Lovable rapper Chali 2Na keeps it fun onstage
What: The Funk Hunters and Chali 2Na with Mat the Alien When: Friday, 9 p.m. (doors) Where: Sugar nightclub Tickets: Sold out Note: The Funk Hunters and Chali 2Na also perform tonight in Courtenay at The Bridge Lounge
Chali 2Na has a simple philosophy when it comes to making music: “If you can make everything fun, it all becomes easy.”
The rapper born Charles Stewart knows plenty about having fun.
The thundering baritone, whose vocal power is matched by his lanky sixfoot-six frame, made his name in the L.A. collective Jurassic 5, whose brand of bouncy, funk-laden hip-hop was anchored by Stewart’s lovable loopiness.
Not surprisingly, the Chicago native (whose stage moniker is taken from Charlie the Tuna of the StarKist commercials) was the group’s unifying member — a big brother of sorts — and the one Jurassic 5 rapper who found solo fame outside the L.A. sextet when it went on hiatus in 2007.
The Grammy-nominated group, which reunited in 2013 after six years apart, has a tour of Australia, New Zealand and Japan that starts next week, but Stewart isn’t resting in the days leading up to Jurassic 5’s Pacific Rim tour. He is on a run of dates with Vancouver DJ duo the Funk Hunters, whose live show and lively stage demeanour is the perfect match for the Chali 2Na concert experience, Stewart said.
Although they share a booking agency, theirs is a new relationship. The collaboration came about after the Funk Hunters remixed a Chali 2Na track, which was all the motivation Stewart needed. “It was only natural for us to at least do some shows together,” he said, adding that the success of their remix helped. “We couldn’t deny it from that point on.”
Their show together at Sugar nightclub on Friday sold out a month ago, a testament to the popularity of both acts. Stewart, however, owns one of the best reputations of any artist ever to play the Victoria market, having won over audiences with three scary-good performances, two of which were at the Rifflandia festival. Both his Phillips Brewery performance in 2010 and his Royal Athletic Park side-stage set in 2013 are Rifflandia legends.
“I’m trying to give what I would like to get in con- cert,” he said. “I want for the people what I want for myself.”
Stewart may headline clubs on his own, but he’s still a fan of watching other artists do their thing. Some, like Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar, leave him wondering how someone so young could be so good. Others, whom Stewart declines to name, leave him astonished at their audacity and arrogance. He vows never to leave a fan waiting unnecessarily, especially when they’re taking the time to share what Stewart’s music means to them.
During each of his previous Victoria appearances, he stuck around after his set to sign autographs and pose for pictures with his fans —a huge grin on his face all the while.
“If I say I’ve got to run, it’s actually because I’ve got to run!” Stewart said with a cannon-like laugh, but he does everything in his power to make sure fans go home happy after a Chali 2Na concert.
“You are showing your respect and admiration for something that I do. If I turn my back to that, I’m the ignorant one.”
Flexibility is his specialty. Whether he’s performing with Jurassic 5, on his own or with an act like the Funk Hunters, he will find a way to make it pop. That’s what professionals do, and Chali 2Na is nothing if not professional, Stewart said.
“I love the flexibility of a live band, because you can turn a corner on a dime. You’re limited to where the record goes when you’re with a DJ. But I’m a fan of it all. I’m just happy that I’m versatile enough to do everything.”