A legend of the Bay Area known for his commitment both to his craft and his West Oakland community, J. Stalin is a perfect example of the region’s hustler spirit. Taking a beat from the gritty rawness of his mob music sound to focus on some extra-marital extra-curriculars, Stalin shares his seductive new video for “To Do List,” the June Poole-assisted highlight from his recent Prenuptial Agreement 2 album. Backed by an airy synth instrumental and anchored by June Poole’s seductively saturated R&B hook, “To Do List” finds Stalin taking full advantage of his departure from the more hard-nosed themes of the streets to let his freak flag fly: “She gon’ bring the freak out tonight, cause it’s a full moon/I be going crazy in that thing like a baboon.”
The video for “To Do List,” which arrives shortly after the clip for project highlight, “Who U Talkin 2 (ft. June),” finds Stalin cruising in a slick white convertible as visions of a scantily-clad baddie filling out her titular to-do list in a notebook bounce around his head. As he hopes and prays that she has his name written there, Stalin daydreams about a to-do list of his own as the video progresses, until she ultimately checks him off.
Returning to the 2010 breakout project that made him a regional star and creating a 17-track document aimed to bring back the mob era, Prenuptial Agreement 2 is a showcase for Stalin’s raspy vocals, brutally honest lyrics, and peerless ability to navigate mob instrumentals. Moving from love songs to hustlers’ anthems and back with effortless ease, the album features production from OG Mob architects like The Mekanix, Clayton Williams, and Mike Made The 808s, plus younger beatmakers like Juneonnabeat. Like the Pitchfork-acclaimed original, which brought guest spots from the likes of E-40 and The Jacka, Prenuptial Agreement brings an eclectic cast of characters, from fellow Oaklanders like Philthy Rich, 22nd Jim, and Jane Handcock standing up for the 357, and street heroes from other cities, like Florida’s Jackboy and Stockton’s EBK Young Joc, who sound right at home.
Loyal to the grind and his family, J. Stalin is building a legacy for himself and the Oakland scene he hails from. With Prenuptial Agreement 2, the proudly independent artist cements his rightful place in Bay Area history.
© 2023, Seth "Digital Crates" Barmash. All rights reserved.
