Prop

Jason “Prop” Petty is the host of Hood Politics. Follow him on Twitter here. Follow Hood Politics on Twitter here.

How would you describe Hood Politics in 10 words or less?
10 words?! Okay here we go: If you understand and survived the inner city, you understand politics. 

I’ve been pointing people to Bridget Todd’s episode about cap—where do you think people should start if they’re new to your work?
I’m somewhat of a polymath so it’s hard to say what the best entry point is. There’s the hiphop side of me so I’d say start with my album called “Crooked,” for the poetry and literary work I’d say start with my book Terraform. For the pod? I’d say Bridget’s episode is actually perfect.  

Why did you start the show?
I was a high school history teacher in Pomona, Ca, the last city on the east side of LA county. It’s a largely black and brown, low income population. In working with the students, i saw a lot of me in them. Most of time when it came to school, it’s not that I didn’t understand what I was being taught, I just had difficulty in showing my knowledge in the form that white dominate culture wanted. So over the years i got really good at translating. So the pod really was to onboard kids like me, BIPOC from the city, who actually have an intelligence base that’s just not affirmed. I want to ultimately onboard us into the political world. 

What is your real name, and why do you go by Prop?
Jason is my name, and Prop is short for Propaganda. It’s my music stage name. My cousin gave it to me when I was 16 and it just stuck. We actually just thought propaganda was a cool word. But as we grew we saw that it actually embodied my life’s work. I was a visual artist first, then rapper, then teacher. It’s all Prop. 

Who is the show for?
I’m definitely not one to gate-keep who gets to listen to show. But whom i picture in my head is the person who’s well versed in the culture and is pretty sure they know what they are talking about but doesn’t really have the words to articulate it. I basically want them to know they aren’t crazy. 

Who doesn’t listen to your show but should?
That’s a good question… my gut says… the rest the 6 billion people online.” Ha. I guess if you pin me down, I’d wish more conservative folks listened. 

Do you check your download numbers or is ignorance bliss?
I hate checking the numbers. I’m never happy after. 

How do you vet ads to use on Hood Politics? What’s cool, and what’s not?
Mostly if they align or are inconsequential to my morals. iHeart has an ad randomizer so I don’t hand select them. But there’s a check list of who NOT to let advertise. I ain’t tryin to hear no military, law enforcement, no diet supplements, no plastic surgery. Things of those sorts. 

Can you tell us about Cool Zone Media and what it’s trying to do?
Cool Zone is dope! It’s Robert Evans and Sophie Lichtermans’ baby. The idea is really around taking a real truthful look at the mess we’ve made of the world, but not to just stare at it but help imagine a way forward. 

What does the podcast industry have to do better about?
It’s hard to put a finger on, but there’s a lot of overlap with the pod and music industries. It’s starting to feel like the podcast industry is picking up a bunch of bad habits from the record industry. I think it would be great to see an effort to forge their own way of doing contracts and marketing.

What do you love about podcasting?
The intimacy you can develop with the audience. That weekly check-in can feel like an actual friendship and although it’s definitely going one way, i still feel a sense of connection to the listener.

What’s the suckiest part about being a podcaster? 
I think it might be unique to me, but the content I choose to cover can be quite a kill joy. The fact that I gotta constantly pay attention to the news gets draining. 

What have you learned while making the show?
Prolly that we love myths deeply because we believe they make us who we are. I think Americans feel like they have never taken any Ls so the idea that we may not always be a superpower feels anathema. But it’s more and more clear that our time on top is ending… and that’s okay! We will be fine. 

Who are your listeners? Do you have any interesting stories about engagement with them, or getting good feedback from them?
My listeners are so dope! They are mostly Latino but VERY diverse across gender race and class. I was in fact very surprised by the amount of listeners I have that are incarcerated. 

How has the show itself changed since it began?
I got challenged by some actual gangsters about the premise and name of the show because hood politics also means the politics between gangs. If I’m not a gangster, then what business do I have doing a show about gang life? So that convo really made me hone in on what I’m trying to convey. I think that got more focused on what I mean by “hood” because as you can see i mean something much more broader than crips and bloods. And the reality that real people have died over those colors so to make sure I’m actually handling the content with respect to those brothers and sisters. 

What’s a show you love that everyone already knows about?
Hardcore History! 

What’s a show you love that not enough people know about?
Believe it or not, Bible Project.

Thanks, Prop!