Do You Want To Make It In Hip Hop?

[JIMMY CONWAY]

With today’s rise in technology, aspiring rap and hip-hop artists have a better chance than ever to fulfill their dream of becoming a music legend. But, because new technology has made it easier for artists to produce their music, it means that there is a much greater amount of mediocre talent out there that your music must cut through to be noticed. Although it is always hard to start out as an unknown rap artist, there are a number of key points that you can consider to give yourself an edge over the competition.

Knowledge is Key - Make sure that you know and understand your craft. It is absolutely essential that you study music theory, and also the styles and sub-genres of hip-hop and rap music. Doing this will ensure that you are fluent in understanding your music and can communicate clearly with labels, producers, and even other musicians about the direction of your music.

Be Unique – Create and use a technique in your style that distinguishes you from the other rappers trying to make it in the industry. No listeners want to hear another rapper that sounds like other rappers. If you can create something unique about your style, you will have a much better chance at being discovered. A perfect example of this is the rap artist Tyler the Creator. He and his group “Odd Future” are known for being dark, vulgar, and having an “against authority” attitude that separates them from the crowd.

Have Great Lyrics – A key component of any great rap song is the ability of the lyrics to convey a meaningful message. This is a huge aspect of rap music, and should be a tool of yours that you develop over time and practice. Of course, any good song must have a flow and usually a rhyme scheme that sounds catchy to the listener, but what makes a great rap song is the ability of the song to have very meaningful lyrics that carry along that flow and rhyme scheme.

Quality Makes a Difference – A major component that determines whether or not listeners take your music seriously is the quality of the actual sound. This seems obvious, but you would be surprised by how many artists choose to overlook audio quality to save money. Fortunately, audio equipment advancements have allowed many artists to produce their own music for a relatively small amount of money. Basic audio equipment will get you started, but if you do not want to learn mixing and mastering skills, you may have to find a friend or even pay someone else to produce the music for you. You will also need to make sure that the quality of the beat, or instrumental, is professional. If you are not experienced in producing hip-hop or rap style beats yourself, they are always available for purchase on the Internet on websites such as http://www.InstantClassicProductionz.com. You may not want to pay any money to have your music or beats produced, but it’s worth it when potential labels are considering your demo.

Share, Share, Share! – Quite possibly the most important point of this entire article is to share your music. You want your music to be recognized by as many people as possible, so why limit yourself? Share your songs, information, and links on every site you can think of. Soundcloud, ReverbNation, YouTube, and Blip.fm are good sites to post your music on, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are great places to provide friends and fans with links to your music. Also, make sure to tell people in person! Let people know that rapping is a passion of yours, and provide them with a simple, easy to remember place where they can access your music.

Play Any Show Possible – A huge part of being noticed in music today is being able to play at concerts and shows. It will be difficult to find places to play at while you are not known, but it becomes easier once you have some concert experience under your belt. The key idea here is to not expect to play at a huge venue while you are still new. For a while, you may have to play at friend’s parties or local events in your area. Don’t be afraid to play at these small events for free either, because you will have a greater chance of getting to play at the event. Once you have played a few small shows and had some of your music produced, start handing out demo CDs to local venues in your area. Go to different bars, clubs, and venues to give them your demo for free and ask them if you may contact them in the future to set up a possible concert.

Making it in the music industry, and more specifically the rap or hip-hop scene, is incredibly difficult. It is one of the most competitive markets in present time, and requires a huge amount of dedication to succeed in. But, if you have the right passion and skill for it, work every day to improve your craft, and follow the tips and techniques mentioned in this article, you will have a good chance of rising to the top to become a well known artist.

[JIMMY CONWAY]

With today’s rise in technology, aspiring rap and hip-hop artists have a better chance than ever to fulfill their dream of becoming a music legend. But, because new technology has made it easier for artists to produce their music, it means that there is a much greater amount of mediocre talent out there that your music must cut through to be noticed. Although it is always hard to start out as an unknown rap artist, there are a number of key points that you can consider to give yourself an edge over the competition.

Knowledge is Key - Make sure that you know and understand your craft. It is absolutely essential that you study music theory, and also the styles and sub-genres of hip-hop and rap music. Doing this will ensure that you are fluent in understanding your music and can communicate clearly with labels, producers, and even other musicians about the direction of your music.

Be Unique – Create and use a technique in your style that distinguishes you from the other rappers trying to make it in the industry. No listeners want to hear another rapper that sounds like other rappers. If you can create something unique about your style, you will have a much better chance at being discovered. A perfect example of this is the rap artist Tyler the Creator. He and his group “Odd Future” are known for being dark, vulgar, and having an “against authority” attitude that separates them from the crowd.

Have Great Lyrics – A key component of any great rap song is the ability of the lyrics to convey a meaningful message. This is a huge aspect of rap music, and should be a tool of yours that you develop over time and practice. Of course, any good song must have a flow and usually a rhyme scheme that sounds catchy to the listener, but what makes a great rap song is the ability of the song to have very meaningful lyrics that carry along that flow and rhyme scheme.

Quality Makes a Difference – A major component that determines whether or not listeners take your music seriously is the quality of the actual sound. This seems obvious, but you would be surprised by how many artists choose to overlook audio quality to save money. Fortunately, audio equipment advancements have allowed many artists to produce their own music for a relatively small amount of money. Basic audio equipment will get you started, but if you do not want to learn mixing and mastering skills, you may have to find a friend or even pay someone else to produce the music for you. You will also need to make sure that the quality of the beat, or instrumental, is professional. If you are not experienced in producing hip-hop or rap style beats yourself, they are always available for purchase on the Internet on websites such as http://www.InstantClassicProductionz.com. You may not want to pay any money to have your music or beats produced, but it’s worth it when potential labels are considering your demo.

Share, Share, Share! – Quite possibly the most important point of this entire article is to share your music. You want your music to be recognized by as many people as possible, so why limit yourself? Share your songs, information, and links on every site you can think of. Soundcloud, ReverbNation, YouTube, and Blip.fm are good sites to post your music on, and social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are great places to provide friends and fans with links to your music. Also, make sure to tell people in person! Let people know that rapping is a passion of yours, and provide them with a simple, easy to remember place where they can access your music.

Play Any Show Possible – A huge part of being noticed in music today is being able to play at concerts and shows. It will be difficult to find places to play at while you are not known, but it becomes easier once you have some concert experience under your belt. The key idea here is to not expect to play at a huge venue while you are still new. For a while, you may have to play at friend’s parties or local events in your area. Don’t be afraid to play at these small events for free either, because you will have a greater chance of getting to play at the event. Once you have played a few small shows and had some of your music produced, start handing out demo CDs to local venues in your area. Go to different bars, clubs, and venues to give them your demo for free and ask them if you may contact them in the future to set up a possible concert.

Making it in the music industry, and more specifically the rap or hip-hop scene, is incredibly difficult. It is one of the most competitive markets in present time, and requires a huge amount of dedication to succeed in. But, if you have the right passion and skill for it, work every day to improve your craft, and follow the tips and techniques mentioned in this article, you will have a good chance of rising to the top to become a well known artist.