Top 5 records that inspired ‘Propaganda’ by Johnny (From the Burbs)

Ta13oo – Denzel Curry

Earlier this year, Denzel Curry released this album and it is truly a banger. From start to finish, the energy exerted on every track is monolithic. I’d already written one or two tracks for Propaganda by the time this was released; however, when it dropped I was riding a wave of creative energy for two weeks. This album inspired me to focus on my flows and vocal delivery because I was astounded at the talent on here. Another last note about this album: I came into hip-hop as a full-fledged metalhead, and some of the beats on here are like breakdowns. It’s wild.

Flower Boy – Tyler, The Creator

Tyler, The Creator has been a favourite of mine since I got into hip-hop in 2016. Flower Boy came out in August of 2017, about a week before I recorded my first JFTB track. The album has been a massive musical, lyrical and vocal influence for me. Tyler’s beyond creative production style and dangerously smooth flow are things that accelerated my love for hip-hop, and all those qualities culminate on Flower Boy. Also, shout-outs to anyone with bee tattys.

**The Saturation Trilogy – BROCKHAMPTON**

Sticky beats, infectious hooks and varied flows and voices make up the one-of-a-kind content BROCKHAMPTON are putting out. There are a bunch of stand-out guys in the group, but JOBA and Dom are two that I find super engaging on another level. The Sat Trilogy, however, means something else for me – an extremely admirable work ethic that was a big influence on myself and how I wanted to approach music.

All-Amerikkkan Bada$$ – Joey Bada$$

Joey is one of those dudes I slept on for a while; I actually got into him from a Denzel song. This was out for a little bit before I gave it a spin, but when I did I was hit with poetic lyricism and incredible beat selection. I go crazy for hip-hop with a political undertone (in most cases).

Veteran – JPEGMafia

JPEGMafia is a crazy talented producer and rapper. He takes thinking outside of the box to a new level. I can’t say my production is anywhere as layered or polished as his; however, Peggy’s production style was a big influence on a couple of tracks on the EP. Veteran is one of those albums where it may take a couple tries to really get into it, but once you do you can appreciate how interesting it is.