[BecomingMachine]

To preface my post, yes I'm new here. I've lurked for a little while and I feel like this place is the perfect way to leverage the "unproductive" and "self-destructive" desires I have to legitimately improve myself.
I'm wrapping up my third year of Engineering school, and two more years should net me a Master's (and with it a semi-sweet 80k/year job).
I could (relatively) easily live cheaply in the South, spend my time Gaming, and invest the vast majority of my salary for the next 10-15 and become modestly wealthy.

But I've always wanted to rap. I know I have a talent for it, me and one of my fraternity brothers are constantly free-styling and girls find it very impressive. I daresay I'm as good as many you hear on the radio every day.
The problem is, it seems like actually being good at rapping is the least important part of becoming a rapper. Ideally I'd like to stick to school as a solid ass backup plan, but should I pursue my dream of rapping? The Alpha Male in me says yes, but the little Beta in the back of my head tells me I have no idea where to start...

[Sonsowey]

Start recording and putting music out there. You can download beats anywhere.

Some good rappers get famous, or at least make enough money to get by. Obviously it's an incredible longshot but go for it.

[BecomingMachine]

(05-02-2013 12:34 AM)Sonsowey Wrote:  

Start recording and putting music out there. You can download beats anywhere.

Some good rappers get famous, or at least make enough money to get by. Obviously it's an incredible longshot but go for it.

I guess it's low risk to indulge in as a hobby. I really think i'm going to while I'm in Germany. There's so many details to create... image, name, etc... Very much like my game I suppose.

I'll post what I come up with on here on the off chance anyone here gives a fuck!

[WanderingSoul]

If it really is your dream, you should pursue it. Not to mention, being in University is a great fucking time of your life to do something like this and leverage it into some pussy.

You have two more years to pursue this before you even graduate, so why not go for it if it really is your dream?

If you are as good as you say, a lot of rappers/singers have been discovered just from YouTube and Myspace.

Look at people like Mac Miller. Has over 100,000,000 YouTube views, isn't signed to a major label (or any label I don't believe) and is touring all over the world.

Check out Chief Keef, just signed like a 20 million dollar deal and is a local celebrity in Chicago. YouTube put him on the map.

Mackelmore I think is also an independent artist who is now killing it after starting out in the local scene and on YouTube.

It's crazy what an independent artist can achieve with the internet and social media now.

If you do decide to do it, treat it like a business. Study what other artists did and how they got to where they are at. Mainly independent artists like I mentioned and then replicate it.

[BecomingMachine]

(05-02-2013 12:41 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

If it really is your dream, you should pursue it. Not to mention, being in University is a great fucking time of your life to do something like this and leverage it into some pussy.

You have two more years to pursue this before you even graduate, so why not go for it if it really is your dream?

If you are as good as you say, a lot of rappers/singers have been discovered just from YouTube and Myspace.

Look at people like Mac Miller. Has over 100,000,000 YouTube views, isn't signed to a major label (or any label I don't believe) and is touring all over the world.

Check out Chief Keef, just signed like a 20 million dollar deal and is a local celebrity in Chicago. YouTube put him on the map.

Mackelmore I think is also an independent artist who is now killing it after starting out in the local scene and on YouTube.

It's crazy what an independent artist can achieve with the internet and social media now.

If you do decide to do it, treat it like a business. Study what other artists did and how they got to where they are at. Mainly independent artists like I mentioned and then replicate it.

You're right. I'm going to start doing a lot of research. I don't spend very much time on school at all, I just waste the rest of my time drinking and doing drugs. Time to get productive.

[InternationPlayboy]

Stick to your job, but also stick to trying to write rhymes as well. It's definitely not going to be easy if you're trying to blow up. I would look at it more as hobby. A lot of times it doesn't matter how good you are, it's more who you know or how lucky you are. I know some great rappers, better than lots you hear on the radio, but I doubt they'll ever make it big.

As Immortal Technique says, "If you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck, it just means a million people are stupid as fuck." Pretty much saying being a platinum selling artist has nothing to do with talent and a lot to do with marketing and what's the commodity right now.

BTW, you black or white? I think if you're white it makes it that much harder to be a rapper. You have to really know how to rhyme.

[BecomingMachine]

(05-02-2013 12:44 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

Stick to your job, but also stick to trying to write rhymes as well. It's definitely not going to be easy if you're trying to blow up. I would look at it more as hobby. A lot of times it doesn't matter how good you are, it's more who you know or how lucky you are. I know some great rappers, better than lots you hear on the radio, but I doubt they'll ever make it big.

As Immortal Technique says, "If you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck, it just means a million people are stupid as fuck." Pretty much saying being a platinum selling artist has nothing to do with talent and a lot to do with marketing and what's the commodity right now.

BTW, you black or white? I think if you're white it makes it that much harder to be a rapper.

I am white, and that's something I thought about. It makes it worse that the most fun shit to rap is some ignorant ass gangster shit

[InternationPlayboy]

(05-02-2013 12:48 AM)BecomingMachine Wrote:  

(05-02-2013 12:44 AM)InternationPlayboy Wrote:  

Stick to your job, but also stick to trying to write rhymes as well. It's definitely not going to be easy if you're trying to blow up. I would look at it more as hobby. A lot of times it doesn't matter how good you are, it's more who you know or how lucky you are. I know some great rappers, better than lots you hear on the radio, but I doubt they'll ever make it big.

As Immortal Technique says, "If you go platinum, it's got nothing to do with luck, it just means a million people are stupid as fuck." Pretty much saying being a platinum selling artist has nothing to do with talent and a lot to do with marketing and what's the commodity right now.

BTW, you black or white? I think if you're white it makes it that much harder to be a rapper.

I am white, and that's something I thought about. It makes it worse that the most fun shit to rap is some ignorant ass gangster shit

There are a lot of great white rappers, but most of them haven't blown up.

Aesop Rock
R.A. The Rugged Man (Could have blown up but wasn't cut out for major labels, briefly signed with Jive Records, even had a track with Biggie)
The Grouch
Eli
Slug (Atmosphere)
Cage
Sage Francis

[scorpion]

You're a white frat guy with an engineering degree.

Who is going to take you seriously when you start rapping about gangster shit?

Freestyling with your frat buddy while drinking is a far cry from becoming a successful rapper.

I mean, is this a troll? You have to understand how ridiculous this sounds.

If you aren't trolling, I would recommend you get into some spoken-word poetry first. That will allow you to practice your rhyming and flow in front of an audience, and you don't have the same pressure of trying to sell yourself as a "rapper" straight from the frat house, with all the credibility that would bring you (zero, negative even).

[Moma]

I don't think there is a major obstacle becoming a white rapper these days. The majority of the listeners are white so you still have that niche. Just have good skills and rap about white shyt so that the white listeners can relate to it.

I think the window from being wack is smaller if you are white cos you can't ride off of on some hood shyt to obscure the wackness.

So work on your lyrics and incorporate struggles that white people encounter in your lyrics.

[Screwston]

Not sure if this is a serious thread. Rap is pretty much dead so yeah why not. Just target young, white people. I mean if this dumbass goofball can do it, maybe you can get lucky and blow up

[WanderingSoul]

(05-02-2013 01:13 AM)scorpion Wrote:  

You're a white frat guy with an engineering degree.

Who is going to take you seriously when you start rapping about gangster shit?

Freestyling with your frat buddy while drinking is a far cry from becoming a successful rapper.

I mean, is this a troll? You have to understand how ridiculous this sounds.

If you aren't trolling, I would recommend you get into some spoken-word poetry first. That will allow you to practice your rhyming and flow in front of an audience, and you don't have the same pressure of trying to sell yourself as a "rapper" straight from the frat house, with all the credibility that would bring you (zero, negative even).

Not all rappers have to rap about gangster shit. In fact, many don't. Even white ones. Mac Miller is a pretty good example.

[BecomingMachine]

(05-02-2013 01:30 AM)RioNomad Wrote:  

(05-02-2013 01:13 AM)scorpion Wrote:  

You're a white frat guy with an engineering degree.

Who is going to take you seriously when you start rapping about gangster shit?

Freestyling with your frat buddy while drinking is a far cry from becoming a successful rapper.

I mean, is this a troll? You have to understand how ridiculous this sounds.

If you aren't trolling, I would recommend you get into some spoken-word poetry first. That will allow you to practice your rhyming and flow in front of an audience, and you don't have the same pressure of trying to sell yourself as a "rapper" straight from the frat house, with all the credibility that would bring you (zero, negative even).

Not all rappers have to rap about gangster shit. In fact, many don't. Even white ones. Mac Miller is a pretty good example.

Thank you. I also said it was fun to rap about gangster shit. It isn't exactly on the business plan. One of my friends is a drummer and we got to bouncing around ideas tonight. I think this may work. Thanks for the support, and honestly thanks others for the hate. If I can't take hate from people on RooshVForum I'm fucked in the real world.

P.S. It's not exactly like I have to hand the audience a CV with my "fratty" credentials!

[InternationPlayboy]

I don't think any of the white rappers I listed above talk about gang bangin

[w00t]

OP is German and the German rap scene is full of white guys who claim to be gangsters so no problem there.

[Screwston]

(05-02-2013 01:51 AM)w00t Wrote:  

OP is German and the German rap scene is full of white guys who claim to be gangsters so no problem there.

Videos?

[gandt]

(05-02-2013 01:13 AM)scorpion Wrote:  

You're a white frat guy with an engineering degree.

Who is going to take you seriously when you start rapping about gangster shit?

Freestyling with your frat buddy while drinking is a far cry from becoming a successful rapper.

I mean, is this a troll? You have to understand how ridiculous this sounds.

If you aren't trolling, I would recommend you get into some spoken-word poetry first. That will allow you to practice your rhyming and flow in front of an audience, and you don't have the same pressure of trying to sell yourself as a "rapper" straight from the frat house, with all the credibility that would bring you (zero, negative even).

Some pretty bad advice all-round here. Thinking of anything in life with such a narrow vision will make you bound to fail or worse - not try at all.

As per your poetry advice, just ask weezy

My points:

Internally interrogate yourself

Is it rap that you REALLY like? Or are you more attracted to fame, money, and bitches?

If it is rap then consider yourself lucky that you have found your passion in life. Start hitting a studio and recording shit and drop everything to pursue it.

Learn everything about production

J Cole made his mix tape "The Warmup" all by him self. Beats and all, I'm pretty sure.

Keep Rapping

practice makes perfect

Build a local following

Before Jay Z and other rappers got big they had a MASSIVE local following. Back when buying music was common they would easily have been able to make a living by selling CD's out of the trunk of their car. Actually, one rapper did this and made a shitload but i forget who it was.

So once you get some good shit recorded hit up the local club managers and send them your stuff. Tell them you are interested in performing live.

Use Social Media

Build your brand. Get a following.


Right now, I am recording for fun. I am mostly doing covers of songs that i like. I have my own mic and as soon as I come up with something good I go to my buddies studio to record it professionally.

Surround yourself with a good crew: studio guys, production guy, etc... It will make your life easier and cheaper.

[WestIndianArchie]

Hilarious.

I can't even contain myself.

In 73 - you had to be from the West Bronx (anyone who tells you hip hop started in the South Bronx is an idiot)
In 1983 - you had to be from one of the 5 boros
In 1993, I would tell you to do A,B,C
In 2003, I would say do D,E,F

In 2013 - there are no more standards to hip hop, none whatsoever.

You don't need to rhyme different words, or even rhyme at all (see Trinidad James)
You can sing (See Drake, Dre3k, Cee Lo)
You can be any color you want and from any socio-economic background you want to be from. (this has actually always been the case, but hip hop marketers went with a particular demographic to prove authenticity)
You don't need to rap in English to get play in America (See Psy)
You can be a former member of law enforcement. (Rick Ross)
You can do songs with Country And Western people (Nelly, LL Cool J)
You can do songs with teeny boppers (MOP and LFO)
You don't need to have breath control - everything can be punched in (Big Pun)
You don't need to pay dues to get signed (black eyed peas)
You can blatantly bite other peoples rhyme styles (A$AP)
You can be more popular on twitter than you are on the radio (Joe Buddens)
You can be a known skateboarder or a fan of Haute Couture (Tyler, Wayne, Asap)
You can be goofy as fuck and still get your dick sucked on stage (Danny Brown)

^^I been listening to hip hop longer than you've been alive, and believe me none of this shit would have been plausible 10 years ago, much less 30. These people wouldn't have been allowed to carry a dj's crates, much less end up on wax.

So I suggest that you stop writing verses, stop practicing, stop freestyling, stop trying to get your flow together - none of that shit matters to anyone that matters. You don't need to do shows or have a local presence at all. No one cares anymore.

Even the nerdy white hip hop blogosphere that not-so-secretly controls the underground can't take away your street cred - because those dudes are relics too and there is no street to give you cred.

If you want to be a big time rapper in 2013
- you need a good video that can go viral
- you need an ear for a catchy beat
- you need to rap clear enough so that people hear you and can rap along and sing along
- you need to build an online fanbase

That's it. Everything else, follows afterwards.

WIA

[w00t]

(05-02-2013 01:55 AM)houston Wrote:  

(05-02-2013 01:51 AM)w00t Wrote:  

OP is German and the German rap scene is full of white guys who claim to be gangsters so no problem there.

Videos?

There you go.

To be fair though most ppl really playing the whole gangster thing nowadays are turks and arabs. Theyre like the blacks of germany except their music sucks.

[Belize King]

Crazy thread. I was a rapper/hypeman in '04 during my freshman year of college. We sold 1100 $5 dollar cd's. Our second cd we sold 1500. We did local shows, fucked local hoes, got our shit played on the radio during the local late night time slot. The grind sucked. We bought studio time and made our cds at the school computer lab. Our album cover was a pic we took at the mexico/american border. We hit the mall up three times a week asking little mexican teeny boopers if they listened to rap. Sold cds at bike shows, gas stations, beach, outside bars and clubs. The grind was rediculous but it taught me to approach and not give a fuck.

You can treat it as a hobby or take it serious. Its up to you. I would say put out a mixtape. Flow over the most popular beats you guys listen to out there in Germany. Rap as nothing to do with talent anymore (Trinidad and Two Chains), but out the beat sounds and the niche you are pushing.

Once you complete your mixtape go out and sell sell sell. People are stupid and would buy anything for five euros. Be ready to flow on the spot. Always have your top five 16 ready to spit. Have a 2-4 man crew to help you with everything. Hopefully one or two other rappers and one or two cats you are cool witb thats down to carry, sell, grind.

As long as you have a mouthpiece, you can flip 1k cds like its nothing. I've done it. Any questions pm me.

[Teedub]

(05-02-2013 01:51 AM)w00t Wrote:  

OP is German and the German rap scene is full of white guys who claim to be gangsters so no problem there.

Think the OP is an American living in Germany. The guys you're talking about are very rarely 'white' in the cultural sense, they're usually Kurdish or Turkish, and from rough areas of the major cities.

To the OP - Here's the rapping thread: Post some rhymes dude.

[XXL]

gangsta shit is fun but in the end it's just a pose. fuck that. look at the top guys in hiphop, em, kanye, jay, outkast, pharrell, timbaland, recent tyler the creator, no gangsta guns and stuff. to quote em himself.. "Never once did you hear me say I'm a gangster and I aint hear no complaints". i think the sweet spot is being record producer, you can rap and also make music yourself as long as you want and the best thing is that now it doesn't matter HOW you make it. you don't even have to play instruments, you can sample or hire musicians. as long as the track is good nobody gives a shit.

kanye working on his peak album was sampling and even calling musicians to play for him melodies he came up in his mind while was like like a mastermind putting pieces ofthe puzzle together. kind of weird but his "fantasy.." was milestone so nobody can say shit now. i mean, damn, when i first heard him saying in some interview that he can't play piano that much then i thought "impossible is nothing indeed".

[Sabra]

You ever notice how white hip hop artists can get play on rock radio stations and hip hop stations, but black artists only on hip hop stations? Like back in the day they used to play Eminem and the Beastie Boys on K-Rock in New York. Do they do that everywhere?

[sucio44]

(05-02-2013 10:29 AM)Sabra Wrote:  

You ever notice how white hip hop artists can get play on rock radio stations and hip hop stations, but black artists only on hip hop stations? Like back in the day they used to play Eminem and the Beastie Boys on K-Rock in New York. Do they do that everywhere?

But KRock never played 3rd Bass on that station.

[sucio44]

Back in the day, becoming an MC was dangerous. WIA is right--the rap scene started in the early 70s. My brother was a popular MC in the late 70s/early 80s. He used the run with Africa Islam and Red Alert back then. I remember going w/him and his crew to Far Rock to battle other MCs and a gun battle went down instead. I was around 10 or 11 and scared shitless when it happened. Heading back home on the subway, my bro grabs me by the collar and tells me I better keep my mouth shut to my parents. His manager back then also got shot in the head on White Plains Road in the daytime. NYC was the wild west in the 70s and 80s. To this day, the older heads in the Bronx still call him by his MC name. The best part of being his younger brother was the automatic street cred. Now some german guy wants to be an MC--its cute.