Since the other day we gave you 7 signs that you’re NEVER gonna make it as a rapper…
We’re going to flip it to the positive today and give you 8 reasons that you’re GONNA make it as rapper!
As mentioned before… when we say, “make it”… we mean have a healthy, sustained full-time career as a rapper…
We’re not talking about one hit wonders who within two years of their hit are caught by TMZ selling their Lambo to pay for legal fees.
We’re talking about being able to do this full-time, traveling around the world, living the life you want to live. It doesn’t have to mean some big chart it success…
It has to mean PERSONAL success, as you define it.
1. People Who Hear Your Music Are ACTIVELY Offering To Help You
This is probably the biggest indication of all.
Look, if you play your music for people even somewhat regularly, and nobody is offering to help you produce content, shoot your videos, telling THEIR friends about you, or anything like that…
Then that is a serious sign you have work to do on the music front.
The real motto you should live by is this:
People are fans based on their actions, not by their words.
Almost every successful artist you can think of from Drake to Kendrick has a team full of people that they grew up with…
Not only because once they got on, it was an opportunity to work with a friend…
But also because they truly BELIEVED in their talent.
On a more personal note, one of my best friends is a multiplatinum producer who recently secured a deal worth… a lot of commas, let’s just put it that way.
This friend has no reason to encourage me to do music, and yet he sends me free beats all the time and tells me to write to them.
Another friend of mine is multimillionaire who personally wants to finance my career.
Another friend has offered numerous times to do all my video work, but he lives in another city.
Anyway, I’m not saying that to brag, in fact I probably should use those resources more…
But I like COACHING better…
But you get the main point.
If you have several friends offering to work for you for free until you get on…
Or every single time you go to a party you have a friend trying to throw your songs on no matter what the DJ is playing…
You’re gonna make it as a rapper.
2. You Know What It’s Like To Write / Record Until You’re Literally Nauseous
Rap coaches don’t talk about this enough.
Artists – if you have not been through a studio (or writing session) that pushes for so long you almost want to step into the bathroom and spill your guts…
There’s work to be done.
Me and the home Rob Level (y’all know him) were just talking about this. We have numerous memories of writing 4, 5, 6 hours a day straight even when we were broke…
Because we could feel the lyrics and flows starting to meld together.
Another example, I recently got off a 15-country world tour last year WHILE recording an album city to city.
That’s actually not that uncommon for a full-time artist.
In any case, you can imagine with all the partying, jet lag, and what little sightseeing we were able to get done…
The last thing I wanted to do was record and write with my voice and BRAIN all hungover and tired.
But we had been paid to record and write so we HAD to do it.
So if you are an artist that knows what it’s like to keep doing it even when you’re exhausted to get that last PERFECT take to finish the song…
Like all the greats from 2Pac to Wayne to Kanye to Eminem did…
Then you’re gonna make it.
If you’re struggling with pushing through that last part of motivation or getting those hours in, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel with notifications because I have a very important announcement coming up regarding a motivation program we’re developing.
3. You Are Aware That The Chorus Is The Most Important Part of The Song
This is a HUGE one that separates the men from the boys.
There are a lot of artists that believe that the average fan consumes music like them.
And when I mean by this, is that they believe the average fan is listening to LA Leakers freestyles and 5 Fingers of Death on the daily and is only concerned with “bars bars bars”…
OR that they literally only listen to the beat and nothing else…
Neither is true.
The fact of the matter is the average fan is looking for a SONG that they can SING or RAP ALONG to the directly speaks to the EMOTIONAL STATE they are in.
Again… they are looking for something they can: 1) RAP A LONG TO…
That speaks to the 2) EMOTIONAL STATE…
That they are in… when they listen to it.
So when you have a DIFFICULT to repeat or memorize chorus…
Or a bunch of confusing lyrics and overblown verses…
You are breaking both of those rules.
Even if you are a Nas type lyricist or Kendrick inspired MC, you are gonna make it if you demonstrate an ability to use the chorus to speak to your target audience FIRST…
And then let the verses, no matter how lyrical… flesh out further facets of the emotion you’re discussing.
The vast majority of your fans, the people who will spend thousands of dollars a year on your career… listen to your music at parties, while driving, while drunk or high…
Basically times in which they are not HYPER focused on bar 19 in the second verse. These are times they are excited to belt out the chorus while stuck in traffic or grabbing onto their shawty for the evening.
REMEMBER THAT.
Almost 90% of the rappers I come across who haven’t made it simply do not know how to make a chorus to save their lives.
YOU on the other hand will make it if you can pull this off.
4. You Can Identify The Different Between A Hit-Making Level Producer and An Amateur Producer
This is another HUGE music related one.
A lot of artists on the come-up I hear are choosing beats with weak snares, poor kick drum layering, or rickety sounding instruments.
When I run across an artist I think who’s going to make it, almost before they even start rapping I can tell they know something about music due to the quality of production.
You are definitely more than half the way there if you can identify the different between professional quality beat and an average one.
If you need help with tightening up your beat selection, be sure to check our “Hit Records, Hot Beats” song structure and beat selection course by clicking HERE.
5. You Enjoy Being The Center of Attention And / Or It Makes You “Break Out Of Your Shell”
The way this is worded might be a little touchy-feely or sound a little bit lame but TRUST me…
You’d be surprised how many so-called artists say they want to do music or are passionate about being a star and can’t even keep their composure when when asked to perform or play some of their tracks.
I’ve worked with a lot of very successful people from influencers with millions of followers to rich businessmen hosting seminars and regardless of if they were a bit shy ONE-ON-ONE…
One thing they all had in common was they came ALIVE when they were the center of attention, whether that be on a stage or just holding court during a group conversation.
If you like being the MAIN OBJECT of the social event, you’re gonna make it as a rapper.
6. You Are Not Very Judgmental About Different Forms of Music
NOTE: I said “very”… obviously there are plenty of artists who think that other artists are trash… BUT…
For the most part actual SUCCESSFUL musicians who do this FULL-TIME and collaborate alot…
Are fans of MANY MANY different types of music and have a mutual respect for anyone who has gotten good enough to make money off of their craft.
And yes, when I say this… I’m looking at you “lyrical miracle” fans who spend more time complaining about how much “RAP SUCKS NOW” in comment boxes and forums…
And on the flip side, I’m looking at you “I’m not a rapper” trap fans who can barely string sentence together…
From Kevin Gates and Juelz Santana praising their polar opposite Eminem…
To J. Cole recently praising Young Thug to much controversy…
The vast majority of successful rappers understand the many different styles this beautiful culture of Hip-Hop allows us to make.
Additionally, having an open mind about other forms of music will help you with your beat selection, especially in this era of genre-bending, which we discussed in our Top 10 Songwriting Tips of 2020 article.
So if you are an artist that can draw influences from almost any form of music… you’re gonna make it as a rapper.
Again, a great place to start is our song structure course where you get a free book on making a career with no prior fans just for checking it out by clicking HERE.
7. You Have An Artistic Eye When It Comes To Graphic Design, Fashion, etc.
This is EXTREMELY underrated.
To be honest, when a rapper follows me Instagram, I can almost tell just by the thumbnail of their picture whether they are going to be successful or not.
I’m right like 70% of the time in the case. If I click their profile and scroll through a couple pictures… I’m right like 95% of the time.
I know this sounds CRAZY but the inability to even identify what a “picture” or properly fitting clothing looks like often indicates a lack of creative ability in other areas.
Additionally, fashion pretty much goes hand and hand with Hip-Hop. And when I say fashion, I’m not just talking about Gucci or Prada or whatever, that stuff only became “cool” in Hip-Hop in the last 15 years or so.
Even back in the rap stone ages, the Rakim’s and Wu-Tang’s of the world had a very strong fashion-based artistic eye for how they presented themselves, even if it was just meant to be grungy.
The vast majority of “struggle” rappers I see online literally look like they’re struggling.
Their graphics are off and extremely low quality and their pictures look like they were taken by Mr. Magoo.
I’m not sure if this comes from a lack of social awareness or just put lack of creativity, but I challenge artists to really spend a little bit more time educating themselves on how to properly present themselves to an audience in a compelling way.
We have a free branding YouTube training which you can find HERE which will explain how to get your pictures and graphics looking RIGHT on the cheap.
8. You’ve Made A Decision That You Won’t Stop Until Die
This is actually underrated, believe it or not.
I see a lot of artists that continue to make music with no direction, no purpose, and go two, three MONTHS without doing anything to further their career.
And YES two to three MONTHS in this modern era might as well be two to three YEARS.
You already heard 50 Cent give you the game more than 10 years ago. You have to make a decision to do this or die trying.
So if you are an artist that has truly made the leap of faith, you’re gonna make it.
As crazy as it sounds, I would actually suggest going to somewhere by yourself… that could be your bedroom, the beach, the forest, whatever…
Go to a place a swear to yourself that you won’t give in until you’ve made it.
Even the act of doing that will force you to re-focus.
Again, make sure you’re subscribed to the channel with notifications ‘cause our motivation program is coming out soon.
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