Why aren’t things happening?
I rap. I’ve been making rap music for a long time. I’ve called myself a rapper for at least 10 years now, but I was rapping long before that even. Some people mistakenly think I’m an “established” rapper. Most people correctly think that I’m a nobody still or, better yet, have no idea I exist. I have not yet hit critical mass. I have never gone viral. I don’t yet live off of making music. I’ve got a few songs that I like, and some other people like them too, but it’s not enough. Yet.
In my time considering myself a “rapper,” I’ve met dozens of friends that I thought would “make it” only to see them completely disappear from the scene within a year’s time. I’ve seen rappers with 1 degree of separation from me have huge #1 hit singles. I’ve seen venues go from burgeoning hot spots, to scenester havens, to eventually turning into strip malls. I’ve watched groups start organic movements, hit critical mass, watched their fan base grow, seen them not be able to keep up with their fan base, and watched their backlash begin. I’ve seen fans the same age as me go from loving Cash Money Records in 1997, to shunning it by 2000 when they discovered Anticon, to shunning Anticon by 2004 when they discovered Dipset, to forgetting about Dipset and coming full circle back to Cash (Young) Money by 2008.
I’ve seen trends come and go.
The worst thing an artist can possibly to do to themselves is worry about trends. I think every artist is guilty of it at some point. I know I’ve been guilty of it in the past. I’ve compared myself to other artists. I’ve pondered whether I’ve kept up with other artists timelines (“Hmmm so-and-so did this by age 25 and by age 30 was here…I guess I’m on schedule). I’ve called myself “a student of the game” when really I’m just nosy. I’ve belittled other artist’s movements. I’ve been critical out of sheer negativity. I’ve been jealous. I’ve been bitter. I’ve waited for things to happen for me. I’ve been discouraged. I’m done with that shit.
Albert Einstein was quoted saying “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” He was a smart motherfucker. I’ve been doing the same things for years now. Nothing has happened. I make a bunch of songs I like, I put them out for people to hear, I wait for my big break, and nothing happens. I’m just now realizing the err of my ways. Here I was waiting for the world to change for me, when all I had to do was change myself. It’s a hell of a lot easier to change yourself than to change the world.
Talent isn’t enough. It never was. No one owes you, me, or the next guy a goddamned thing. While you’re sitting here reading this, someone that wants the same thing as you is out there working ten times harder than you for it. If you want to stop chasing money, or recognition, or exposure, start using that thing between your ears and figure out how to make it come to you. Stop making excuses. Start coming up with solutions.
Lately, in conversations with friends, things get asked like “why won’t this artist put us on at his show?” My new response is: “Fuck it, let’s make ourselves bigger than that artist.” Why won’t this website cover us? Fuck it, let’s make our website get more hits than theirs. Why won’t this media outlet review our records? Fuck it, let’s make our opinions more important than theirs. A cosign don’t mean shit. An interview don’t mean shit. A review don’t mean shit. The bottom line is all that matters, and the bottom line is we can do this without them. We can do for self.
I’m ready to stop asking myself why things aren’t happening, and start figuring out how to make them happen.
