When Jurassic 5 disbanded in 2007, the question on everybody’s mind was surely, ‘What now?’ When a group as diverse, unique and skilled as that breaks up, what tends to happen is that one member goes on to experience success with a solo career while the rest never seem to achieve that same status. Maybe it’s still too early to tell what will come of them. But as for Chali 2na, it is clear that something special is in store for him. With his first solo attempt, Fish Outta Water, 2na demonstrates that even though he has gone from six to one, not only has he not missed a step, but he has come to break out of the pigeon-hole that his former group was put into. Everything from battle tracks to graffiti-artist odes show up on the album. One great track is ‘Lock Shit Down,’ which features none other than the BKMC, Talib Kweli. Arguably the best things Chali has going for him are his voice and his usage of patterns. Just the way that he sounds and the way he ties words into knots with ease make listening not only enjoyable, but captivating. There is also a dedication to the old school with ‘When Will I See You Again.’ Linking up with Elzhi on this track was genius. Another master of patterns, they trade lines back and forth incredibly well. Doesn’t sound like a stretch? Well then take note that Chali also gets personal on the album. On ‘Righteous Way,’ he offers glimpses of his upbringing and the obstacles that his mother and father went through together before then getting into his own struggles with love. ‘4 Be Be’ also touches on family tragedy’ namely the death of a cousin. Oh, don’t worry, the production is strong too. With contributions by Scott Storch and Jake One, the beats Chali jumps on do not scream ‘underground’ or ‘alternative’ at all. Fish Outta Water is a very strong project. Perhaps the greatest thing about it is that listeners get to learn a lot about the J5 member (Maybe more than they could have learned when he was part of a group). Speaking on a variety of topics and not without his own stories to tell, Chali 2na is destined for a personal renaissance of success.
Leave A Comment!