There’s more than one way to break into rap. Small disclaimer: this article won’t give you the key, just a few pointers. Each path is unique, and taking the one someone else has taken before you is no guarantee of success. Still, there’s one piece of advice that applies to everyone: never force yourself—do what you feel is best. With that said, here’s a set of tips that can help you achieve your long-dreamed-of status as a well-known rapper.
Making rap music in your bedroom and landing at the Victoires de la Musique awards a few years later is often hard to imagine, but some people manage it. Orelsan, Damso, 113, Diam’s—none of them ever imagined they’d end up on stage at this major annual event. And yet, through their conviction and hard work, they all achieved something they never thought was on the table. Was it strategy or luck? We think it’s both. Let’s find out how to make your own luck and rise to the tip-top of hip-hop with these tips.
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1. Look at the big picture
It all starts with a simple question. How far do I want to go? What’s my objective, my goal? It’s really important to know where you’re going if you want to break into the rap world. Why is that? By seeing the goal in the distance, you can map out a road that leads there. You may say that it sounds a bit like a guru throwing around personal development mantras, but I can’t deny that. But there’s a long way to go, and you need to plan ahead to avoid the pitfalls, and even safeguard your sanity.
Have you ever heard know the quote, “He who fails to plan, plans to fail,” by Benjamin Franklin? I admit I didn’t read it, I heard it in the latest Will Smith movie. This film, “The Williams Method,” shows how the father of Serena and Venus Williams planned everything, to the point of writing a 78-page manual describing precisely every stage of his daughters’ careers. Now, it may be a bit extreme to have such a comprehensive plan, but you can start by setting yourself intermediate goals, and allowing yourself to celebrate when you reach them. It gives you courage for what’s to come.
What might the next steps be? Releasing a first rap single, playing at festivals, getting certified, reaching a certain number of views on YouTube, releasing your first album, releasing a music video? In short, it’s up to you, but don’t forget to set milestones that aren’t too complicated to reach, and build up your confidence!
2. Breaking into rap on the springboard circuit
To break through, you need to be noticed by the public, but also by professionals in the music world. It’s not enough to simply make a string of appearances with rappers who are better-known than you. The pros will take you through stages that will push you to the top faster. And even if you remain independent. We’re not just talking about label pros here. We’re also talking about programmers, bookers, PR… You can use Groover to get in direct contact with those who are right for your musical project, but you can also take part in musical springboards to get yourself spotted.
If you want to break into the rap world, you need to gain visibility, and these events can help you do just that. You’ll be able to play in front of an audience that could potentially become fans, but also, and often, have the attentive ear of music industry pros. Do your research, find the springboards that best match your music, and apply. The whole point is to create the opportunity that will elevate you. When you’re building a career and want to reach PNL’s stats, it’s the lifeblood of the business. What’s more, rap isn’t represented that much in these springboards. Even though it’s one of the major genres of our time. So if you’re a rapper, you’ve got some room to maneuver.
3. Quickly assemble a team to support you
Many French rappers talk about it in their lyrics: having a team behind you is of paramount importance if you want to break into the rap game. In fact, it’s the number 1 key to success. You can never manage everything on your own when it comes to getting your music out there. Releasing a track, a new video clip, a first rap album—it’s a huge job, almost impossible on your own. In the beginning, you’ll be hard-pressed to find people with skills in the music game, so surround yourself with curious, disciplined people. They’ll learn about the different subjects as you do.
The most important criterion to remember when surrounding yourself: your future team members must believe in you as much or even more than you do. They’re your first fans, and they’re going to have to defend your music and help you make millions of views. So, they need to be solid! Here’s another cheesy quote to illustrate the point: “alone we go faster, together we go further.” Okay, it’s a bit of a truism, but it’s very true.
4. Communication skills for a breakthrough in rap
In the age of social networking, careful communication is essential to promote your music. In the previous point, we talked about having a solid team. If you have a community manager in your ranks, that’s a very good point. Even PNL, whose communications are based on mystery and rarity, use networks to promote tours or the release of projects. Take advantage of this incredible tool to get your music out there! We often complain that this or that post doesn’t get the visibility we’d hoped for, but in the end, even if one person discovers your music, that’s already a big step.
So take the exercise seriously, because that’s how you promote your music from now on. As with your career, plan ahead and develop a strategy. Alternate content, show your personality. Think of communication as an opportunity to explain your work, to say more about it, to give the keys to understanding it. In a way, it’s the perfect forum for engaging fans and future fans in the development of your career. You can even post things that you wouldn’t normally put out, like a freestyle for example, or covers. Anything goes.
5. Create a coherent artistic direction
What is the artistic direction of a rapper? It’s all the factors that make up a rapper’s personality. From the themes they tackle to the outfits they wear in music videos, at festivals, or in public (or online). The best way to understand the concept is to think about “starter packs.” They bring together a few distinctive elements about an artist, and by putting them all together, you can become the person. You can try to reproduce this. For example, if you see a light blue Fender Mustang guitar, a sailor suit, oval red glasses, who do you think of? Kurt Cobain, of course.
The concept can be applied to just about everything that makes up the artist’s personality. The idea is to be quickly recognizable, to anchor yourself in the minds of fans. It’s also important to imagine a set of characteristics and write them down somewhere, so you can ask yourself the question: am I consistent with the rest of the project, and have the answer to every move you make.
-Translated by Kole Wright-
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