Chali 2na Interview

The baritone boom that shaped some of Hip Hop’s finest moments, comes from none other than Chali 2na. Born and raised in Chicago, Charles Stewart is renowned for his associations with the late great Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli.
With his highly anticipated new EP ‘Against the Current’ bursting with Hip Hop pride, BBM catches up with the bassy wordsmith and artist to find out what he’s been up to.

Hey Charlie, where are you right now?
I’m just on the freeway, sat in traffic.

So your new ‘Against the Current’ EP drops today, how you feeling about it?
Well I am very happy to get this out and I hope people enjoy the end result. My aim is to get five of the EPs in the series and then create a book of my visual art at the end of the whole project. I hope this is the beginning to a fabulous end result.

Sounds like a great project, we love ‘Against the Current’, it starts off so typically Hip Hop, but throwing Ming-Xia in the mix is a nice surprise. How did you end up teaming up?
Well actually, Ming who sings on the EP is a good friend of mine and has been for a very long time. She has spent such a long time with her group The Spooks and then her solo work. She can really write and it’s cool to collaborate with someone of such great talent. I feel like it is perfect to reach out to and work with someone from whom I can learn a lot with and someone I respect as much as I do Ming.

You’ve got such a distinctive voice, how do you feel this has helped your music?
I do think that this definitely helped to solidify my individuality. I think if you follow this up with skill and content by making it something that the listeners can relate to. I am hoping that it is a combination and mixture of all of those things, which helps to make the music worth listening to.

You’ve been an exceptional player in the Hip Hop world; tell us about how you got started? How did you make your mark?
Well, I think my first mark was the ‘Unified Rebelution’. It was about being in the right place at the right time. This was the first thing we put out and the small piece of snow which became the snowball.

What were the Jurassic 5 Days like?
The original days of Jurassic huh? Well, I was a stay at home Mom at one point, we all had day jobs and I was also a security guard at one point. Trying to get gigs, it was again about being in the right place at the right time and doing the right thing and being seen by the right people.

What do you think about the state of Hip Hop at the moment?
Our movement was Hip Hop. It wasn’t just the music. Now they just look at the Rap aspect of the movement. It is no longer the traditional thing that we used to participate in. If you were into Hip Hop, you used to dress, talk and listen in a certain style of way. It was a lifestyle. Now things are certainly different. It had to change with the time; it has adapted and technology has affected it. We didn’t have computers and iPhones and iPads. Everything is an instagramification, we used to have to work a lot harder for what we had but now technology helps that. People have studios at home and on the road. All of this is affecting what this music is and what the style, genre and trend is of the movement.

What was the first track you ever bought which really made a difference to your life?
Wow, you know, I remember Rappers Delight was my first record. Grandmaster Flash I think solidified what the musical aspect of Hip Hop was.

Why did you want to dedicate your life to it?
Rappers Delight opened up the door for it all and made me go “Damn what is this?” and so it all came together and it speaks to a time in my life. I subconsciously dedicated my life to it without knowing I guess.

You’ve even teamed up with Rizzlekicks, what was it like working with people relatively new to the scene?
It feels good you know. I respect those guys a lot, you can tell that they believe in what they do with the Hip Hop world. They hold onto traditions. They hold ethics to the scene.

Who was the most influential person you have had the pleasure to work alongside and what was it like working with Roc C?
I think the most influential person would be someone that I collaborated with outside of the genre of Hip Hop. Like George Clinton, I wasn’t aware of how talented he was on the mic. I am very fond of people like this. Roc C is one of my favourite dudes, and always will be. I love all of the raw stuff.

We’ve heard that you like to paint also, tell us about your art?
The art thing comes before the Rap bit actually; it is how I got into Hip Hop. This is how I originally got into the ethics of the genre and the traditions. The love of drawing and how I can apply that to what I like. This was an outlet to explore the genre further. I didn’t know that it would be the music that would open up the biggest doors but I sometimes take the art more seriously than the music. I love photography too.

What’s been the craziest moment of your career?
My time with George Clinton, he is a genius in the studio! People need to learn what a genius he is and watching him in the studio was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. He would mumble words until they made sense and then they would slap you in the face.

You’re heading out to Australia in January, where are you most looking forward to visiting?
I love the art out there. On my downtime when I’m not doing the shows, I want to be painting.

Chali 2na Tour Dates:
Wednesday 9th January- Republic Bar, Hobart, AUS
Friday 11th January- The Factory Theatre, Sydney, AUS
Sun 13th January – Sets On The Beach Festival, Perth, AUS

By Frankie Salt & Hannah Shakir

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