The rap industry is massive, raking in over $10 billion every year. Everyone wants a piece of the pie, but breaking into the rap game can be difficult if you don’t know where to start. As a new artist, you also run the risk of working with managers and labels that won’t pay you.
With that being said, how do you become one of the greats like Eminem, Lil Wayne, or Drake? As a young musician, there are plenty of ways to make it big in 2023. To help you along the way, we’ve provided some tips that you might find valuable.
Improve Your Rap Skills
Rapping is an incredible skill that requires consistent improvement. Eminem didn’t become one of the highest-paid rappers in the world by sitting around doing nothing. He studied the dictionary to improve his vocabulary, and he practiced every day.
When you become a rap star, it becomes your occupation which means you have to work at it constantly. To improve your skills, study poetry to see how different verses flow. Use every opportunity to rap, whether you’re in the shower or doing your hair. Rehearse your raps in several different styles to improve your speed and annunciation.
Practicing your raps can also help you develop a distinct style. You can then consider releasing royalty-free music to boost brand awareness.
Study Different Types of Music
When you listen to your favorite rap artists, what do you notice about the beats they use? Are they generic, or do they have various synthesizers or instruments playing? Many artists have sampled classical, rock and pop music to make their beats sound more interesting.
That’s why you must study a variety of music styles to learn about time signatures and how you can use them to your advantage. And most importantly, you must study the different types of rap to establish the genre you want to go into. For example, there’s trap rap, rap rock, and old-school hip hop.
Choose a style you associate with the most and study music that will help you improve your flow and beats.
Create an Iconic Look
Your look is basically your brand. Rap artists nowadays feature grills, face tattoos, and plenty of bling. But if you want to stand out from the crowd, you need to consider an iconic look that everyone will recognize when they see you.
Consider the clothes you’ll wear, your hairstyle, and the accessories you choose to wear. If you don’t believe fashion can boost your fame, just take a look at artists like Michael Jackson, who had the iconic white, glittery glove. Or Tupak with his front-tied durag.
Later on, if you make it big in the rap industry, you can use your sense of fashion to sell merchandise.
TikTok is The Perfect Place to Promote Your Music
So now that you have your raps and your look, how do you start promoting your music? The ideal place to start would be TikTok. Thousands of rappers, including Kenneth King, have become famous through the app. Additionally, rap songs from Lil Nas X, Drake, and Megan Thee Stallion have gone viral through TikTok.
With over 1 billion active users, TikTok is the ideal place for up-and-coming rap artists to showcase their skills. Release songs that people can use as sounds on their videos and create unique videos to go with your music.
Ensure you have high-quality audio and video, so your content is appealing to your audience. Answer questions and stitch videos to get more followers on your channel. The more followers you have, the better your chances are to make it big as a musician.
Do a Cover Song From Your Favorite Rap Artist
One of the quickest ways to become a famous rap artist is by doing a cover song from a famous artist. There have been plenty of successful artists who’ve done cover songs from Jayz, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dog.
The good news is that you don’t have to make the cover song the same as the original artist. You can create an entirely new sound by using different samples or styles of rap. This could also gain the attention of the original artist. There have been instances where an original artist responded to a cover song, and it increased the following of the new musician.
Don’t do too many covers, though, as you don’t want them to overshadow the music you produce.
Go to Open Mic Events or Rap Battles
The best way to test your stage presence and your rap skill is by attending open mic events and rap battles. Part of being a successful rapper is the ability to spit bars on the spot! Rap battles also allow you to gain respect (street cred) from people who love this style of music. You’ll gain fans simply by showcasing your skills on stage.
Final Thoughts
In some aspects, it’s more difficult to become famous as a rapper because there are so many artists out there. In other instances, it can be easy because you have free platforms to promote your music. To help you break into the rap industry in 2023, use this post as a guide to help you.
Hulda Hicks was born in Brooklyn, NY in the late ’70s, at the time when Hip-Hop music was just emerging as an art form. Her entire life was influenced by the culture, having grown up in the epicenter of the creative movement.
As a trained musician and vocalist, Hulda got exposed to the industry in her twenties and has worked on projects with iconic figures such as the Chiffons, the Last Poets, and Montell Jordan, to name a few. Her passion for music extended past the stage on to the page when she began to write ad copy and articles as a freelancer for several underground publications.
A written review from “Jubilee Huldafire” is as authentic as it gets, hailing from one creative mind that has a unique voice, on paper and in person.
