how do rappers build a local fanbase nowadays ?

L&HH

Veteran
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
53,759
Reputation
5,910
Daps
162,945
Reppin
PG x MD
A$AP Rocky and A$AP mob proved you could just blow up from tumblr.

I be telling peole that the best social media platform to blow up from is tumblr...seriously it's so easy to create a following there. Cause I feel the game is a bit more image oriented than it was in the past now and they catered to that. Same with odd future. They had the fashion, they were putting people onto things, they had an image that appealed, it's safe to say if you get love on tumblr the possibilities are endless.

This is why more artists need to be visual, and take pictures. Like I discovered ASAP rocky from tumblr pictures getting thousands of notes before even hearing one of his songs. That's how Ian Connor blew up...on tumblr.

robb bank$ and yung lean have their little tumblr following and more and more I see more people signing up for it and artists and big media giants are placing themselves on that site and making pages...
One tapped and unexplored outlet is doing music for youtubers. I heard that's how logic gained some initial traction through some popular call of duty players. A lot of them actually need/want royalty free music to use on their channels.

As far as this thread goes, popping locally does nothing for you on a national scene unless you're in Atl, La, Miami, or Ny. That's only because there's too many industry ppl in those areas that if you do pop off there they're bound to hear the "buzz" at somewhat and then reach out to you.

We can all name local rappers that young nikkas tuck with heavy incur areas but if you tell someone just a state over they'll be like "who"

This song right here been a smash in the DC area for the past half year. I doubt it picks up nationally. They could at least put some money to try to get it popping on vine, Instagram. Get a dance going and try to make a worldstar compilation or something. As a matter of fact that nikka nilessy niles aka retro Spectro is from the area. They can at least link up with him and try and get him to do a video and promote it on soundcloud or something. It seems like that's the type of shyt you gotta do these days.
 

Cynic

Superstar
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Messages
16,314
Reputation
2,337
Daps
35,217
Reppin
NULL
This is the laziest way of doing it IMO. You can't just upload a track to soundcloud and expect it to blow up organically, you have to promote it heavily.

The dude who really laid down the blueprint was Soulja Boy.

he built up a following from youtube, facebook, twitter, instagram, myspace, tumblr, etc....he utilized all of the social media platforms to become a "thing".

The fact he's still mentioned now when many would of claimed him to be a one hit wonder is actually pretty damn remarkable and I can tell he still got Crank that money


He did it via passion alone... breh was like 15/16 recording in public libraries and sh!t

Song is garbo but that drive :wow:
 

AStrangeName

Member of Snitch Syndication
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Messages
11,954
Reputation
1,928
Daps
25,881
A$AP Rocky and A$AP mob proved you could just blow up from tumblr.

I be telling peole that the best social media platform to blow up from is tumblr...seriously it's so easy to create a following there. Cause I feel the game is a bit more image oriented than it was in the past now and they catered to that. Same with odd future. They had the fashion, they were putting people onto things, they had an image that appealed, it's safe to say if you get love on tumblr the possibilities are endless.

This is why more artists need to be visual, and take pictures. Like I discovered ASAP rocky from tumblr pictures getting thousands of notes before even hearing one of his songs. That's how Ian Connor blew up...on tumblr.

robb bank$ and yung lean have their little tumblr following and more and more I see more people signing up for it and artists and big media giants are placing themselves on that site and making pages...
Tumblr was the best place to put your music back in 2010-2011 when it came to hip-hop, after that it became difficult due to the bloggers start filling themselves. Outside of that it's still the best place to get attention from.

Locally however is harder than ever depending on your area. Houston is crazy stubborn on putting on local artist, but the only way is if having the ogs, connections or media putting you own.
 

itsyoung!!

Veteran
Bushed
Joined
May 1, 2012
Messages
38,914
Reputation
6,555
Daps
110,441
Reppin
Bay Area
Most people do local open mics shows at schools and small clubs and bars.
I would say outside a few cites most local acts have no real buzz
never seen anyones career blow up off this since social media been out.

social media is pretty much king right now as far as blowing up :yeshrug: just how the game is now :yeshrug: gotta get big on ig or youtube first then local will follow

ASAP mob pretty much showed people how to get popular off youtube. Not sure why people dont take the blueprint :yeshrug:
 

L&HH

Veteran
Joined
May 18, 2012
Messages
53,759
Reputation
5,910
Daps
162,945
Reppin
PG x MD
It's crazy now. Literally everything Kanye is associated with gets hyped up.

He wears a pair of Vans Half-Cabs: Hypebeast types up an article about a possible Kanye West collaboration with Vans
He co-signs an artist, they get hot by association.
His own sneakers and clothes sell out.
He has fans, stans, and obssessed haters that still check out his albums, go to his concerts, buy his clothes etc...I'd say he is a very successful symbol of being everywhere and in every market without trying to be.

And yeah, they got the kardashian brand behind them. I've honestly been talking to alot of people in real life about marketing and promotion. I think it would be cool if the coli had it's own marketing/promotion/music thread based on our input and others that aspiring rappers, producers, etc can take part in and get a better idea about how to move and maximize the most in today's media climate.
Lookup antisocial social club. They make some screen printed basic letter print on generic as gildan clothing. Kanye wears a hoodie of there's and all they shyt is sold out. nikkas reselling their basic "dad hats" on eBay for $60+ and shyt lol. I respect the hustle. That yeezus hat Kanye wore during his yeezy season 3 concert. A dude replicated and was selling 50-100 of them a day at $25 on eBay the day after up until the week proceeding the event. They're still selling somewhat regularly too but it's saturated to hell now. Ppl are also replicating some of the shirts and stuff as well. It's crazy. I think he should sell limited edition copies of TLOP on every physical medium (vinyl, tape, cd). For like $50-$100 each. Make like 20,000 copies of each medium. It'd sell out instantly. That's an easy $3 million and I bet resell would still be like $150+. These hype beast are that ridiculous.
 

Unknown Poster

I had to do it to em.
Supporter
Joined
Aug 28, 2015
Messages
53,149
Reputation
27,535
Daps
284,560
Reppin
SOHH Class of 2006
He did it via passion alone... breh was like 15/16 recording in public libraries and sh!t

Song is garbo but that drive :wow:
I still respect that drive of his. That's why I'm still following him on twitter, tumblr, instagram after all of these years....
:banderas:
 

The Devil's Advocate

Call me Dad
Joined
Jun 1, 2012
Messages
36,417
Reputation
8,080
Daps
100,591
Reppin
Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven
how do they, it seems like they just try to blow up from Soundcloud or IG/Twitter vids. i remember Kash Doll from Detroit said Dej Loaf's music wasn't really played in Detroit that much, it didn't played in the clubs, etc. and that she blew up from Soundcloud.
get in with the movers and shakers in your town... mainly the dj's and club owners

get them to play your shyt in the club, on the radio, and let you perform.. even if you have to pay them... again and again and again and again and again


rent out clubs/bars, pay for stars to come, and make yourself the opening act... again and again and again and again and again



first thing you need to know... shyt costs MONEY.... tens of thousands between shows, always being fly, and not having no damn job to worry about while you grind... which is why most artists sign with some local label who fronts you the money... and that's why most artists already have a deal when they sign to a major, at which they forever owing some street nikka you never heard of... cause he ain't letting you go without future percentage


and MOST IMPORTANT... if your music ain't no fukking good, you will go nowhere... no matter how much money you spend
 

NvrCMyNut

Banned
Joined
Jul 13, 2012
Messages
11,414
Reputation
-4,165
Daps
21,907
Reppin
NULL
A$AP Rocky and A$AP mob proved you could just blow up from tumblr.

I be telling peole that the best social media platform to blow up from is tumblr...seriously it's so easy to create a following there. Cause I feel the game is a bit more image oriented than it was in the past now and they catered to that. Same with odd future. They had the fashion, they were putting people onto things, they had an image that appealed, it's safe to say if you get love on tumblr the possibilities are endless.

This is why more artists need to be visual, and take pictures. Like I discovered ASAP rocky from tumblr pictures getting thousands of notes before even hearing one of his songs. That's how Ian Connor blew up...on tumblr.

robb bank$ and yung lean have their little tumblr following and more and more I see more people signing up for it and artists and big media giants are placing themselves on that site and making pages...
The problem is all those tumblr/twitter rappers are trash. I've had enough of image driven swag rap.
 

DigitalDopeman

All Star
Joined
Jun 19, 2012
Messages
2,602
Reputation
1,005
Daps
4,086
Reppin
Jacksonville, Fl
the local thing can work but it depends on what type of music market your city is. Any A&R our label person will tell you that cities are either a Class A,B,C,or D market for music. If you are in a city that is a Class D Market for music, then getting a buzz locally is extra tough, because its not a new music city, class d markets are the last to get new music because the people aren't up on music and aren't fans of ALOT of music, people in class D markets usually aren't fans of a lot of artists and the same artists do shows there all the time. Local artists in a class A or B market will prolly have it easier because the people in those type cities eat up new music and WANT that Dope new music no matter who its from, a new guy, or a mainstream artist....a city like Atlanta for example....they people there want something NEW all the time, while class d market cities are always catching up to whats OLD already in other places
 

McSpacey

All Star
Joined
Jan 3, 2013
Messages
1,266
Reputation
150
Daps
2,908
Reppin
NYC
never seen anyones career blow up off this since social media been out.

social media is pretty much king right now as far as blowing up :yeshrug: just how the game is now :yeshrug: gotta get big on ig or youtube first then local will follow

ASAP mob pretty much showed people how to get popular off youtube. Not sure why people dont take the blueprint :yeshrug:

Interesting.. and what exactly would u say that blueprint is? :jbhmm:
 

666 ReVeNGe 666

TROLL IS LIFE
Joined
Sep 16, 2014
Messages
19,725
Reputation
-4,701
Daps
44,509
Meek mill got popular off them hood dvd freestyles then he literally kept dishing out mixtape and mixtape for like 5 years and got radio support and did little shows until Charlie mack put him on

Like....if you from Philly, Meek was famous and had mad hits to us before all this shyt popped off in 2011. He was on the radio and had shyt on smash out here.

Uzi got famous and put on luckily. His manager was married to Philly dj and she played his music and Don cannon heard it on the radio and signed him :wow:
 
Top