WORST TIME TO BE A INDEPENDENT RAP ARTIST!! READ

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Mar 20, 2006
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#23
just stay focus on what u do, u just can't be a stay at home rapper, you have to put in work, money, and push yourself in the spotlight, nowdays, I do admitt a lot of rappers do sound the same and that does kill it,but like indo said that good for the dope MCs,.... you can quote all your stats and everything but I don't see it, Cd sales are down but downloads are up like 45%.legal and illegal.don't forget rappers are fans too..and if they dont buy your cd they coppin verses, beats..ect... I bet ya the same could be said about urban fashon...but if its dope u cop it...right?

like the homie rasan said above, You HAVE TO LOVE music, think about longevity...100

go get the SMELLY (MIXTAPE) at Cd baby
http://cdbaby.com/cd/hoggcorps
5 dollars..
 

og MS

Member since 1997
Apr 25, 2002
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#26
I think there are many more hip hop fans out there now than there were a few years back. Hip Hop is way more popular amongst younger listeners these days. It's just become so easy to slap together an "album" and throw it out. The proper avenues aren't being taken from the recording to the sales of the project in most cases these days. Market, Advertise and Promote your shit. period. Do it right, don't half ass it... that shit is making it harder for the few that are taking the time to do it right. Use visibilty and proper promo items and techniques to create a buzz and sell your product. Set realistic goals. How much is it going to take for you to recoup your expenses? Make sure you understand when at what point you'll begin to see a profit and understand which level you need to get to to call your project a success. Different people use different ways to measure their success. Some ... selling 1,000 is a success because they didn't have a lot to recoup... some selling only 5,000 is a failure because the album budget was high and they failed to recoup.

my advice? MAKE YOUR SHIT LOOK BIGGER THAN IT REALLY IS. Carry yourself as a big minded businessman. Posters, flyers, one-sheets... glossies... all that shit helps. It gives you an extra edge over the next artist that isn't breakin bread on this stuff. Make sure your product at least looks top of the line. That usually gets you in the door... after that... if the music is garbage... bad word of mouth can kill you.

Road trips in your region are also a plus... make sure you can get some pre-orders lined up... price your music more affordable than the others.... hell i knew when we did the music thang we sold cds for $3 to $5 a piece... just to get more on the shelves. Standing outside a store hustlin cds for $10 - $15 can work, but that's the slow dime... We took the quick nickle approach.

Hopefully some of this stuff can help someone out there a lil bit.
 
May 8, 2002
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#30
ask jim jones and unk both are indie and got millions for 400-500k sales...way more money than the majors...but most of what you say is relevant but cant be applied to everyone..more of a generalization... but take it with a grain , its not a good time for music in general....it will come down to internet only albums, itunes and ringtone checks

my 2
 
May 5, 2006
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#32
Hell naw , the real Problem is that Major Lables don`t wanna take no risks no more...
So they push the ones that allready sold a lot like Snoop Dogg (C`mon when was his last good LP ?) , but because of that a lot of Talented Rappers won`t do good sales > 500.000...
See Back in the 90`s we had like 9048902834 Rappers that had good sales but nowadays it`s like 30-50 got unbelivable Sales...
 
Oct 30, 2002
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#33
dont quit your day job... if u aint doing music for love of it. your heart aint in it it and the quality will suffer.. i cant wait for rap to totally fall off then the ones making good music will be around and the rest will go back to doing whatever they did b4 like doing nothing all day...

its time we flushed the overflowing toilet
 

og MS

Member since 1997
Apr 25, 2002
5,532
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www.killavalley.com
#35
the internet ... the new streets? Not as many pople as you may think have internet or even internet access.

I agree that the internet and such spots as myspace and similar sites are a blessing, but don't let it fool ya... some of these cats with 100,000 myspace friends definitely aint even selling 5,000 albums to these very same people.

Internet or not.. you still gotta get out there and show your face and show your product. People are more inclined to support an artist that is out there grinding and signing posters, cds, shirts etc. specifically for that particular fan and will continue to support that artist because they met them and feel like they have a connection with them.
 

BASEDVATO

Judo Chop ur Spirit
May 8, 2002
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#37
og MS said:
the internet ... the new streets? Not as many pople as you may think have internet or even internet access.

I agree that the internet and such spots as myspace and similar sites are a blessing, but don't let it fool ya... some of these cats with 100,000 myspace friends definitely aint even selling 5,000 albums to these very same people.

Internet or not.. you still gotta get out there and show your face and show your product. People are more inclined to support an artist that is out there grinding and signing posters, cds, shirts etc. specifically for that particular fan and will continue to support that artist because they met them and feel like they have a connection with them.
true words
 
Dec 13, 2006
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#38
IF THE INTERNET IS THE STREETS THEN HOW COME WHEN IM IN THE REAL STREETS HALF OF THESE RAPPERS THATS DISCUSSED ON HERE IS UNHEARD OF IN THE STREETS UNLESS THEY GET RADIO PLAY OR THEY IN THE REAL STREETS PROMOTING THEY SHIT
 
Feb 3, 2003
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#39
nor*cal209 said:
WORST TIME TO BE A INDEPENDENT RAP ARTIST!! READ
THIS IS THE WORST TIME IN INDEPENDENT RAP HISTORY TO BE A UNSIGNED RAP ARTIST

HERE IS WHY:

1. TOO MANY UNKNOWN RAP ARTIST 2 PUT UR FAITH IN
2. RAP MUSIC SALES DOWN
3. NO ONE WANTS TO HEAR GIMMIK RAPS NO MORE
4. REAL MUSIC IS MAKING A COMEBACK
5. UNDAGROUND MUSIC WANTS TO BE POP
6. EVERYONE SOUNDS THE SAME
7. HARD TO SELL 1000 COPYS
8. RECORD STORES ARE CLOSING
9. DOWNLOADING IS TAKING OVER (FREE)
10. TOO MANY THUG RAPPERS (SOUND SIMULAR)
11. NOTHING LEFT TO TALK ABOUT (HERD IT ALL)
12. E40 SAID ALONG TIME AGO (I TOLD Y'ALL TO GET IN THE INDEPENDENT GAME AND GET SCRATCH NOW ITS TOO LATE)
13. BIG LABELS ARE SHYING AWAY FROM NEGATIVE RAP
14. DIRTY SOUTH ID THE LAST AND ONLY HOT SPOT FOR RAP
15. PEOPLE AR LOSING FAITH IN RAP MUSIC

WELL FIND OUT HOW THIS STORY ENDS SOON

WERE LOSING ALL THE ELEMENTS OF WHAT HIP HOP IS ALL ABOUT!


AS A RAP FAN I DONT EVEN GET EXCITED WHEN SOMEONE DROPS A CD.. I USED TO GET C-BO, BROTHA LYNCH, TOO SHORT ETC.. WHEN I HERD A NEW CD WAS COMING OUT..NOW I DONT EVEN KEEP TRACK, ITS BEEN ALONG TIME SINCE I BOUGHT A CD... TOWER CLOSED.. DOWNLOADING IS FUCKIN EVERYTHING UP.. TOO MANY NOBODYS DOIN SHOWS WHERE THEY HAVE TO GET 20 ARTIST TO FILL UP A QUARTER OF THE PLACE AND MOSTLY ITS ARTIST AND THEY HOMIES WITH 1 PERCENT FANZ ... THE GAME IS WEAK..

MASTER P WAS THE LAST INDEPENDNT MEGA SUCCESS ...THAT WAS IN THE 90'S

THE RAP GAME HAS TOO MANY WEAK WANNA B RAPPERS KILLIN SALES
I find it funny this faggot made the post and didnt even bother to reply back. The majority of the list has nothing to do with underground rap.

How is real music making a comeback when underground rap is trying to be pop? lmao

If its hard for somebody to sell 1000 cd's, it means you fucking suck.

If nobody wants to hear gimmick raps anymore then why the fuck is the radio still even around?

Why put faith into an unknown rapper? How about giving them a listen before you even say anything?

Since everybody sounds the same and theres nothing left to talk about, you might as well look up pop or country singers.

You have no idea to what hip hop really is.