There is no school for becoming a successful rapper or a musician. A lot of people spent years and thousands of $ to learn the main keys on how to live from your music. I want to share with you a few of my ideas that really work in my opinion and experience. If you want to be a professional rapper in the future then you should read them all and start using them.
Long Tail Approach
That’s right. You need to think about your music career in the long term. Even if something is not giving you the success straight away it does not mean that it won’t work. A lot of people want results in no way. They think there is a pill for “success”. There is not. You should put an effort and work with patience and look for opportunities. There is many of them around us.
Music and Reality
If you think your music is good enough and your friends really enjoy it and see value in it then you should prove it. The way to convince others to believe in you needs some proof. You can provide concert promoters with a list of local venues that you can sell tickets to your show will help a lot. None of the managers will trust you and make a show if you don’t have fans or haters. Even if your music is very very dope. You know why? Because they need to be sure that $ is alright. They need a proof that they can trust you and profit from your shows. I know it is sad but it is the truth. This is a business.
Self-motivation, Discipline, Perseverance
If you want anyone to invest their resources into your music you need to show them you can be trusted. When you push hard and others see that and they see that you put a lot of effort they will also start to believe in you.If you don’t believe in yourself then no one will believe in you. All big rappers were working a lot of years before big labels signed them. Even if you don’t need a record label and do on your own you still need to put in a work! The main thing is to work with others and get your brand awareness.
Educate yourself
This is one of the most important steps. How do you want to have different results by doing what you do now? You need to start doing other new things to have other results. Read some musical book, or at least meet people who have knowledge. Spend money on education. You must have a budget to invest. I don’t know any rapper who did not invest money in their career and he becomes successful.
The school is not so important. The most important skills are to understand the music industry and how it works. I know people who never been in school and they are rich and healthy. You need to know how to use the internet and resources that you already have. Everyone who has success started from the bottom.
Below are a few good positions that will help you:
Empire State of Mind, by Zack O’Malley Greenburg
Music Entrepreneur Club, by Dame Ritter
Becoming Successful in Hip-Hop (w/ A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie), by Gary Vaynerchuk
Rap Radar Podcast, by Elliott Wilson and Brian “B. Dot” Miller
Music Is Not Everything
If you want supporters and fans. You should give your fan base something that will make them feel connected to you. You need to give them value, or experience they want. Just try to think as a modern rap music fan. What they think about, what they need? What are their desires?
Once you will know that you can promote it an give them so they will stay with you forever! Always be up to date on what is interesting now to the public, and show it your way. I mean you should be yourself all the time and be open-minded for opportunities and new ideas.
You can rap over a popular beat and freestyle about things that are familiar to them. This will make a connection. Remember to respect your supporters, shake hands with them and talk. People don’t like rude people, isn’t it?
Always Have A Strategy
When releasing an album try to build awareness and build tension. Just be interesting. Make people wait for your new tracks. Make phases in that album release. This gives them chance to learn about you. Just take responsibility for your music. Making dope tracks is just 20% of success. The rest is marketing, branding, self-improving.
Formulate a Realistic Plan
Getting signed with a big label in a year is not realistic. Find a way to discover who your core audience is. If you make music that sounds similar like Dre or Snoop, then you should be hitting their fans and look where those kind of people are hanging out. You can also give some of your albums in those places for free and talk with people. You can also do it online. Just start to know people man. There are so many plans and ideas you can make. Just look for them. The easiest way is to find out how other rappers did it. How? Uncle google will tell you! You can also ask me if you want 😉 (contact@lazyridabeats.com).
Form A Team
I think you already know that but it is a very important step. Making beats, mix, and mastering, artworks, promo on your own is very difficult and time-consuming. You should have your producer who makes beats for you or lease them. Also, it will be good if the same person will make a mix & mastering for you. You can get all those things + artworks, logo and web design with us. Just contact me to talk about what you need exactly and I will help you best I can.
By a team, I mean valuable people who know what they are doing. Like in the normal company – everyone has their jobs to do. You need to feel that you are growing with selected people. Everyone needs a job or task that should be performed daily. You shouldn’t be surrounded by “yes men” or only positive speakers. You need people that take action and can help you improve your talents.
Social Media & Press
You need to understand how social media works these days. What is best about them that they are for free. If you know how to promote yourself using them then you are a big step closer to your success. You won’t get many looks in the media if you have no clue how to present your music to it. Professionalism is the key to success and releasing a song via Facebook with zero additional information being sent to hip-hop blogs, websites, deejays of all sorts or fans on your email list is a complete waste of time. You don’t have a record but you need to function and act as you do.
Everyday log into facebook, twitter Instagram and socialize there. Write daily posts. Have a link to your youtube channel or website. Branding is so important. Even if you have dope music people still don’t know that you exist right? That’s why marketing is so important. You need to show that you are there!
We can also help you in social media expand by promoting your profile organically. We make half a year or year campaigns to do so. But in the other hand, you still need to write posts and look for other team members and fans.
You simply need to work with resources you already have and in time they will grow bigger and bigger. Imagine making all those little steps daily. In 365 days, you could grow massively! That is the point. To focus on simple easy steps. You should also try to be everywhere you can. From youtube to LinkedIn or redit.
No One Cares About Your Music
Yes, that’s very sad but the truth… Don’t look for the others, just focus on your dreams and keep pushing. You are not the only artist that thinks your music will change the world trust me. Do everything you can. Make a plan. Start to educate, start taking action.
Contracts
There are many different contract types in the music business. You need to have a lawyer when you hit a certain point. Always read all contract you have and be sure that you understand them. No one will give you a million dollars if they think you are stupid or don’t have proper knowledge about how to use it to grow. Labels and companies don’t care about your music. They care about how much money they can make with you. Remember that you are an author and you need to be sure that you won’t lose too much.
So the most important thing is to look at what actually works. Try things, don’t be scared if something will go wrong. It will make you closer to your goal. Everyone makes mistakes but not everyone put conclusions from them and get better.
I believe in you. Now go and put this in work!
Feel free to get in contact with me 😉 Looking forward to it
Hope this article gave you some ideas.
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