History video,

Sir Isaac Newton Sir Isaac Newton () was an English polymath active as a mathematician, physicist, astronomer, alchemist, theologian, and author. Newton was a key figure in the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment that followed. His book (''Mathe ...

versus Bill Nye as astrophysicist

Street art

Chali2na is an accomplished graffiti artist - and has painted extensively across Australia - including

Perth Perth () is the list of Australian capital cities, capital city of Western Australia. It is the list of cities in Australia by population, fourth-most-populous city in Australia, with a population of over 2.3 million within Greater Perth . The ...

and has been a regular painter at the Bondi Beach Graffiti Wall.

Discography

Albums

Chali 2na *'' Fish Outta Water'' (2009) *''Adventures of a Reluctant Superhero'' with Krafty Kuts (2019)

*''

'' (1998) *''

Quality Control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach plac ...

'' (2000) *'' Power in Numbers'' (2002) *''

Feedback Feedback occurs when outputs of a system are routed back as inputs as part of a chain of cause and effect that forms a circuit or loop. The system can then be said to ''feed back'' into itself. The notion of cause-and-effect has to be handle ...

'' (2006) Other collaborations *'' Ozomatli'' (1998) (with Ozomatli) *''The Dino 5'' (2008) (with Ladybug Mecca, Prince Paul, Scratch &

Wordsworth William Wordsworth (7 April 177023 April 1850) was an English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with their joint publication '' Lyrical Ballads'' (1798). Wordsworth's ...

, as The Dino 5) *''R.I.D.S.'' (2012) (with Roc 'C', as Ron Artiste)

Mixtapes and EPs

Mixtapes *''Fish Market'' (2004) *''Fish Market Part 2'' (2010) EPs *''

'' (1997) (

) *''Against the Current EP 1'' (2012) *''Against the Current EP 2 : Manphibian Music'' (2014) *''Against the Current EP 3 : Bloodshot Fisheye'' (2015) *''ILLectric EP'' (2016) (with The Funk Hunters)

Guest appearances

- " Get Original" on '' Bridging the Gap'' (2000) * Swollen Members - "Full Contact" on '' Bad Dreams'' (2001) * Roots Manuva - "Join the Dots" on ''

'' (2001) * Long Beach Dub Allstars - "Life Goes On" on ''

'' (2001) *

- "4000 Miles" on '' Blazing Arrow'' (2002) *Roots Manuva - "Revolution 5" on '' Dub Come Save Me'' (2002) *

- "Frgt/10 (feat. Chali 2NA)" on '' Reanimation'' (2002) *

Slimkid3 Trevant Hardson (born October 5, 1970), best known by his stage name Slimkid3 (Slim Kid Tre; sometimes stylized as SlimKid3), is an American rapper from Los Angeles. He is a founding member of The Pharcyde. Career Tre Hardson began his career i ...

- "Follow I'll Lead" on ''Liberation'' (2002) * Soulive - "Doin' Something" on '' Turn It Out Remixed'' (2003) * DJ Format - "We Know Something You Don't Know" on '' Music for the Mature B-Boy'' (2003) * Ozomatli - "Who's to Blame" on '' Street Signs'' (2004) *

Supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

- "It Ain't a Game" on ''S.P.I.T.'' (2005) *DJ Nu-Mark feat. Chali 2na - "Comin' Thru" on '' Mushroom Jazz Vol. 5'' (2005) *DJ Format - "The Place" on '' If You Can't Join 'Em... Beat 'Em'' (2005) * Fatlip - "Today's Your Day (Whachagonedu?)" on '' The Loneliest Punk'' (2005) * Breakestra - "Family Rap" on '' Hit the Floor'' (2005) *

Sérgio Mendes Sérgio Santos Mendes (; 11 February 1941 – 5 September 2024) was a Brazilian musician. His career took off with worldwide hits by his band Brasil '66. He released 35 albums and was known for playing bossa nova, often mixed with funk. He ...

- "Yes, Yes Y'All" on '' Timeless'' (2006) *

Marcelo D2 Marcelo Maldonado Peixoto (born November 5, 1967), also known as Marcelo D2, is a Brazilian rapper, singer and songwriter, co-founder of Planet Hemp. Biography A former vocalist of the band Planet Hemp, he started his solo career in 1998 ...

- "That's What I Got" on ''Meu Samba É Assim'' (2006) *

Dan the Automator Daniel M. Nakamura (born August 29, 1966), better known by his stage name Dan the Automator, is an American record producer. He is the founder of the publishing company Sharkman Music and the record label 75 Ark. Early life Daniel M. Nakamura wa ...

- "Anchor Man" on '' Dan the Automator Presents 2K7'' (2006) *

Zion I Zion I was an American Hip hop music, hip hop project founded by Rapping, MC and Record producer, producer Baba Zumbi (real name Stephen Gaines) in Oakland, California. K-Genius and Amp Live were also project members. Career Originally formed ...

& The Grouch - "Too Much" on ''

Heroes in the City of Dope ''Heroes in the City of Dope'' is the first collaborative studio album by Zion I and The Grouch (rapper), The Grouch. It was released on Om Records on October 10, 2006. It peaked at number 29 on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Heatseekers ...

'' (2006) * X Clan - "Funky 4 You" on '' Return from Mecca'' (2007) * Galactic - "Think Back" on '' From the Corner to the Block'' (2007) * Percee P - "No Time for Jokes" on '' Perseverance'' (2007) * Aceyalone - "Eazy" on '' Lightning Strikes'' (2007) * K'naan - "America" on ''

'' (2008) *

- "Hott 2 Deff" on '' Everywhere at Once'' (2008) * The Mighty Underdogs - "Warwalk" on '' Droppin' Science Fiction'' (2008) * Solillaquists of Sound - "Death of the Muse" on ''No More Heroes'' (2008) * N.A.S.A. - "The People Tree" on '' The Spirit of Apollo'' (2009) *Speech - "Start Spreading the News" on ''The Grown Folks Table'' (2009) * Jerome XL - "King Sh#t" on '' De Laatste Dag '' (2010) * Rakaa - "Mean Streak" on ''

Crown of Thorns According to the New Testament, a woven crown of thorns ( or ) was placed on the head of Jesus during the Passion of Jesus, events leading up to his crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion. It was one of the Arma Christi, instruments of the Passion, e ...

'' (2010) *

- "

" on '' Drinking from the Sun'' (2012) * House Shoes - "So Different / Moody Interlude" on ''

Let It Go "Let It Go" is a song from Disney's 2013 computer-animated feature film '' Frozen'', whose music and lyrics were composed by husband-and-wife songwriting team Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez. The song was performed in its original show ...

'' (2012) * Run DMT - "This or That" on ''Union Of Opposites'' (2012) * Rizzle Kicks - " Epic Dreamers' Remix" (2012) *

- "Just Thinking" on '' Top Of The World'' (2012) * Oh No - "Animals" on '' Disrupted Ads'' (2013) * Morcheeba - "Face of Danger" on '' Head Up High'' (2013) *

Savoy Savoy (; )  is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south and west and to the Aosta Vall ...

- "Love Is Killing Me" on ''1000 Years'' (2015) * Krafty Kuts - "Hands High" on Hands High (EP) *

- "Work My Mind" on ''Die Cut'' (EP) (2018) *

- "Higher Now" on '' Everyday Life, Everyday People'' (2018) * Ozomatli - "Libertad" on ''Libertad (EP)'' (2019) * The Movement - "Break in the Glass" on ''Ways of the World'' (2019)

References

External links

Chali2na Official Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chali 2na Rappers from Chicago African-American male rappers 20th-century American male rappers 21st-century American male rappers Living people African-American Muslims Hip-hop activists 1971 births Midwest hip-hop musicians Underground rappers Jurassic 5 members 21st-century American rappers 21st-century American male musicians 21st-century African-American musicians 20th-century African-American musicians Dino 5 members Muslims from Illinois