J Stalin

Infobox musical artist
Name = J Stalin

---

Img_capt =
Img_size = 140
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Jovan Smith
Alias =
Born =
Genre = Hip hop, hardcore hip hop, hyphy
Occupation = Rapper
Songwriter
Years_active = 2002 - present
Associated_acts =
Label =
URL =

J Stalin (IPA: [dʒeɪ stælɪn] ) (b. Jovan Smith (IPA: [dʒoʊvən smɪθ] ) is a rap musician from Cypress Village in the neighborhood of West Oakland in Oakland, California, United States. In 2007 he signed to Zoo Entertainment Production Company run by Oakland, California artist Mekanix, who described his style as a variant of Hyphy known as "Go". [cite news|publisher=Murder Dog Magazine|author=Black Dog Bone|title=The Mekanix (Dotrix & Tweed)|date=June, 2007]

Biography

J-Stalin claims in an interview that he was born into poverty and earned money as a child by selling candy bars on the BART subway trains. Around age thirteen, he began recording and selling rap music.Fact|date=February 2008J-Stalin, "Early Morning Shift" (album notes), Demolition Man Records ] A member of Oakland's hyphy culture, he is described by a local magazine as a "rapper and sideshow participant". [cite news |title=Oakland Hyphy Sideshows Get A Supreme Court Reprieve, Sort Of |url=http://blogs.sfweekly.com/thesnitch/2007/07/oakland_hyphy_sideshows_get_a.php |publisher=San Francisco Weekly |accessdate=2008-02-08 |date=2007-07-31 |author=Ty Callister]

Musical career

Although young and boyish-looking, J-Stalin adopted a tough rapper persona. [cite news |url=http://www.eastbayexpress.com/blogs/mp3_of_the_day__j__stalin_s__banga_dance_/Content?oid=554332 |publisher=East Bay Express |author=Rachel Swan |title=MP3 of the Day: J. Stalin's "Banga Dance" |accessdate=2008-02-25] He 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." [cite news |publisher=San Francisco Bay Guardian |title=2006 Best Of The Bay: A Vision Of The Future |author=Kimberly Chun |url=http://www.sfbg.com/2006bob/ent.php |accessdate=2008-02-20] In a recent interview he remarked about his home and lifestyle, "This is West Oakland, man. This is the bottom 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. [cite news |url=http://www.stashonline.com/blaster.php?xnewsaction=getcomments&newsarch=032007&newsid=7 |publisher=SLASH magazine |title=Love in these streets: West Oakland |date=2007-03-10]

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.. 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. He later recorded and performed with artists such as G-Stack, [cite news |title=Purple Mane: an interview wit’ G-Stack of the Delinquents |date=2007-06-26 |url=http://www.sfbayview.com/20070626240/News/Panel/Purple_Mane_an_interview_wit_G-Stack_of_the_Delinquents.html |publisher=San Francisco Bayview |author=Minister of Information JR] , Beeda Weeda of the Hieroglyphics collective [cite news |accessdate=2008-02-25 |url=http://www.youthoutlook.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=6df0ee1eeaf50d450eb215ddb4bf1a44 |publisher=Youth Outlook |title=Oakland is the New Oakland; Stem cell research and the Oakland rap revolution |author=Russell Morse |date=2006-07-10] , Keak Da Sneak and San Quinn [cite news |url=http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=5007&catid=107 |publisher=San Francisco Bay Guardian |title=Out of the shadows: Shady Nate, the number two rapper of West Oakland's Livewire crew, emerges as a boss |author=Garrett Caples |date=2007-11-21 |accessdate=2008-02-25] , E-40, The Luniz, The Team, The Frontline, Mob Figaz, Yukmouth, Numskull, Shock G, and others.Fact|date=February 2008 As of 2006 he had released roughly 7 mixtapes and had four releases scheduled for 2007.cite web |url=http://cgi.sfbg.com/printable_entry.php?entry_id=402 |title=Column: Ruling Party: Rising hip-hop star J-Stalin morphs from d-boy to Go Boy |date=2006-04-25 |author=Garrett Caples |publisher="San Francisco Bay Guardian"] Mekanix and Zoo Entertainment released "On Behalf of the Streets" in early May 2007. [cite news |publisher=San Francisco Bay Guardian |title=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? |author=Garrett Caples |url=http://www.sfbg.com/39/24/cover_post_2pac.html]

References

External links

* [http://www.myspace.com/jstalinofficialpage J-Stalin Official MySpace page]
* [http://www.discogs.com/artist/J+Stalin Discogs.com biography]
*allmusicguide|id=11:a9fwxqqrldke