Chali 2na

Born Charles Stewart and connected to South Central Los Angeles since childhood, Chali 2na developed his path in early‑1990s California hip‑hop around the open‑mic scene at the Good Life Café, first with Unity Committee and later as part of Jurassic 5, a collective formed in 1993 with Cut Chemist, Akil, Zaakir and Marc 7. His bass‑baritone voice and rapid phrasing give a highly recognizable identity to a rap rooted in old‑school traditions, group harmonies and productions nourished by funk, soul and breaks. Chali 2na also took part in the early days of Ozomatli, in a style more open to Latin rhythms, reggae and funk, and pursued a solo career marked by the mixtape Fish Market (2004), the album Fish Outta Water (2009) and Fish Market Part 2 (2010). Simultaneously he has collaborated with artists and groups from hip‑hop, dub, funk and electronic music, including Roots Manuva, Linkin Park, Blackalicious, Galactic, K'naan and Morcheeba. In the 2010s he continued moving between scenes with the EP series Against the Current and the album Adventures of a Reluctant Superhero, released in 2019 with Krafty Kuts. A painter and graffiti artist alongside his music, Chali 2na therefore maintains a strong anchoring in urban culture.