Propaganda (musician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Propaganda
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Propaganda performing at the Murray Hill Theatre in 2018.
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Jason Emmanuel Petty |
| Born | May 27, 1979 Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip-hop, spoken word, underground hip-hop |
| Occupation(s) | Rapper, pastor, poet |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Labels | UpRok, Tunnel Rat, End of Earth, Humble Beast, Empire, RMG |
| Associated acts | Tunnel Rats, Footsoldiers, Odd Thomas, Beautiful Eulogy, Lover of Rose Park Coffee Roasters |
Jason Emmanuel Petty (born May 27, 1979), who is better known by his stage name Propaganda, is an American hip-hop artist. He is also a spoken word artist and poet from Los Angeles, California. Spoken word is a type of poetry that is performed out loud.
Propaganda has released seven albums on his own. He has also worked with other artists, like Odd Thomas and Derek Minor, on special albums. He was a member of the underground hip hop group Tunnel Rats.
Contents
Early Life and Career Beginnings
Jason Emmanuel Petty was born in Los Angeles, California, on May 27, 1979. When he was young, his family moved to a mostly Mexican neighborhood. As the only Black kid there, he sometimes felt like an outsider.
Later, his family moved to the suburbs. There, they were one of the few Black families. These experiences gave him a unique view of the world, which he later shared in his music and poetry. As a kid, he learned to rap, dance, and create art like graffiti and paintings.
Joining the Tunnel Rats
In 2002, a group of artists called the Tunnel Rats discovered Petty's talent. He was first featured on an album called Speak Life by an artist named Sev Statik. A year later, in 2003, Petty officially joined the Tunnel Rats.
On April 8, 2003, he released his first solo album, Out of Knowhere. He continued to work with the Tunnel Rats and a related group called Footsoldiers. He even appeared on a song with the famous rapper KRS-One. In 2008, he released his second album, Listen Watch Focus.
Rise to Fame
Propaganda signed with a record label called Humble Beast Records, which is based in Portland. He released four albums with them.
His first album with the label was Art Ambidextrous, a project he created with another artist named Odd Thomas in 2011.
Hitting the Charts
In 2012, Propaganda's album Excellent became very popular. It reached number 7 on the Billboard Top Gospel chart. This was a huge achievement for him.
His next album, Crimson Cord, came out in 2014 and was also a big success. In 2017, he released Crooked, an album that explored important questions about society and fairness.
Propaganda has toured all over the country. He has performed with artists like Murs and Sho Baraka.
Work Outside of Music
Besides being a rapper and poet, Jason Petty has done many other things to help his community. He has worked as a youth pastor and led a poetry team called Selah.
In 2013, he worked with the organization I Am Second to host a poetry competition for other artists.
He also creates podcasts to share his ideas. In 2017, he and his wife, Dr. Alma Zaragoza-Petty, made "The Red Couch Podcast" to talk about social justice. In 2020, he started another podcast called "Hood Politics with Prop." He has also appeared as a guest on other podcasts, where he has discussed topics like American history.
Discography
- Out of Knowhere – 2003
- Listen Watch Focus – 2008
- Art Ambidextrous (with Odd Thomas) – 2011
- Excellent – 2012
- Crimson Cord – 2014
- Crooked – 2017
- Nothing But a Word (with Derek Minor) – 2019
- Terraform: The People (with DJ Mal-Ski) - 2021
- Terraform: The Sky (with L's) - 2021
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
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| 2003 | The Battle for L.A.: Footsoldiers, Vol. 1 | Himself | Documentary film |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | The Box, 4 sessions | Himself | Bible Study film |
