J. Stalin, real name Jovan Smith, is a rap musician from the Cypress Village housing projects in West Oakland. In 2007, he signed to Zoo Entertainment Production Company run by artist Mekanix, who described his style as a variant of Hyphy known as "Go". He is also the Owner of Livewire Records, President of Town Thizzness ENT, which is a sub-division of the late Mac Dre's Thizz ENT. 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 trains.