Video: J. Stalin & Dj.Fresh – “Cops & Robbers”

The West Oakland Rapper and the Popular Bay Area DJ Recruit Child Actors for a Video from Miracle & Nightmare On 10th Street Part 2

11.27.2018

Critical Praise:

“Vibrant and exploding with personality, J. Stalin is a knowing, mischievous wise-ass whose charisma hangs between unapologetic cockiness and the ability to cut through rap’s fantasy-addled drug fetishism and provide sobering reality.” – Pitchfork

“One of Oakland’s illest MCs” – XXL

“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

“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:

Bringing a lockstep flow and slick wordplay, J. Stalin is one of Oakland’s most beloved cult emcees. Dramatically illustrating how childhood games can turn tragically real, J. Stalin shares “Cops & Robbers,” his latest video. Produced by Dj.Fresh, “Cops & Robbers” is a propulsive and unsettling slapper, complete with droning organ and untuned synth bass, as Stalin lays down the law of the streets–laws that conflict with the laws of the state. Premiered by HYPEBEAST, “Cops & Robbers” portrays Stalin as a child, playing cops & robbers with his white friend, eventually flashing forward to the future where Stalin is a criminal and his friend is a cop. The video ends with a confrontation, a gunshot, and a fade-to-black, leaving the outcome of the confrontation up to the viewer’s imagination. “Cops & Robbers” is the latest video from Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street Part 2, a double-album by Stalin and Dj.Fresh, following the sinister, XXL-premiered “Nightmare on 10th Street Returns” and the luxurious “Living Lavish.”

With a well-worn and electric studio chemistry, Bay Area icons J. Stalin and Dj.Fresh have join forces for a long list hard-hitting collaborations. Reuniting for their 9th and 10th albums, Stalin and Dj.Fresh share Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street Part 2. The sequel to Fresh and Stalin’s Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street, which reached #28 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart upon its release in 2013, Part 2 spans two 10-track discs, each organized on the the nightmare and miracle of life in Stalin’s neighborhood in Oaktown. Packed with detailed street stories, creative brags and threats, and memorable turns-of-phrase, Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street Part 2 brims with electricity, as Dj.Fresh provides a bright electro-funk backdrop for the Miracle disc and an aggressive, bass-heavy mob soundscape for the Nightmare disc. Featuring appearances from Beeda Weeda, Shady Nate, Juneonnabeat, Mitchy Slick, and other East Bay stalwarts, Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street releases via Livewire/EMPIRE.

Watch “Cops & Robbers”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmuwkASFP8I

Check out the HYPEBEAST premiere: https://hypebeast.com/2018/11/dj-fresh-j-stalin-cops-and-robbers-video-interview-2018

Buy Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street Part 2: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/miracle-nightmare-on-10th-street-pt-2/1440071710?app=itunes

Miracle & Nightmare on 10th Street 2 tracklist:

Nightmare on 10th Street:
1. Nightmare On 10th Street Returns
2. Pussy N***a
3. The Livewire Trap (feat. Shady Nate & Joseph Kay)
4. Takin’ No S**t
5. Facts (feat. Mitchy Slick)
6. Bitches & Bands
7. Billion Dollar Boys Club
8. Do’s & Don’ts
9/ Trappin’ Addict
10. I Don’t Love These Hoes (feat. P. Hustle, Big Homie Lil Tony & J-Stew)

Miracle on 10th Street:
1. Ain’t It a Blessing (feat. Big Homie Lil Tony)
2. Livewire Party (feat. The Mekanix)
3. Childhood Dreams (feat. Vellione & Lil Chief Baby Wipes)
4. Living Lavish
5. Bubble Gum Candy Fruit (feat. June & Beeda Weeda)
6. Cash On Delivery (feat. P. Hustle)
7. Unloyalty (feat. Joseph Kay & Young Spudd)
8. Cops & Robbers
9. Hide and Go Get It (feat. Joseph Kay)
10. What You Want From Me