SO U RAPPIN IN INDIANA HUH? lol

Wadd up everybody...

I wanted to sit down and try to pass knowledge about some things I have learned about this serious walk in the music industry. For the record this is all my opinion the statements are just what I have learned and how things have been presented to me. I'm not on yet in the music industry and Im still working to get there but as close as I am i figured I could help some upcoming artists see things i didn't and maybe put life in perspective for some artists who have been around longer than me who still haven't progressed. SO LETS BEGIN!

Dear Aspiring Artists,

Lesson #1 NOT EVERYONE IS A RAPPER!

I cant count the times I've gotten on facebook and have 30 notifications because some random "Rapper" has tagged me in a video or sent me a message trying to get me to look at them rap. Everyday it's another person who comes and says, "oh yea i rap check this out or you should give me a beat i would kill it!". Most times i untag myself and if I do respond to an email I go look and i hear 1 of many things. I hear someone trying to copy the formula of GARBAGE music we have today or I hear the Gary rappers who only know how to talk about "Gangsta Shit" when lord knows half of them don't do half of this stuff and go to work everyday. The other half of the artists figure since they can make something rhyme they are automatically a rapper, and not just any rapper "THE BEST, HARDEST, COLDEST, RAPPERS OUT" lol. Look you dont just wake up one morning and say oh Im a a producer or Im a rapper and expect to get famous. Contrary to belief ITS ALOT OF WORK! lol So your probably reading this like ok, well I posted these videos and people leaving comments saying "Oh yea thats cold fam" or "Damn this shit go hard" you now need to look at who is commenting on this. If only people you know personally are telling you your hot and an actual industry person hasn't said it to you...DONT THINK YOUR DOING SOMETHING. 12 TIMES OUTTA 10...YOUR PROBABLY STILL GARBAGE. Now dont take this disrespect I'm trying to be as real as the industry is. NOT EVERYONE WILL LIKE YOUR MUSIC LIKE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL. When i started, I too thought i was great! best beats with the best group ever. WRONG...Everybody starts horrible...its whether or not you actually have talent to progress that matters. What are you willing to do to make your music successful. Just because you can write doesnt mean your a rapper. Just cause you post a video doesnt make you a rapper. Just cause you know how to mix doesn't make you a rapper. I know people who probably would be great as engineers but they continue rapping in their basement and tagging me in videos of tracks. BEFORE U EVER PROCEED READING THIS YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER IS THIS EVEN FOR YOU! ARE U WILLING TO PUT IN THE TIME, SPEND THE MONEY, NETWORK AND DO YOU EVEN HAVE THE TALENT TO DO THIS! AND MAKE A REALISTIC TIME TABLE FOR THIS CAREER PLAN...IF UR ALMOST 30 AND STILL ARE AN ASPIRING ANYTHING....#CLOCK THEE F*CK OUT! ITS PROLLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THERE ARE SEVERAL RAPPERS...(SOME WHO HAVE JIPPED ME FOR MONEY $200 ON A TRACK WHO ARE ALMOST 30 AND STILL ARE DOING OPEN MICS) #kanyeshrug

Lesson #2
THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN "ARTIST" and A "RAPPER"

Now, Alot of people figure they have talent and are serious about their music so they invest in a mic and a copy of fruity loops or adobe and begin recording your tracks you have to consider what are you doing. If you are making straight instrumental mixtapes or downloading these 5, 10 dollar or free beats on soundclick you either need to find a producer and pay for real production or find a aspiring producer/beatmaker who believes in your work as much as you. The industry isn't looking for that from unestablished artist right now. They want to see if you can put together a viable product yourself before they invest anything into you. An artist will invest in their "Art". Music is an art...if you just making songs and mixtapes just cause you feel that will get you heard...STOP RAPPING NOW. Now a days, you cant just be rapper...you need to take time and develop your music. Make it special. Your not just making music, YOU ARE BUILDING A BRAND! Just like a clothing or anything else...I should feel you as an artist with EVERY TRACK. RAPPERS WRITE ABOUT STUFF THEY PROLLY DONT DO, THEY DONT DO SHOWS, AND THEY HAVE NO BUZZ ANYWHERE BUT IN THEIR CIRCLE. REAL ASPIRING ARTIST HAVE TALENT, DEVELOP THEIR MUSIC, NETWORK, GET SHOWS, AND CAN BE FOUND OUTSIDE OF THEIR IMMEDIATE AREA.

So you are an artist huh?...ok well problem is we live in INDIANA. Which is a horrible place if your trying to do rap. Look at who has gotten signed. We've had two artist/groups (The Grind Family and Freddie Gibbs) who have actaully made it out and only one has had major success (Freddie Gibbs). Why is that? Well, people in Indiana #1 are too focused on only f*ckin with people from their area code and the people who are throwing the parties and shows I.E. "The Promoters" want to give the illusion that they are "ON". NEWSFLASH! CAUSE YOU THROW A COLLEGE PARTY OR CONCERT DOESNT MEAN U ON! I've met people who actually pay out of pocket to have major artists come and perform and let local artists open for them to help build them up by selling like 20 tickets. INDIANA PROMOTERS, WANNA CHARGE PEOPLE 1000 DOLLARS TO OPEN FOR ARTIST BECAUSE THEY CANT COVER THE COST OF THEIR EVENTS UPFRONT...CMON SON.

Lesson #3

PROMOTERS HERE BE ON BULLSHIT

I inquired about several events during Bloomingtons Little 500 and was told 1st no one was opening for the mike posner event...BUT THEN I GO SEE THAT ONE OF THE PROMOTERS WHO IS ALSO A "RAPPER" IS PERFORMING AT EVERY EVENT...WHILE OTHER ARTISTS ARE FORCED TO PAY WELL OVER 500 FOR SLOTS. ARTISTS IF U CANT GET A OPENING SLOT FOR A COLLEGE EVENT FOR LOW...DONT DO IT! SHOUTOUT TO DILLAMAN AND HUSTLE SIMMONS AND MY BIG BRO PROMOKID FOR HELPING ME GET IN WITH THE BIG SEAN THING AND THANKS TO PARISH BUTLER AND ANDREW WOODSON FOR HELPING GET THE WIZ KHALIFA SHOW. ITS A GOOD EXPERIENCE TO DO IT AND CAN HELP U ALOT BUT ONLY IF U HAVE THE TALENT TOO. IVE SEEN RAPPERS PERFORMANCES WHERE RAPPERS GOT BOO'd AND THEIR CD's THROWN BACK AT EM BUT IF U CONNECT WITH THE CROWD AND HAVE TALENT THEY WILL RESPECT U. ALSO WHEN UR DOING THESE SHOWS...WORK WITH THE PROMOTER AND NETWORK! WHO U KNOW IS KEY!

IF UR TRYING TO BE A MILLIONAIRE WHO WILL U HANG WITH? THE OTHER PPL TRYING OR THE MILLIONAIRE.

PART 2 COMING SOON...

Life of a Billionaire Block Boy Ep. Poed UP!