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Pioneering rapper Chali 2na to headline — in music and painting — at Salt Lake City’s Urban Arts Festival

For pioneering rapper Chali 2na, painting and music have always been intertwined — so it makes sense that he’ll be doing both as the headliner of September’s Urban Arts Festival in Salt Lake City.

“What led me to my [music] job was graffiti art,” Chali — a founder of the legendary bands Ozomotli and Jurassic 5 — told reporters at a press conference Friday at the Gallivan Center, which will be the venue for the festival, Sept. 15-16.

Chali and his band, House of Vibe, will take the stage to cap off Saturday’s music performances.