Chali 2na played last summer’s Rock the Bells party at Red Rocks and now he’s back in town.
Saturday, the hip-hop artist shows off his new tunes at the Boulder Theater.
Who: Chali 2na, with Whiskey Blanket
When: 9 p.m. Saturday
Where: Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St.
Cost: $20-%23.50
The rap pro is known for his stints with Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, but Chali 2na’s been busy creating a solo career. Last year, he released Fish Outta Water, and the rap artist’s working on a new CD.
“I’m touring with my new mixtape, Fish Market Part II,” Chali 2na said. “I’m happy as hell with the outcome and I try to constantly keep my music out there. In the rap world, you have to keep your sword sharp and keep relevant.
“This mixtape is more of me, and it has a lot of collaboration with a bunch of cats I grew up with in Chicago. This time, I experimented with dub-step — I was really attracted to the bass sound and it came out really nice.”
The mixtape will give Chali 2na fans something to digest until the new CD is released.
“I wanted to continue the further adventures of Chali 2na,” he said. “I always have a mission to challenge myself, so I talk about all the things that are popping up in our current society and how I’m addressing the issues.
“I also tried to find a lot of the music that inspired me as an artist — like ’70s soul, country and reggae. I also played around with more indigenous sounds like sambas and Middle Eastern sounds.”
Chali 2na likes to collaborate with other artists, so he’ll be heading off to New Orleans to work on a project with Galactic. The musicians plans to create a CD in a mere 10 days.
