Hip-hop has plenty of comeback stories. Few are as staggering or as heavy as X-Raided’s. At 17, he was sentenced to 31 years to life in a case where prosecutors used his lyrics and cover art as evidence. He ended up serving more than 26 years behind bars. Now free, signed to Strange Music, and maintaining his innocence.
X-Raided continues to use his platform for something bigger than music; he’s an artist and an advocate for prison reform and restorative justice, as he creates and lives his life on his own terms.
His new album, A Prophecy In Purgatory (October 3), sounds exactly like its title—haunted by the past but driven by purpose. It isn’t just a hip-hop record, it’s a testimony, reckoning, and survival all at once. X-Raided’s story isn’t polished or simplified. It’s raw, it’s haunted, and it matters.
The production is thick and cinematic, from the title track to “Ecclesiastes” to the eerie “Harrowing of Hell,” X-Raided raps like a man writing prophecy in real time.
Guest spots elevate the album without diluting its gravity. Brotha Lynch Hung, C-Bo, and Luni Coleone reconnect on “Outside (Three Kings)” with a chemistry that feels like a time capsule from Sacramento’s hardest years. Tech N9ne detonates “Damnation” with his machine-gun delivery, while Mozzy’s appearance on closer “Still Outside” doubles as both respect and handoff between generations.
Purgatory is not easy listening, and it’s not meant to be. It’s dense, layered, heavy with theology and autobiography. But that’s what makes it essential. X-Raided refuses to separate art from life, or scars from salvation.
X-Raided built a cult following with a series of raw, unflinching projects recorded behind prison walls, including Xorcist, Unforgiven, and The Initiation. Upon his release, he continued to create, with The Execution of X-Raided and Realities, Rumors & Real Talk, proving his pen had only sharpened with time. Now signed to Tech N9ne’s Strange Music, he continues to push his artistry forward with A Prophecy In Purgatory, blending lived experience with cinematic storytelling. With over a dozen albums and a legacy forged in survival, X-Raided stands as one of hip-hop’s most uncompromising and resilient voices. https://musicexistence.com/blog/2025/10/06/x-raided-a-prophecy-in-purgatory-out-october-3-via-strange-music/
Tracklist:
[03:30] 01. A Prophecy in Purgatory
[00:52] 02. Three Days in Hades (Skit)
[04:09] 03. Ecclesiastes
[04:04] 04. Harrowing of Hell
[03:33] 05. HeLa Cells
[03:36] 06. Queen of Hearts
[03:24] 07. Outside (Three Kings) feat. C-Bo & Brotha Lynch Hung
[03:03] 08. What’s My Name feat. Luni Coleone & Marvaless
[02:02] 09. Bacc Outside feat. T-Nutty, LIQ & Big Meek
[03:51] 10. Def Defying feat. Bleezo & King Infent
[00:37] 11. The Crucifixion (Skit)
[03:49] 12. Damnation feat. Tech N9ne
[03:47] 13. Acidic Disposition
[03:02] 14. Soldier feat. C-Bo
[03:21] 15. Youthanized
[03:58] 16. Thug Psalms
[03:20] 17. Measure of Wealth
[03:32] 18. A Song for Grandparents
[04:20] 19. Hail Mary
[03:12] 20. Still Outside feat. Mozzy