So many of us have that burning desire that leads us down a path of recognition. Inspiration worn like hand-me-down clothes that can’t be shaked off. Most often than not, it becomes a passion to keep the torch going because there’s no way you can let this flame extinguish. So it’s time to make it big and that all starts with the first fan. The one after that will get along with the one after that, and before you know it, you’ve got a fan base going. You can’t stop there, that stuff has to keep growing. Your fanbase is the ground in which you grow. So get up to speed on this road from up and coming to the greatest of all time.
And that starts with the first step:
Rap You and True
As an artist, your voice is unique. The first step is about making sure everybody else knows. Gaining recognition is about setting yourself apart from others. Most people would call it a USP, unique selling proposition but you can call it your voice, or your rhythm or whatever. The important thing here is that you note down what exactly you can emphasize and differentiate yourself apart from the rest. Whether that’s your style or where you draw inspiration from, part of your growth as a rapper is hitting the nail on that thing that captures what constitutes “You”.
From here you have to start crafting your image. While it’s important to see what works, it’s also just as important to make sure it’s an image you can live with. For a genre like rap, living with your image means so much more than in other genres. Your image is a mix of everything. It’s your voice, with your style, the themes of your tracks and overall public persona. This is what fans will remember. Make sure it’s something that hypes them up.
Finally the last step for this tip is to keep it consistent. Each track within an album has to fit in line with it all. Your image isn’t something you can play around with unless you want people to think you’ve got no personality. It’s a game of making sure things stick first.
Get Online and Get Making
With your image in mind, or rather, your branding, head to social media and start putting yourself out there. Get a feel of how each social media would treat you and pick your favorites. Each social media has a different game to them so choose your battles wisely and plan accordingly. Social media is a game of output and consistency. Be ready to make dozens of short form content for platforms like Tiktok or Youtube. These can be snippets from a new track or behind-the-scenes sneak peaks or even personal stories. Be sure to remember that it’s a content game about engagement, not numbers. Numbers are great for sure, they mean that you’re growing but that doesn’t always mean that your fanbase is. Interacting and recognizing fans is a key aspect of building your fanbase.
If marketing isn’t your game to play and you want to focus on making tracks and lyrics, consider hiring a social media manager or a digital marketing agency that can handle your social media and online marketing needs. From ensuring that you show up on the top of Google to consistently posting content for your social media, it’s a route to consider when you aren’t sure how to properly market.
Join Collabs and Network Responsibly
A lot of being a music artist these days means knowing the people and people knowing you. By interacting with fellow artists and rappers, cross-exposure between fans occurs. By collaborating, you widen the overlap between fanbases, turning their fanbase into yours as well. Just be careful with who you collaborate with and the associations that come with it. This line of thinking is also true for when tapping into industry contacts. Networking with DJs, influencers, bloggers and the like mean just as much as collaborating with fellow artists but also carry with it just as many risks.
Make sure to attend as many events as you can. Reputation isn’t only meant to be built online, you have to get to know the local scene as well. As an artist wanting to make it big, you have to put yourself out there regardless so you might as well develop your reputation locally as well.
Show up and Show Off
Remember the part about bringing out your voice and image? Well this is the part where you can build on it. As a rapper, consider the power visuals play in your scene. People will remember not only your music but also your music videos. People will remember not only your hit album but also the album art. Your visual style and visual image matter just as much as your branding as a rapper.
You’ve got to invest into your visuals. Draw from your inspirations and your culture to find the perfect visual presence that suits you. If you’re all about that work hard, play hard life, consider investing into the visuals that present that like the clothes, shoes or even diamond grillz. Fans will turn to what you present because it layers onto the whole experience. Part of their joy is being able to be a part of the experience you present. So this is the part all about deepening your image to as many degrees as possible.
Engaging with Fans Beyond Music
The last and most important step is don’t forget about the fans. As you grow as an artist, it can be easy to get lost in the glamor and fame of the game but in order to build a fanbase worthwhile to it all, make sure to establish a real human connection with them. Depending on scale, you can organize events and content that have fan-submitted questions or offer personal shout-outs. Another way is to create exclusive content for fans supporting you on platforms like Youtube or Patreon. This can be early access to future albums or even exclusive custom t-shirts that sport designs specific to your brand, your image and/or style. In today’s digital world, it wouldn’t be impossible to even organize online communities where fans can befriend and meet one another. However you decide to do this, just keep in mind that it’s all about the drive to get it done.
Remember that your fanbase is your foundation. It isn’t uncommon to learn just how much an artist’s own fanbase can truly motivate them to continue pursuing their passions. Your journey has only begun so get going and start creating your next track, it ain’t gonna be making itself.