Video: J. Stalin – “Reality”

The Livewire CEO Revisits His Rough Past and Celebrates His Future in the Mass Appeal-Premiered Video for the Gas Nation 2 Highlight

10.13.2017

Critical Praise:

“As the owner of Livewire Records, West Oakland rapper J Stalin provides a place for the growth of incredibly creative, meat-and-potatoes Bay Area hip-hop. The label hosts gritty rubbery street music that navigates crack dealing devastation and grounded partying tracks with equal aplomb, with artists that range from Stalin himself to MCs like Shady Nate and Philthy Rich among others.” – SPIN

“J Stalin pushes the envelope by vividly reiterating his Mob Bay Area persona and turmoil of his harsh upbringing.” – XXL

“This is what Stalin does: he takes things–sounds, human beings, grocery stores–and warps them into something extraterrestrial. It’s eerie, but you’re dancing anyway.” – Passion of the Weiss

The Video:

A mob music master with a slick sense of street lyricism, J. Stalin is West Oakland’s favorite son. A respected businessman and a prolific rapper, J. Stalin exemplifies the Bay Area hustle. Riding roughshod over a slap-heavy mob instrumental, J. Stalin gives a glimpse into his life on “Reality,” his new video premiered by Mass Appeal. “Reality” finds Stalin ruminating on his drug-dealing past, thinking about the immense work it took for him to get out of the hood. In the video, Stalin celebrates his new reality, rocking gold chains, lamping with his friends, and throwing parties in his beautiful house. “Reality” follows the video “Play Me,” a June-featuring slapper, which has earned more than 47,000 YouTube views since its release last week.

“Reality” is the latest video from Gas Nation 2, Stalin’s 18th studio album, released last month. With features from Berner, Philthy Rich, Lil Blood, Shady Nate, Lazy Boy, Joseph Kay, JuneOnnaBeat, KD, and AK-47, Gas Nation 2 is an intensely personal work, packed speaker-knocking, sparkling mob instrumentals and some of Stalin’s best ever bars

Repping his West Oakland neighborhood and providing his own take on hyphy and mob music with his unique wordplay, J. Stalin is one of the Bay Area’s most respected emcees. Released in 2008, the first Gas Nation found J. Stalin in a vastly different stage in life–hustling on the streets to make ends meet, packing a gun (or “gas” in Oakland slang) every day, and caring for his 12-year-old sister after his mom moved to Las Vegas. Fast-forward 10 year later, J. Stalin is now an established rapper and a legitimate business owner, managing the catalogs of 10 artists on his Livewire label, and opening two profitable barber shops. For J. Stalin, the original Gas Nation was the beginning of his evolution into a unique artist and the start of his transformation from a lawbreaker to an upstanding member of his community. With Gas Nation 2, Stalin revisits the mindset of his younger self with the wisdom and perspective of his current self, creating a moody and thought-provoking collection of well-crafted rap songs.

Watch “Reality”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy7LW3UzBu8

Check out the Mass Appeal premiere: https://massappeal.com/j-stalin-reality-video-premiere/

Watch “Play Me”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E_EBiEwARE

Gas Nation 2: https://soundcloud.com/jstalinlivewire/sets/gas-nation-2// https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/gas-nation-2/id1290551814?ls=1

Gas Nation 2 tracklist:
1. Battery Acid (Prod. by Carter Boy)
2. One Thing ft. Young Mezzy (Prod. by JP Bangz)
3. Reality (Prod. by JP Bangz)
4. In My Feelins (Prod. by TD Staps)
5. I Cant Wait (Prod. by L Fingaz)
6. Making Hoes Mad ft. Shady Nate, Lazy-Boy, Joseph Kay and KD Tha Goer (Prod. by JuneOnnaBeat)
7. Big Deposits ft. Joseph Kay & Philthy Rich (Prod. by C Note Cash)
8. Play Me Feat June (Prod. by White Rocks)
9. Cocaine Histeria ft. Berner & Joseph Kay (Prod. by JuneOnnaBeat)
10. Like Me ft. AK 47 (Prod. by AK 47)
11. Remember Your Name ft. Joseph Kay (Prod. by Devious One)
12. So Dangers ft. Joseph Kay (Prod. by C Note Cash)
13. Night Rider (Prod. by Scorp Dezel)
14. Ya Momma House ft. Lil Blood (Prod. by Smiley On the Beat)
15. Undefeated (Prod. by L Fingaz)
16. Burn This Whole City Down ft. Mistah FAB & Joseph Kay (Prod. by White Rocks)