MR. LOCAL RAPPER MAN.... STOP ANNOYING ME
Hi my name is Benny and rappers annoy me. A lot. A whole lot. I feel like I'm in a episode of The Walking Dead and the walkers/zombies are rappers. I'm just trying to survive through this shit. I like artist. I dislike rappers. I used to do the rap shit so I know the deal. If you're a rapper that hasn't "made it" here are some annoying things you do that I advise you to quit doing if you want me to support you or gain support period.
LET'S BUILD
No nigga we're not building. Stop saying that shit. Only thing that is being built is a house full of wasted time. No I don't want to take down your number for a collab. It's not happening so why waste each others time? This is what you need to build. A fan base. Out here on the St.louis music scene I see aspiring rappers chase down rappers instead of fans. Just pure backwards shit. Chase down a promoter and a unique story and sound. Not a rapper. Why do you want a bunch of rappers at your shows? They not spending money on you. Some are there to support. Some are there with other motives. They probably don't even like you. A rapper who says "Let's Build" constantly is a liar.
SPAM
I didn't ask for your mixtape link. Stop tagging me in shit. No I don't do submissions. If the music is dope I'll find your music, trust me. Especially if I know you from social media. I usually check out everything on my own. Don't send me shit unless I ask for it. I've never seen a artist get a record deal or gain a huge following from spamming everyone links. Kanye West, Pharrell, Mike Will, and other music people not checking links homie. You wasting your time sending it to them too. I've seen Pharrell in person say this shit. They hear things through word of mouth and buzz. Just post the shit on your shit and whoever fucks with it fucks with it. Trust me, everyone sees what you post and if they didn't listen or check it out when they seen it they either don't want to hear your shit or they're busy and they will just come back to it later. I hate when my notifications go off and it's not a shorty I'm vibing with but instead it's your punk ass music. If you spam me in your shit I will go out my way not to listen to it. I swear to 5 pound 6 ounce baby Jesus I won't listen.
FORCE SUPPORT
Just because we from the same place doesn't mean I'm a support your music. I'm not going to go out my way to disrespect it either. Everybody taste is different but what's not going to happen is you mothafuckas are not going to force me to like your shit. I see artists complaining about people going to see Boosie shows instead of them and their struggle raps on stage. Duh Nigga! Boosie made "Wipe Me Down." The fuck you mean? They would play "Wipe Me Down" in church and Sista Monzane with the big purple church hat in the front row would catch the holy ghost if it didn't have cuss words in it. Do you have something dope like "Wipe Me Down?" Do you have good music in general? If you don't then there's nothing to discuss. If you do just keep pushing and focusing on the people who do support you. They hold the social currency. They will spread your music with word of mouth. Make some dope shit, plan and market a great show, and focus on the people who do support. I'm not about to support you just because you from St.Louis. You have to earn support. Put the work in. Make sure your reputation solid and just grow from there. Simple. Y'all be expecting the numbers of a sold out show at Madison Square Garden at your show and haven't sold 100 copies of your mixtape. You represent yourself. If people think you're a good person and they actually like you as a person they'll support whatever your business is. I've seen terrible artist get support because they're good people. Nobody will support you if you on some fuck shit constantly.
COMPETITION
This where you rappers really fuck up at and what annoys me a lot. You worried about competing instead of creating. Once you compete you're taking the focus off creating the best product possible. You should only be competing with yourself and figuring out a way to be better than whatever you made last. You constantly telling the world on social media you're better than every rapper is not going to make anyone listen to your music at all. You telling me you'll kill anyone on a track won't put money in your bank account. News flash. NO ONE'S LISTENING. If you want to compete go battle fucking Shotgun Suge. MAKE GOOD FUCKING MUSIC that should be your only focus. I don't give a fuck who had the best verse. Is the song dope? It's the only thing that counts and helps your career grow. This is the down side to the music scene here in St.Louis. My facebook timeline is full of this bullshit and sometimes people tag me in it. Once you stop worrying about "Bars" your music will just flow so much easier. I'm a writer. I would know, trust me.
MIXTAPE FORMULA
Yes Future can drop 5 tapes in a year. Why? It's because he's Future aka Jesus and he's already established. Nigga, You ain't. You dropping albums and mixtapes every 4 months not doing anything for you. It's just getting lost in the mix. It's even worse if you do a video or 2 from the project and just move on from it. There is an exception. If you can sell 5,000 copies or more of something then yeah that's a good enough buzz to drop continuous material. If not you just wasting your time. This is what rappers really need to do. Record songs. No album. No Tape. Just songs. Put all your energy into one record and promo the fuck out of that song. Video, edited version for radio play, and do some shows. Period. Just keep doing songs. The attention span of the rap fan today is damn near non existent. A project is talked about for a week and then they move on. This is why you have to stay doing visuals. They need imagery to go with the music it stays on the consumers mind more.
FREESTYLES
No I don't want to hear your "Computers" freestyle. You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to listen to the actual "Computers" song because it's better. You rapped over "Antidote?" Guess what you can keep it. I don't care how many bars you have I'm not listening to that shit. I don't care. You wasting lyrics if you ask me. Those bars you wasting could go onto a track that you can call your own. It's like an aspiring actor re-enacting scenes from a good tv show that just aired. Why in the fuck would I watch when I could watch the original? Only established artists can do this freestyle shit these days. Quit wasting your time and be original.
I WANT SHIT FREE
Rappers not the only people that do this. Everyone does it but STOP ASKING FOR FREE SHIT. You rapping muhfuckas want everything free. This why nobody be pressed to work with local rappers. A lot of yall fuck it up for everybody. You want Free production. Free photography/videography work. Free promotional work. Free studio time. Free venues. Free clothes. Free Weed. 3 freely naked women to cook all your meals for free. Go Freely find yourselves some income please. Just because you've been rapping for free for years don't mean everyone else services are free. Telling a producer to give you a free beat then telling him or her "I'll make you famous or I'll put you on" is not going to pay their rent. If you think it will, go to your landlord and try that shit. I'll see you out in a box in the street in no time flat. Favors don't pay bills. Like I said before this is a business. If you want a service pay for it. If you ran a business selling things how would you feel if someone said "Fuck the time you put into your craft. I want this for free." I got homies that I'm super tight with and I pay them for their service. Why? It's respect. It's business. How you asking for free shit from a person you haven't even taken the time to get to know personally? You don't know what's going on in their life. This is how they eat. Producers are even willing to negotiate if you don't have enough but you can't come empty handed. I've seen producer/rapper relationships form first through business then their chemistry grows into a strong force then they just rock with each other and become a team and they form a business together and make money together. Asking for free shit is such an insult to people's time and business.
SALTINESS
You're not going to be on every show. You're not going to be on every song. Get over it. I've seen local rappers get in their feelings about not being picked to perform at shows and act like a 3 year old in the process. They start trying to sneak diss the event or diss the person/group that threw the event then they start talking about how they're the best in the city blah blah blah man sit yo ass down and eat a ice cream sandwich. Rappers can be the most spiteful muhfuckas walking this planet. A wise person would see not getting picked for a show as a chance to shake hands and do business at the event. Go grab some emails, go support, use this as an opportunity to put your bid in for the next one. Get a head start, even better throw your own event so you wont have that problem.
Please stop annoying me
- BENNY
