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| 80s magazine advertisement for beats |
Recently, a serious question was asked by an aspiring rapper on a music forum. The question was: how to (or how he/she could) get started as a rapper."
Now, I'm no rap guru. Nor, have I made an album. So, I simply stuck to a basic marketing formula and strategy that anyone can use to become successful - and, maybe even Great.
And, I didn't blow smoke up his backside either... He (or she) claims to be good already. And, if you 're good already, all you need to do is to remain a student of the game. Keep developing your style, persona, and how you deliver your verses.
Anyway...
If you already sing, rap, or play a musical instrument, or whatever, you can use these basic tips to get your name out there and become successful.
First, always keep in mind that you want to get better with wordplay,
metaphors, your inflection, your delivery, and even your pitch.
Two, never fall in love with any one of your own songs. Keep striving for deeper levels of your message.
Three, always be a student of the game.
Four, remember that the rap business is not always about rap. It's also
about business - marketing, promotion, selling yourself as well as your
music. It's not just enough to be good. Many rappers and freestylers are
good and even great, but they are also "unknowns" and broke.
Find free beats online - YouTube is a good source. You don't have to try
to sell your music right off the bat. Just get your name and persona
out there. Make as many songs as you can make and promote them. People
will start to hear about you and even if the majority of you songs
aren't hot, chances are you may have a classic or two in the bunch. And,
you can always rewrite or recycle what wasn't considered hot.
Don't forget to network with other rappers, producers, and promoters - whether they're famous or
not - who might have connections that you both could use to get better
beats, promotion, live performances, or major connections.
If you don't have a YouTube or some other social network account, then get one and post some of your hottest music on there.
And, don't hang on and treasure your music until your CD comes out. Keep making and pushing music (to promote yourself) and work on your CD at the same time. Think about it: Before anybody would throw away their hard-earned money on a CD from an
unknown rapper, they'll spend it on drinks and snacks first. If you have
some hot tracks put them out there so the World knows you exist! Don't wait for studio time or wait to
have that stuff remixed and mixed down... PUT IT OUT THERE. I don't care
if it's the hottest songs you've ever made in your life, put it out
there. Don't wait and waste time. If you stay in the game, you will
always get better and make even hotter tracks. So, put the good stuff
out there and keep making more and better music.
PLUS!
If the song you make is as HOT as you think it is, eventually, people will want to hear it performed live. And, WHO else is going to perform Your song better than You???
Therefore, with the right attitude, professionalism, management, and connections, live shows will help the cash flow.
And, Don't wait on record deals and all of that kind of crap. If you are hot and your music is hot (and if you are networking like you're supposed to) you WILL BE FOUND. Network with
people. Perform for free at shows. Use some of your material in
"freestyle" battles. Many rappers don't spit off top of the dome. They
freestyle and spit verses from various songs they've wrote or memorized.
Let people know about your website with your music on it. Don't waste
your time passing out CDs. If you have a track that you believe is super
hot, upload them to itunes, or bandcamp, or mixxyer, or wherever so
that you can get paid that way. Sell your music on sites that allow
people to download ringtones also. You can sell CDs at any time. But,
don't wait or depend on CDs.
You could also sell directly from your website if you get one. And, you
may be able to get a free site to do this with or maybe Facebook. You'll
just have to research to find what's good and FAIR out there.
As you develop your skills and following, at the same time, find a good
brave yapper with a level head. I'm talking about a PR person. It could
be a friend or girlfriend or cousin. But, find someone who loves your
music and wants to share it with the world. Word of mouth is the best
way to become successful in anything.
The MAIN thing to remember is this...
Go Hard.
Hustle as hard as you can for as long as you can.
DZLMEDIA (TM) - "Your Gateway To The Good Life"
