Propaganda's "Crooked" Bows at #4

By Timothy Yap Jul 14, 2017 02:35 AM EDT

Christian rapper Propaganda makes an impressive debut on Billboard's Top Christian Albums chart (dated July 22) as his new album Crooked bows at #4. The set starts with 3,000 equivalent album units (2,000 in traditional sales) in the week ending July 6, according to Nielsen Music. The 38-year-old Los Angeles-based artist (born Jason Emmanuel Petty) previously logged a No. 5 high on Top Christian Albums with Crimson Cord in 2014. His first chart entry, Excellent, reached No. 14 in 2012.

On the project, Propaganda delivers messages about politics and oppression in the Black community. According to him, the album centers around an individual whose been dealt blows by an unjust system, as well as by people who define the word as they all struggle to get past such a corrupt era in history.

Propaganda also discusses his family structure on Crooked. The project, comprised of 14 hard-hitting, poetic tracks and nearly a dozen features, is already being praised as the lyricist's most prized piece of work to date.

Since his debut album, Crimson Cord, in 2014, the L.A. sports fan has gone on to evoke change in the hip-hop community with his stance on socially-charged issues. In recent years, he's toured with De La Soul and appeared at several festivals nationwide, including Warped Tour, Rock The Bells and Smokeout Festival. Most recently, the Christian rap artist was featured on Lecrae's 2016 project, Church Clothes 3.

Stream Propaganda's Crooked below.

Propaganda's Crooked Tracklist

1. "Crooked Ways" Feat. Terence F. Clark
2. "It's Complicated"
3. "Bear with Me" Feat. Marz Ferrer
4. "Cynical" Feat. Aaron Marsh and Sho Baraka
5. "Slow Cook"
6. "Do Know Wrong" Feat. Macho
7. "Gentrify"
8. "I Hate Cats"
9. "Darkie" Feat. Micah Bournes and Jackie Hill-Perry
10. "It's Not Working (The Truth)" Feat. Courtney Orlando
11. "Andrew Mandela" Feat. Topknot Feather
12. "Olympian"
13. "Made Straight" Feat. Audrey Assad
14. "ICPTSD"