Author: HipHopsRevival

In November 2006, in the midst of the first Hyphy boom, West Oakland slick-talker J. Stalin delivered his debut album, On Behalf of the Streets. Created in collaboration with legendary Bay Area sound architects The Mekanix, J. Stalin crafted a street classic, fusing the Bay’s signature mob and hyphy sounds with gritty hood tales and detail-oriented realism. It took J. Stalin a full decade and fifteen studio albums, but he finally created a proper sequel; an album worthy of bearing his debut’s title. Rejoining The Mekanix for a 22-track opus, J. Stalin announces On Behalf of the Streets 2, releasing on October 28th.

A versatile effort with a long list of guest stars, On Behalf of the Streets 2 is a worthy follow-up to the original album. Featuring appearances from IAMSU!, K Camp, Nef The Pharaoh, Lil Bood, G-Eazy, Philthy Rich, Slim 400, Rayven Justice, Celly Ru, 4Rax of the Mekanix, Young Doe, G-Stack, Erk Da Jerk and a posthumous appearance from The Jacka, among others, OBOTS 2 is an epic listening experience, effortlessly gliding from style-to-style, never growing stale or repetitive. Though the guest appearances and the glistening Mekanix production demands attention, J. Stalin is the main attraction, adding his raspy gravitas and crafting memorable couplets and concepts for every track. Following up last year’s Tears of Joy, On Behalf of the Streets 2 is well worth the decade-long wait and is one of J. Stalin’s strongest full-length efforts yet.

A stand-out track off the album, “West Oakland N*gga” is OBOTS 2’s lead single, premiered by HotNewHipHop. Rhyming over a bass heavy instrumental courtesy of The Mekanix, J. lets everyone know exactly who he is and where he stays posted. With a classic Bay Area sound “West Oakland N*gga” demonstrates the album’s authentic perspective on street issues. Releasing via J. Stalin’s Livewire Records, On Behalf of the Streets 2 hits stores and DSPs on October 28th.