Chali 2na: Catch Of The Day
Through his tenure at the helm of hip-hop collective Jurassic 5, Chali 2na established himself as a talented and instantly recognisable MC. Following the group's untimely demise in 2007, 2na steps out on his own with the long overdue <i>Fish Outta Water</i> this month. <b>Ryan Drever</b> talks to the man himself to find out how it came to be
Fans of Jurassic 5 - the Los Angeles hip-hop crew that kept everybody's feet stuck to the dancefloor with cuts like Conrete Schoolyard at the turn of the millennium - will already be well acquainted with the rumbling baritone of the towering Charlie Stewart, better known as Chali 2na.
Having achieved respectable critical and commercial success with the group, building a solid fanbase that encompassed everyone from skaters and rock crowds to the familiar throng of the hip-hop community, tussles with their label, Interscope, as well as interpersonal difficulties, eventually saw J5 meet an untimely end. However, the group's implosion appears to be a blessing in disguise for Chali, having allowed the MC a better opportunity to flex his unique verbal muscle.
Though each individual member of J5 possessed their own respectable talent and unique style, Chali's juxtaposition of a rapid-fire flow with a smooth, low-end groove was always one of the more difficult elements to ignore. Having taken some time to formulate his solo debut, Chali relates that Fish Outta Water exists in various guises.
"This is the third version of the album. I had my own personal versions just to try and keep everything fresh until the day that it actually hit the stores," he explains, in an expectedly deep, yet friendly voice. "A couple of people had problems with me wanting to step out on my own, you know, let's be perfectly frank. But, i've never had any bad intentions towards any of the members, or anybody for that matter, i'm just a passionate artist, I like to work. So, if an opportunity presents itself, I try to deal with it, and an opportunity presented itself. I'm such a loyalist at the same time, so I set the album aside a couple of times to work hard and dilligently on Jurassic stuff. But I think it's just one of those things where this came out when it was supposed to."
Now free from any glaring obstacles and spurred on by the urge to assert himself as a prominent and diverse solo artist, Fish Outta Water sees Chali dive headlong into areas of music that many would genuinely never have expected, drawing at times from ragga and dancehall - even enlisting the help of Beenie Man and brothers Damian and Steven Marley to bolster the authenticity - to soul, funk, and even incorporating more modern, synth-driven hip-hop beats as opposed to a stricly traditional approach. "I wanted to display all of these things that inspire me musically as well as tell a story, so I was able to use the Carribean influence, I was able to use the electronic house influence and soul... I'm like a mosaic of all that music, so I wanted to display that," he explains, before demonstrating his point the way he knows best. "The line from the song Comin' Thru encompasses what i tried to do with this album: 'You're learnin', while the turntable's turnin' / But people should know me more, than for just the verbal Herman Munster'. That's the theme of this whole album, I want you to know me for more than just what you see.'
Of course, even in the few short years since the demise of J5, countless trends and advances in the digital musical environment have seen the face of modern music change significantly. It's a daunting factor for any musician to consider, let alone one whose roots lie in traditional styles seldom heard today. However, seemingly undeterred, though understandably bewildered by some of today's most popular music, 2na seems intent on working this to his advantage. "I always try and seek out the good and find out what makes a musician tick. I know i've got to be able to pull in people's ears, even though some of these styles may not have been my first choice as a listener or a fan. I had to keep in mind that there's a lot of new people who'll be listening. I wanted to bring that old-school skill-set on top of some new shit so that you're able to digest it like a sandwich, so to speak."
With the aid of hip-hop royalty, Chali fires home the point with style. "Big Daddy Kane told me one time, 'I listen to these new dudes, and i'm not like, fuck them dudes, i'm more like, damn! this is what kids like? OK, well if you like that, then watch this!"
Fish Outta Water is released via Decon on 24 August.