J. Stalin

J. Stalin
J. Stalin
	Smith in 2019
Background information
Born	Jovan Smith; January 25, 1983 (age 42)
Origin	Oakland, California, U.S.
Genres	West Coast hip-hop; hyphy;
Occupations	Rapper; songwriter;
Years active	2002–present
Labels	SMC

Jovan Smith (born January 25, 1983), better known by his stage name J. Stalin (also J Stalin or J-Stalin), is an American rapper from the Cypress Village housing projects in West Oakland.^[1]^{[dead link]} In 2007, he signed to Zoo Entertainment Production Company run by artist Mekanix, who described his style as a variant of hyphy known as "Go".^[2]

Biography

Smith was born into poverty and earned money as a child by selling candy bars on the BART trains. Around age 16, he began recording and selling rap music.^[3] As a youth he sold drugs in his local housing projects and spent eleven months on parole for drug dealing.^[1]

Musical career

Smith references Joseph Stalin in his stage name because they shared the same initials, and "...He was short like me, but he was always smashin' on everybody."^[4]^[5] In a 2007 interview he remarked about his home and lifestyle, "This is West Oakland, man. This is the bottoms right here." He went on to say that the crime rate in his neighborhood was so high, the city had remodeled the housing units in his housing project to remove the back doors so that criminals could not escape from home raids by the police.^[6]

J. Stalin's first widely released performances arose when a DJ Daryl, a local recording studio owner, placed him on a track he was recording.^[1] A colleague of Daryl's, Richie Rich was impressed enough to put J. Stalin on three tracks in his 2002 album Nixon Pryor Roundtree album and two more as a member of Rich's group, the Replacement Killers.^[1] He later recorded and performed with artists such as G-Stack,^[7] Beeda Weeda,^[8] Keak Da Sneak and San Quinn,^[9] E-40, Luniz, The Team, The Frontline, Mob Figaz, Yukmouth and Shock G. As of 2006, he had released roughly 7 mixtapes and had four releases scheduled for 2007.^[1]^{[needs update]} Mekanix and Zoo Entertainment released "On Behalf of the Streets" on October 31, 2006.^[10]

Discography

Albums, mixtapes, collaborations, compilations

2006: J Stalin & The Mekanix - On Behalf of the Streets
2006: R.N.B. Mixtape (Silence The Lamb)
2006: Stamp Of Approval (The Mixtape)
2006: The Early Morning Shift (Mixtape Magazine Edition)
2006: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland
2007: J Stalin & Beeda Weeda & DJ.Fresh - The Tonite Show With J Stalin & Beeda Weeda
2007: Slappin' In The Trunk (Volume 4)
2007: J Stalin & Shady Nate - The Early Morning Shift (Volume 2)
2007: Warning Shots
2008: Gas Nation
2008: Nuthin' But Slap 7
2008: Warning Shots (Volume 2)
2008: Welcome To The Slap House
2008: Livewire Da Gang - Pay Ya Self Or Spray Ya Self
2009: Livewire - Livewire Radio
2009: J Stalin & Guce - Giants & Elephants
2009: Livewire - The Empire
2009: J Stalin & Mayback & DJ.Fresh - The Real World East-West Oakland (Part 2)
2009: Prenup (The Leak)
2009: Livewire - Livewire Radio (Volume 2)
2010: Prenuptial Agreement
2010: The Annulment
2010: Livewire - Southern Hospitlaity
2010: J Stalin & Philthy Rich - The Early Morning Shift (Volume 3)
2010: Livewire - Livewire Radio (Volume 3)
2010: J Stalin & Lil Kev - Women & Money
2010: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 3)
2011: J Stalin & Young Doe - Diesel Therapy
2011: Livewire - I Pledge Allegiance To The Wire
2011: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 3 Instrumentals)
2011: J Stalin & Hell Rell & Lord Geez - Guilty By Association
2011: I'm Sellin' Dope
2012: The Body Snatchers
2012: J Stalin & L'Jay - Bottom Of The 9th
2012: J Stalin & Shady Nate & Kaz Kyzah & The Mekanix aka The Go Boyz - Everything Must Go
2012: The Best Of J Stalin (Volume 1)
2012: Memoirs of a Curb Server
2012: Livewire - The Mafia
2012: Livewire - I Pledge Allegiance To The Wire (Part 2)
2013: The Return Of The Body Snatchers 2
2013: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - Miracle On 10th Street
2013: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - Nightmare On 10th Street
2013: Livewire - Down To The Wire
2013: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street (Deluxe Edition)
2014: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Trilogy)
2014: Livewire - Down To The Wire 2
2014: The Best Of J Stalin (Volume 2)
2014: Livewire - Livewire Radio (Volume 4): The Blood That Drips From The Pen
2014: S.I.D. (Shinning In Darkness)
2015: The Features
2015: J Stalin & Retro - The Good Life
2015: Tears Of Joy
2015: Livewire - The Saga Continues
2015: Bout To Pour Up
2015: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 4)
2016: The Body Snatchers (Part 3)
2016: I Shoulda Stayed In School
2016: On Behalf Of The Streets (Part 2)
2017: My Dark Passenger
2017: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Tonite Show With J Stalin
2017: Gas Nation 2
2017: I Don't Sell Dope No More
2017: Livewire - Still Winning
2018: Avatar
2018: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - Miracle & Nightmare On 10th Street (Part 2)
2018: Tears Of Joy 2
2019: Bay Area State Of Mind
2019: J Stalin & Lil Blood - 1034
2019: Cypress Village
2019: Avatar 2
2019: J Stalin & Young Doe - Diesel Therapy 2
2019: Livewire - Still Winning 2 (A Livewire Soundtrack)
2020: J Stalin & Da Krse - Wired In
2020: Bay Area State Of Mind 2
2020: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 5)
2020: The Price Of Fame
2020: J Stalin & Young Spudd - Reservoir Dogs
2020: J Stalin & Da Krse - Wired In 2
2020: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 5 Instrumentals)
2021: J Stalin & Da Krse - Wired In 3
2021: J Stalin & Young Doe - Diesel Therapy 3
2021: The Early Morning Shift 4
2021: J Stalin & Footz The Beast - Covid 41510
2021: On Behalf Of The Streets 3
2022: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Tonite Show With J Stalin (Instrumentals)
2022: J Stalin & Loverboii - Women & Money 2
2022: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 6)
2022: Music Junkies (Episode 1)
2022: J Stalin & Da Krse - Wired In 4
2022: Tears Of Joy 3
2022: J Stalin & DJ.Fresh - The Real World West Oakland (Part 6 Instrumentals)
2023: Prenuptial Agreement 2
2023: J Stalin & Da Krse - Wired In 5
2023: J Stalin & Young Doe - Diesel Therapy 4
2023: Prenuptial Agreement 2 (Deluxe Edition)
2023: M.O.B. Museum
2024: Me Vs Me
2024: Welcome To The Ghetto
2024: J Stalin & Lyjah - Money Laundering
2024: J Stalin & Young Doe & Anthony Danza - The Bergin Hunt & Fish Club
2024: Me Vs Me 2
2024: Bless You
2024: J Stalin & J Diggs - The 10th Letta
2024: Scarface
2024: Me Vs Me 3
2025: Scarface (Part 2): The Recovery
2025: Scarface 3

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Garrett Caples (April 25, 2006). "Column: Ruling Party: Rising hip-hop star J. Stalin morphs from d-boy to Go Boy". San Francisco Bay Guardian.
^ Black Dog Bone (June 2007). "The Mekanix (Dotrix & Tweed)". Dog Magazine.
^ J. Stalin, Early Morning Shift (album notes), Demolition Man Records
^ Kimberly Chun. "2006 Best Of The Bay: A Vision Of The Future". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
^ Rachel Swan. "MP3 of the Day: J. Stalin's "Banga Dance"". East Bay Express. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
^ "Love in these streets: West Oakland". SLASH magazine. March 10, 2007.
^ Minister of Information JR (June 26, 2007). "Purple Mane: an interview wit' G-Stack of the Delinquents". San Francisco Bayview. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2008.
^ Russell Morse (July 10, 2006). "Oakland is the New Oakland; Stem cell research and the Oakland rap revolution". Youth Outlook. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
^ Garrett Caples (November 21, 2007). "Out of the shadows: Shady Nate, the number two rapper of West Oakland's Livewire crew, emerges as a boss". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.
^ Garrett Caples. "The post-2Pac pack: Did the death of Tupac Shakur throw Bay Area hip-hop into a tailspin? And is there really a "New Bay" rising?". San Francisco Bay Guardian.

External links

J-Stalin's Official MySpace page

[party-1] Garrett Caples (April 25, 2006). "Column: Ruling Party: Rising hip-hop star J. Stalin morphs from d-boy to Go Boy". San Francisco Bay Guardian.

[2] Black Dog Bone (June 2007). "The Mekanix (Dotrix & Tweed)". Dog Magazine.

[ems-3] J. Stalin, Early Morning Shift (album notes), Demolition Man Records

[4] Kimberly Chun. "2006 Best Of The Bay: A Vision Of The Future". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Archived from the original on February 16, 2008. Retrieved February 20, 2008.

[5] Rachel Swan. "MP3 of the Day: J. Stalin's "Banga Dance"". East Bay Express. Retrieved February 25, 2008.

[6] "Love in these streets: West Oakland". SLASH magazine. March 10, 2007.

[7] Minister of Information JR (June 26, 2007). "Purple Mane: an interview wit' G-Stack of the Delinquents". San Francisco Bayview. Archived from the original on October 20, 2007. Retrieved February 20, 2008.

[8] Russell Morse (July 10, 2006). "Oakland is the New Oakland; Stem cell research and the Oakland rap revolution". Youth Outlook. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved February 25, 2008.

[9] Garrett Caples (November 21, 2007). "Out of the shadows: Shady Nate, the number two rapper of West Oakland's Livewire crew, emerges as a boss". San Francisco Bay Guardian. Archived from the original on October 4, 2008. Retrieved February 25, 2008.

[10] Garrett Caples. "The post-2Pac pack: Did the death of Tupac Shakur throw Bay Area hip-hop into a tailspin? And is there really a "New Bay" rising?". San Francisco Bay Guardian.

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v t e DJ Fresh
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