With sponsorship from the Student Union and the Student Programming Association, the Department of Mass Communication welcomed spoken-word artist Propaganda to headline last week’s showcase of the Relate series held in Peltier Auditorium.

Propaganda, whose birth name is Jason Petty, showcased his poetic and musical abilities during his performance at “Relate to Right” held on Feb. 23.

Racial conflict, love and struggles of acceptance were among the topics that Propaganda focused on while on stage. With only a microphone and his laptop, Propaganda got the audience to loosen up and actively get involved with his performance. Propaganda began by reciting a poem which centered on him being “too creative.”

“I was recently told I was too creative.” Propaganda said. “It shook me to the core. I have no excuse for fear.”

Being the son of an ethnocentric father, who was also a member of the Black Panthers, a radical African-American society, Propaganda knew that getting his education was “not necessarily an option.”

“What I mean when I say it was not necessarily an option was that ‘you’re going to college,’ ” Propaganda said as he reminisced about his father’s emphasis on his education. “In his mind, it’s better for all of us. Not just you, but for the entire community.”

Propaganda encouraged young artists to constantly work on their craft.

“Keep writing and absorb and learn everything,” he said. “Study the world, study politics, study art, study it all so you have something to talk about.”

Mass communication professor Farren Clark spoke about how this performance was a personal experience for him as he introduced Propaganda to the audience.

“Personally, when I was a senior here, I was at the Southland Mall, and I saw a CD that immediately caught my attention called ‘Out of Nowhere, (Propaganda’s debut CD),’ ” Clark said. “Knowing that it grabbed my attention, it just felt like the right thing to do to buy it at that time.”

Clark also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Department of Mass Communication, to the Student Union and SPA for their sponsorship of the performance.

“It is just a pleasure to be able to be at a campus that encourages communication across departments and buildings,” Clark said.

Propaganda said he was born and raised in Los Angeles, Calif. in a predominately Mexican neighborhood. He recalled writing his first poem around 2002. Propaganda said he discovered his love for hip-hop music during what was known as the “Golden Age of Hip-Hop,” which featured artists such as X-Clan, Arrested Development, and NWA, who are native to his hometown.

According to The Holy Hip Hop Database at hhhdb.com, Propaganda made his music debut with the Tunnel Rats crew in 2003 on the album entitled “Out of Nowhere.” Since then, he has worked with credited artists such as KRS-One and has traveled across the country, perfecting his craft and showcasing his talents.

Even with all of his success throughout the years, Propaganda said he has heard that he really “was not that good.” He took this statement as advice and continues to keep it in mind.

“It just humbled me immediately, and it make me think that you can’t cruise. You’ve got to work on your craft,” Propaganda said.

Propaganda’s most recent album, “Art Ambidextrous,” is available for download on humblebeast.com and iTunes.