Is it realistic to make a living as a northwest rap artist?

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TRMNDUS

Sicc OG
#61
May 4, 2002
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#61
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People are just not real fans today, they are yes men content with the sharpie and memorex label. I know people who go so and so is my favorite arist but have every one of his cds burned? Your a supporter? Get the fuck out of here!! Yes I know music is not as good as it used to be but even the good music people dont support, they still download and bootleg it. Im sure some people can relate to me, as a fan I used to sacrifice to get music on Tuesdays, i wonder if todays fan even knows music comes out on Tuesdays!
 
B

BAMMER

Siccness Gray Hair
#62
Apr 25, 2002
5,828
479
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Auburn Wa
www.dawgman.com
#62
xabiton said:
if your ultimate goal is to make money I would ask why are you making music in the first place? There are careers that are way easier to get into with 401k and health insurance ect that you can make a lot more money in than a lot of people who make music are. This music should be a part of you the money should be second but if you want to sell it keep in mind who you want to buy it.
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Apples and oranges..first,its hard enough to find any work.Health Insurance isn't quite the catch most think it is.You pay into it at most every job,and 401k isn't gonna have anyone retiring by 55,that is a myth.Tell me this,would it be easier to wake up and say,I'm gonna get my rap career started today!..or..I'm gonna make a few calls and,and pick whichever 65k a year,free "poor" healthcare job,with mutual funds and 401k today!! Now if you have a college degree,the second option might be a better idea.if your like me,your not being hired,and if your black..its gonna be even harder,and as sad as it is,we know this to be true.its two completely different things aswell.(rapping)your ceo,answer to nobody,create your own hours.(corporate)your a puppet to higher-ups..that's the draw for some people to become rappers,its not always a love thing,but more of a work for myself.
 
xabiton

xabiton

Sicc OG
#63
Jun 9, 2005
469
3
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www.kevwestbeats.com
#63
TRMNDUS said:
People are just not real fans today, they are yes men content with the sharpie and memorex label. I know people who go so and so is my favorite arist but have every one of his cds burned? Your a supporter? Get the fuck out of here!! Yes I know music is not as good as it used to be but even the good music people dont support, they still download and bootleg it. Im sure some people can relate to me, as a fan I used to sacrifice to get music on Tuesdays, i wonder if todays fan even knows music comes out on Tuesdays!
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You are right people arent the fans they used to be. But even though they wont buy a cd a lot of people will still come to a show especially if its promoted right and you can rock the crowd. For some reason I sense cats are focusing a lot of attention on physical cd sales and I don't think the selling of music will ever be back to the way it was say 10 years ago. Gotta get shows and get that show money. I honestly feel you can probably get more bread giving your music away for free to a dedicated fan base and even gain new fans by just putting out a good mixtape or ep and just doing shows. Its working in other areas why not try it here.
 
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TRMNDUS

Sicc OG
#65
May 4, 2002
1,423
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#65
xabiton said:
You are right people arent the fans they used to be. But even though they wont buy a cd a lot of people will still come to a show especially if its promoted right and you can rock the crowd. For some reason I sense cats are focusing a lot of attention on physical cd sales and I don't think the selling of music will ever be back to the way it was say 10 years ago. Gotta get shows and get that show money. I honestly feel you can probably get more bread giving your music away for free to a dedicated fan base and even gain new fans by just putting out a good mixtape or ep and just doing shows. Its working in other areas why not try it here.
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I mean is there actually any real show money out here in the northwest? Im asking from a curiosity standpoint because I really dont know, do local artists even get paid to do shows? Another thing i notice its the same artists doing the same shows at the same venues. Seems to me its a bit oversaturated and clickish? I mean how often do you see a mid to big name artist? Just every so often. I understand the logic of doing shows but maybe the best bet is too promote and do bigger shows. People are not going to want to come out every week to see you perform when they saw the same exact thing a week before.
 
localstar907

localstar907

Sicc OG
#66
Apr 7, 2004
2,858
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#66
TRMNDUS said:
I mean is there actually any real show money out here in the northwest? Im asking from a curiosity standpoint because I really dont know, do local artists even get paid to do shows? Another thing i notice its the same artists doing the same shows at the same venues. Seems to me its a bit oversaturated and clickish? I mean how often do you see a mid to big name artist? Just every so often. I understand the logic of doing shows but maybe the best bet is too promote and do bigger shows. People are not going to want to come out every week to see you perform when they saw the same exact thing a week before.
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EXACTLY... IM NOT SURE WHAT CATS ARE GETTING PAID FOR SHOWS. I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S NOTHING OVER 500. IF YOU HAVE THE BREAD TO PRESS UP 10,000 CDS AND GIVE THEM AWAY THATS YOUR BEST BET. OJ DA JUICEMAN DID IT AND GOT HIS SHIT OF THE GROUND AND STARTED DOING PAID SHOWS. AT THE SAME TIME HE'S IN ATL/DOWN SOUTH. THATS REALLY THE WHOLE SOUTHS GRIND GIVE THE MUSIC AWAY FOR FREE AND GET THE SHOW MONEY. THE NORTHWEST MIGHT BE TO SMALL FOR A CAMPAIGN LIKE THAT. YOU HAVE WASHINGTON,OREGON,IDAHO,MONTANA,AND ALASKA. WASHINGTON AND OREGON ARE THE ONLY TWO STATES OUT THE BUNCH WITH ONE CITY WITH A POPULATION OVER 500,000.
 
localstar907

localstar907

Sicc OG
#67
Apr 7, 2004
2,858
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#67
IF CATS PEOPLES BELIEVE IN WHAT THERE DOING THEY COULD HAVE A IMPACT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE MATTER. YOU COULD HAVE SOMEBODY THAT BLAST YOUR MUSIC ALL DAY,PROMOTING YOUR MUSIC ONLINE. THEN HAVE PEOPLE IN THE STREETS PASSING OUT FLYERS AND PUSHING CDS. MY BOYS EVENODDS IN FRISCO HAD A CAMPAIGN LIKE THIS AND SOLD OVER 20,000 CDS WORLDWIDE. WITH OUT ANY AIR PLAY IN THE BAY OR ANY WHERE ELSE. MOST HAND TO HAND CD SALES WHERE IN FRISCO AND THE INTERNET SALES CAME FROM OVER SEAS. YOU HAVE TO WORK BOTH ANGLES AND HAVE A TEAM
 
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onewaymuzik

Sicc OG
#69
Oct 21, 2002
2,667
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#69
yes if thats all you do i made 2500-3000 a month take home after hotel rooms re-uping,cds,food,cigarettes,beer ect but that was all i did 6 months strait its hard to balance family and music independently but i have ate off rap music and who am i ? goes to show
 
D'struction

D'struction

Sicc OG
#70
Apr 14, 2003
6,415
154
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#70
^^^ you possess and understand the grind aspect. a lotta cats that wanna be rappers dont really want to put in the footwork or the hustle. they wanna overnight the shit.
 
xabiton

xabiton

Sicc OG
#71
Jun 9, 2005
469
3
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www.kevwestbeats.com
#71
TRMNDUS said:
I mean is there actually any real show money out here in the northwest? Im asking from a curiosity standpoint because I really dont know, do local artists even get paid to do shows? Another thing i notice its the same artists doing the same shows at the same venues. Seems to me its a bit oversaturated and clickish? I mean how often do you see a mid to big name artist? Just every so often. I understand the logic of doing shows but maybe the best bet is too promote and do bigger shows. People are not going to want to come out every week to see you perform when they saw the same exact thing a week before.
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I get that feeling of clickyness too. But isnt that happening everywhere? The example I gave is how the southern guys do it Im sure that given the right product it could work in the northwest too. But I am not an artist so I am not sure.
 
localstar907

localstar907

Sicc OG
#72
Apr 7, 2004
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#72
xabiton said:
I get that feeling of clickyness too. But isnt that happening everywhere? The example I gave is how the southern guys do it Im sure that given the right product it could work in the northwest too. But I am not an artist so I am not sure.
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IT'S WAY EASIER FOR A PRODUCER TO BREAK SUFRACE ON THE INTERNET. RAPPERS NOT SO IT TAKES MONEY OR ELSE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS SOMEBODY CONNECTED WITH THESE BLOGS AND MIXTAPE SITES. IF NOT GET IN THEM STREETS AND START WORKING.
 
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BaneTheTerrible

Sicc OG
#73
Mar 11, 2004
810
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#73
To create a fanbase, you need to be out doing shows, you need to be out selling/giving away CD's, you need to have professional production, you need to invest in yourselves and have a team of people who are like minded. Anyone who says anything different does not know what they are talking about and if you ask them to prove that they can get by on bare minimums then please direct them over to me so they can show me how to run my business.

60-80 hours a week should be a minimum for you to be out grinding. Sitting in your basement making beats or recording yourself is not going to pay you a consistant liveable wage. you will be lucky to pay for pizza. Of course there is an exception to every rule so that needs to be taken into account but considering I work with a ton of artists all the time in all different genres I can personally tell you that I have yet to see the exception to this rule.

This is all common sense, there is no magic formula, its a lot of hard work and even more luck involved. If you are smart, you can navigate the politics in the local scene and find your place, but you will never do it by complaining about this that or the other. You can do anything you want if the motivation is there.
 
0R0

0R0

Girbaud Shuttle Jeans
#74
Dec 10, 2006
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BasedWorld
#74
slap

localstar907 said:
ANOTHER THING IS THE NORTHWEST HASN'T HAD A 50CENT,SNOOP DOG,OR A T.I YET... SIR-MIX-A-LOT CAME AND WENT LIKE IN 92 I BELIEVE AND THATS IT. WE HAVE A LOT OF RESPECTED ARTIST ON THE UNDERGROUND SCENE BUT THATS IT. PRODUCTION WISE WE HAVE HELPED ARTIST LIKE 50CENT,G-UNIT,MAC DRE,E-40,ETC.. SHAPE THERE SOUND BUT WE HAVE NO SOUND OR MAJOR ARTIST... WE HAVE YET TO BREAK INDUSTRY SURFACE. I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT SHIT LIKE FUCK MAINSTREAM CAUSE THATS ALL BULLSHIT. IF MAINSTREAM WAS FUCKING WITH YOU,YOU WOULD BE FUCKING WITH MAINSTREAM. CATS JUST NEED TO BELIEVE IN THERE MUSIC,STAY HUMBLE,AND PUSH A HARD LINE. I TRUTHFULLY BELIEVE THE NORTHWEST IS THE NEXT TO SHINE.
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xabiton

xabiton

Sicc OG
#79
Jun 9, 2005
469
3
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41
www.kevwestbeats.com
#79
localstar907 said:
IT'S WAY EASIER FOR A PRODUCER TO BREAK SUFRACE ON THE INTERNET. RAPPERS NOT SO IT TAKES MONEY OR ELSE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS SOMEBODY CONNECTED WITH THESE BLOGS AND MIXTAPE SITES. IF NOT GET IN THEM STREETS AND START WORKING.
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its hard to get paid as a producer online everyone wants a handout or producers get desperate to get beats used and will give them away 10 for 1 at $5 for the 1st. The net is a terrible market for producers but some really know how to work it. However people are always looking for a new artist because most people dont listen to just beats so its a lot easier to get people to listen to a fully produced song if its good.
 
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