Let’s get it out of the way. A Jurassic 5 reunion is not out of the question, and the desire is there, but founding member Chali 2na says that the iconic hip-hop group doesn’t want to phone it in.
“We're all damn near 50 and we've all done a lot,” Chali 2na — whose real name is Charles Stewart — told CL. We caught the 46-year-old emcee back home after a trip to Panama. He’s finishing a painting and talking about how much he loves J5 fans.
“We're all in agreeing that we're not going to bring out some lackluster project just because we want to be out there. We all have solo careers and it's one of those things that if it is supposed to happen, God willing,” he said.
2na is set to take to the Gasparilla Music Festival stage on Saturday alongside New Orleans funk unit Naughty Professor, and he says that he’s just happy to fit in with the guys and lock into the group’s pure love of jazz.
“These guys are on point. They're masters of their craft, and to be so young, because most of them are my son's age. It feels good to be able to fit in with that,” he said. “Makes me feel like what I'm doing is bigger than hip-hop. I feel like hip-hop is a mosaic art form. If you can't make it fit and you're a hip-hop artist, i think you're not doing it right and I’m happy to be one of the ones who can say they do.”
Read the entirety of our Q&A below, and get more information on Gasparilla Music Festival via the links above.
gasparillamusic.com
What were you doing down in Panama?
I did a performance down there called Tribal Gatherings and yeah it was really cool. It was nuts.
Hip Hop, as an art form is till a very young genre compared to other American staples. Tell me, looking back on the last five years of reuniting (with J5), how does it feel to be a well respected hip hop artist in all of your travels with a legacy of over 20 years?
I don't know man, wow. What's cool is being able to maintain being a working musician in this day in and age, first and foremost. Regardless of any genre, it's hard to do because people aren't buying records or going to shows. It’s good to be apart of iconic groups and some iconic moments in this day and age. I say that, as I'm almost 50 [laughs]. It feels good to keep going.
It was crazy when the group came back together for Coachella in 2013. Do you remember the type of energy you guys had brought J5 back together? And how does it compare to the energy Naughty Professor gives you?
It's definitely two different energies but it's all one type of existent. With Jurassic, it's high energy, super duper hip-hop with friends of mine of 30 years. It was something that we were playing around with that we got famous with, that's still amazing to me. With the Naughty stuff, it's an appreciation for jazz and the musicianship, because these guys are on point. They're masters of their craft, and to be so young, because most of them are my son's age. It feels good to be able to fit in with that. Makes me feel like what I'm doing is bigger than hip-hop. I feel like hip-hop is a mosaic art form. If you can't make it fit and you're a hip-hop artist, I think you're not doing it right and I’m happy to be one of the ones who can say they do.
When you're trying to figure out how lyrics fit in to the composition, do you think about it like jazz artists do? Like the left-hand, right-hand aspect of it? Are you ever trying to challenge listeners with how you compose things?
I think it happens subconsciously. You know, I've always enjoyed Rakim, and that's one of my biggest influences in hip-hop. His lyrics are like an onion, you peel them back and you find things for years and years and years. There's so many layers, and I've always wanted to do that. I've always wanted my music to last and stand the test of time like that. You know, like Earth Wind & Fire, to really have layers. You've been able to see hip-hop go through all of these phases with your career.
It feels that hip hop has been split into different sections of commerce; significant the b-boying and producer elements are seeping into the pop world; DJs are being replaced by Spotify Playlists, and Graffiti is on an island of its own. How do you feel about the hip-hop culture now, with the five tenets somewhat being reduced to two? Especially considering your fantastic graffiti history?
Yeah, definitely. For me, all the aspects and elements of hip-hop I've been able to embody in some sort of fashion. I'm not that good a beat boxer, and DJing, my father got me a turntable when I was younger; I'm not that good at scratching but blending I was good at. I got turntables for house DJing, there was always turntables at my house. So that aspect of hip-hop was always a thing in my life. Pop locking I was good at, but I wasn't that good at breaking once I started stretching, it would just start hurting my back.
I'm saying all this to say, I've tried all the pieces of hip-hop clothing, but the ones that fit me the best were the emceeing and the graffiti. Graffiti is what really got me into it. I'm just happy the genre of hip-hop, not like the most popular aspect, the music, rap, but the whole thing, still is being implemented and has influence. It's still influencing popular culture. I'm just happy about that, man.
I grew up on the south side of Chicago and moved to California, two places where you can easily be sucked into the streets. Hip-hop saved my life man, so I'm just happy about that.
You deliver special artistry and creativity to your fan base. In the past you’ve offered things like handwritten lyrics for purchase and you paint as well. That type of diversity in hip-hop isn’t seen too often. Can you talk a little bit about what’s to come from Charlie 2na in the future?
I paint all the time, I've been working on a painting now for a year because I've been chiseling at it in between tours. More coffee table books, I do a lot of voiceover work, might see some acting roles. I'm really trying to further my painting and photography. I'm almost half-a-century old man, and I'm just happy to say that I've been doing this for a while and still feel like it's still going. It feels great to me.
What kind of painting are you working on?
I know it is taking you some time during touring. Its crazy man, it's a painting about child soldiers. I wanted to invoke the thoughts, I wanted people to draw their own conclusions. But it's about how children are being forced to be in armies or be forced to defend themselves. With all the school shootings we have going on right now, with school shootings and all, I think it's relevant.
You’ve been associated with some of Hip-Hop’s elite, from Big Daddy Kane, to Supernatural, to Mos Def. Off the top of your head, who did you see spit the best freestyle?
Oh, that's easy. Of all time? It's Supernatural, and I'm not trying to big him up because I know him. The illest freestyle I've ever seen in my life, it's like you think he wrote it but he didn't. And there's only three guys I've been impressed with like that, to the point of like, oh my God. Supernatural is definitely on the top of the list. Another brother that I grew up with, best dude you never heard of is Al Master, from Chicago. Southside, Chicago dude, one of the illest dudes you'd ever see in your life. And then Mike [unintelligible]13:31 from Freestyle Culture. Ain't too many on the earth that can do that.
When you see someone freestyle like that, is it the type of thing that makes me want to go home and practice, or go home and pick a new hobby?
Well it depends on who you are, you gotta be comfortable in who you are and what you do, to not let a person shake you out of your existence so you could be better. For me, I know I’m not the freestyle dude, I know I’m not the best at it. I can do it with the best of them but know I'm not the best at it. I know my strengths and my weaknesses, and because I know I'm not really tripping on it. I know there's not a lot of people on planet Earth that can do that. It just inspires me to know its still living, it keeps a fire burning under me, that's the part that I love.
It's been about 10 years since Feedback came out. Is there any current plans for any new J5 music to come out?
We've been talking about it. We're all damn near 50 and we've all done a lot. I love all our fans, and we've talked about it. We've talked about it, and we're trying to figure out how we would do it. We're all in agreeing that we're not going to bring out some lackluster project just because we want to be out there. We all have solo careers and it's one of those things that if it is supposed to happen, God willing, it will.
