Chali's Angles

"Uh… I'm just getting out of the shower,” chuckles Chali 2na down the line from his home in LA. “I do apologise.”

Fresh from reunion shows as part of legendary hip hop collective Jurassic 5, the self-styled baritone MC is keen to get back to Australia, having kicked things off with an ecstatically-received concert at last year's Coachella Festival. “I felt like we picked up where we left off,” he says, “like we never broke up. The show was amazing. Coachella is one of the more professional festivals in America, and it's an honour to be part of it. We were one of the first rap groups to ever perform there, at the very first Coachella, so it was cool to bring it back round again.”

With their reunion marking the 20th anniversary of Jurassic 5's formation, 2na is keen to “rekindle some fires”. “We're performing as heavy as possible. There's new music, shit you haven't heard before, some stuff we might make into a live album; basically we're just celebrating 20 years of J5.”

Since splitting in 2007, 2na's notable collaborations with acts like Rizzle Kicks, K'naan, Slightly Stoopid and Hilltop Hoods, and long-time friends Ozomatli only hint at his true workload. However, 2009's Fish Outta Water album, and his recent Against The Current EP.1 and EP.2 pair are what bring 2na the greatest pride. “I call this whole series Against The Current because I'm not trying to compete. I mean, big up to people like Kendrick Lamar – I've got mad respect for him – but I've got to challenge myself. I just want to be the best me I can be, be better than the last thing I did.”

This attitude only partially explains why 2na is so in demand. “Respect is key in the hip hop game and respect is everything in the streets. I get what I give. I ain't out here trying to beef and battle rap. I am a regular human being and I move like a regular human being on this earth. When I put myself out, I get back for the rest of my life; you treat people how you want to be treated.”

When it comes to his own projects, Chali 2na likens the process to another of his passions, graffiti. “I look at every endeavour, every project, everything I'm part of, like a painting. I have to pay attention to the detail and the construction of the picture, find the right angles. I have to figure what I need to do to help that picture come about… Man, I can't help but get so deep with these questions!”

Drawing a signature tuna fish mural in Fitzroy last time he was in town, 2na is keen to brighten some new walls when he returns for Bluesfest, and sideshows supporting Morcheeba and Ozomatli. “Please let me know if there are any graff writers out there. I want to paint as much as possible when I'm down that way.”