Take Note is a spotlight series that features music artists that are arguably not mainstream enough and deserve your attention. Last month we featured Lunchmoney Lewis, now here is the spoken word-hip hop hybrid of Propaganda.
Humble Beast Records
Who: Jason Emmanuel Petty, aka “Propaganda”
From the soil that grew Jim Morrison, Kendrick Lamar, and countless other cultural harvests, comes Propaganda. Born in Los Angeles, Propaganda knew poverty, experienced racial tension as a minority in a predominantly Hispanic neighborhood, and decided to arm himself. An introspective voice that can successfully meet with an explosive heart became the weaponry he chose to equip himself with.
Propaganda’s “Beautiful Pain” off of Selected Songs illustrates his artistic brushstrokes and depth. In my interpretation, Propaganda escaped a physical poverty to discover a spiritual prosperity.
You is looking at a lastborn, rightful heir to the throne, son of a nobody with poverty in my bones, and that's beautiful
We ain't never had nothing, but nothing was sufficient
It kept my belly full of the stuff the rich was missing, and that's beautiful
Why should we become earbuds?
Propaganda sculpts verbal and musical Michelangelos. Why not treat your ears to this goodness? Check him out, I dare you.
In one word, his work can be labeled as “religious.” But it is much more than that. This isn’t merely Gospel, it’s hip hop as it was meant to be. Hip hop’s roots are in poetry, just as Propaganda’s are. The landscape of Los Angeles, his hometown, is lyrical in a way. His words are more than religious, they’re political and socially active. His words will make you think.
Check out more of Mr. Petty on Spotify.
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