I have been really busy over the last year so I really don’t have a lot of time to make blog entries and share my experience with y’all through my Rap Blog. But throughout my career I run into a lot of artists and the majority of them always want to know how I got to this point in my career where I am getting paid to do something I love. Well if I was one of them man that has a huge ego I would simply say it was my talent that did it but my talent is only part of the equation.

.:HUSTLE:.

Yes, that famous word made famous by your favorite “gangster rapper” as the main stream media likes to call them. Hustle is how you get your career poppin’ in this thing called Rap music. I ain’t talkin’ bout hitting your block and moving as much weight as possible cuz that ain’t the definition of hustle in my eyes anyway. I’m talkin’ about being hungry and “wanting it”. Yes, I have dropped a critically acclaimed album and was able to attain a nod as having one of the Top Ten Rap Albums of the Year from RapReviews.com so of course my talent does do well for me. But my hustle to get to a point where respected DJs and Journalists were given my album and singles to check out and thousands of Rap music lovers are hittin’ up my website is what really paved the way for my success.

I find that too many unsigned artists want to be handed a deal. They do not want it enough. They don’t hustle to get their music heard. They don’t hustle to showcase their talents. Sure, everyone has run out and signed up for Myspace, Sound Click, Facebook and places like these. Then you run around and look for people who might be interested in your music and tell them to check you out. Most of you will do that for a bit and get tired of it. And honestly, I don’t blame you, I have been there and I know first hand it is not very effective. You are doing more for those sites than they are doing for you.

Here are a few tips that will help you make your hustle more effective. First, I think it is important to have a unique sound. You will standout more to fans and music industry heads if you don’t sound like the most popular artists of the day. Yes, the music industry does like to follow trends and sign the next Kanye West but the next Kanye West usually doesn’t get very far. The next dude you never heard of does. As much as people want to hear the same shit they are hungry for something new! By the time you start following the style of someone who is on top of the game now often those songs were recorded two years ago. Most major artists use the same producers and songwriting teams so you will notice that all the most popular artists will drop songs that sound similar around the same time period. This means you are following a trend that is two years old so why bother, right?

Another way to make your hustle more effective is to be unique in your approach when it comes to promoting your rap music. A lot of Rap Artists that hit me up are very lazy. They do the same things the next man did to get my attention and it usually leaves me deleting their message or comment without checking out anything they have done. Plus, I don’t have time so if it is not unique I lose interest.

My third tip is to take pride in your music and your image. If you are given an opportunity to showcase yourself make sure you use that opportunity effectively. A lot of artists are happy to just sign up for sites and leave their Biography blank, say something like “I will fill this out later” or drop one line like “I’m from the south. My raps are ill, hola”. What does that tell people about you? From my perspective, I see you as not being ready. Why should I waste my time on someone who is not ready? Why should music fans buy your music when you aren’t even ready for it to be sold? Don’t put yourself out there to the public looking like an amateur. Write a good Bio for yourself. If you don’t know how, do some research and find out how or get someone who knows what they are doing to help you. Put up a good photo of yourself. Show that you have pride in your image and your music. Why would any label or fan invest money in your career if you look like you don’t really care about your career? Follow through and record good music and take pride in presenting a professional sounding recording. I know everybody can get pro-tools now but not everyone really knows how to use it. Find out how or get someone who knows how to help you out until you can help yourself. Some of these things will cost you some money but if you are not willing to invest in yourself why should anyone else invest in you?