Man, the shit is hard as a muthafuca! Believe when I tell you. That's why 98% of the upcoming indies don't do it on a consistent basis. They might do it when their album first comes out, but after bein' rejected and gettin' discouraged they stop. And it doesn't have to do if your music is tight most of the time. If you're not strong minded it's not for you. And you have to swollow your pride, and come off your high horse. A lot of artist think they're above that, especially the new ones (that's hilarious), and only have sold 1000 or less real sells. And you have to be bold, and a salesman. I always have a walkman when I go out. On my first album (Ghetto Classics) I used to always take the Murder Dog I was in, and the Source magazine they I got a write up in. That really helped, cuz I didn't have any famous features on my first album. I don't bring the mags with me no more, even though I've been in some recent Murder Dogs. I have a certain sales pitch I use almost everytime. I don't want to type it all out, but it's impressive. You gotta realize too, I started in the d game as a youngsta as a curb server, and I had to convince smokers to choose my shit over the other homies out there on the 4 blocc with me (they can tell you some stories about my techniques). So I am a salesman first and foremost. So I give them my pitch, and after I tell them all of that, if they still don't bite, I offer to let them hear it, and if they had any intentions on gettin' it after they hear it I got em'! Especially when it's 17.99 in the store, and I sell it for $10. My name is spreadin' so much now 95% of the people we approach heard of me(even some out of town), or about the cd, or their homey, brother, or cousin has it, and they want they own so they cop it. I've received a lot of store sells from this too, cuz some people really want it but don't have the money, and get it at the store later. I reach so many thousands of people that wouldn't know about me if I just sat on my ass, and my cd just sat in the store, and it only sellin' to the people that already know about me. It's hella hard sometimes, but this is what it takes. And since San Diego is a tourist city in the summer at the beach I sell so many cd's to people from out of town (Arizona, The Bay, Portland, Seattle). And they have high school b-ball tourneys out here all the time with youngstas from all over, and they buy it and take it bac and spread the word. I think that's how I met Blutarski, x-loc, or xraidedloc (one of them, I'm not sure). They even got me on videotape bustin'. And we go out of town doin' it to (shows, to malls etc), and hit em' real big out of town (Vegas, San Jose, Kansas City, LA, O-Side etc) We've ran into a lot of connections doin' this. It's hard homey, but it's really startin' to pay off in a lot of ways, so I'ma keep doin' it until I don't have to. And even then I can't see myself just sittin' on my ass, instead gettin' out there hustlin'. 1 luv.
LIL C.S. aka C.S.Heat
www.ghettoworld.com
.