Chali 2na has done it all. From his days growing up on the hardscrabble streets of Chicago’s south side, to his subsequent explosion onto Los Angeles’ burgeoning hip-hop scene, to his tenure as the physical and vocal totem of seminal hip-hop group Jurassic 5, Chali epitomises the portrait of a 21st century artist.
To be sure, with his unmistakable, beloved baritone, Chali has firmly established himself as one of the most distinctive, charismatic personalities not just in hip-hop, but music in general.
Only a select few can say they’ve rocked microphones in front of thousands at a sold out arenas with Jurassic 5, spit rhymes at Lollapalooza, painted professional caliber oil colour paintings in their California home and lent their distinctive bass-heavy voice, to such mega-brands as Coca Cola and Sega Dreamcast. Chali 2na can.
Joining Chali are The Funk Hunters, an act are putting the soul back into electronic dance music. Having honed their craft at over 450 performances in 16 countries, the DJ duo’s show is a brilliant technical display of creative collaboration between 4 turntables. But words can’t do justice to two friends whose passion is dance floor mastery – breathless audiences at global festivals including Wakarusa, Burning Man, Rhythm & Vines, Shambhala, Ottawa Bluesfest, and Envision are the ultimate testament.