I recently had a discussion with a friend of mine who is also in this business of making music -- he was telling me how hard it is sometimes to be dealing with some of these artists who for whatever reason seem to think they can just sit back and watch money roll in without having to lift a finger or even contribute in some small way to ensure their success.

Every artist needs to consider this fact… “You have to get down in the trenches and do some leg work to ensure a career in this business and not leave it up to everyone else, especially if you're just starting up in this thing called the music business.”

Unless you've sold a million records and went gold or platinum, then you may have the upper hand and not have to worry about longevity in this industry or even have to lift a finger because then you can pay someone to lift that finger for you, but until that time my friend you have a 9 to 5 just like everyone else who is on the grind.

As an artist your biggest goal is promotion and getting your music to the masses, so that way they'll know who the hell you are. Yes there are promotion companies that can do everything for you (only if you got the dough), but if you're just starting up in the game you have to rely on yourself and the few friends around you. These friends will help you and see to it that you get somewhere in this game and no doubt they (most of them) will have your best interest at heart because your success means a lot to them, in terms of $dollar$ and $en$e for those who are involved.

You as an artist should be aware of what is going on because it directly involves you, but if you have faith in the people around and you don't see fit to take an interest in what they are doing on your behalf, then you are the exception to the rule because most people want to be involved to ensure that all the T's are crossed and all the I's are dotted.

As a new artist coming into this game your biggest supporter will always be a DJ simply for the fact that a DJ wants your music. If your music is hot and it's got that flavor and no other DJ has it, 9 times out of 10 that DJ is gonna support you and push your music and get it heard, that in turn translates into music sales.

Never underestimate the power of the DJ.  The DJ is no longer confined to the back of the stage anymore. Some DJ's are celebrities themselves and rightfully so. Some are even bigger than the artists whose music they play and that’s not to be taken lightly.

Remember very new artist has to creep before they can walk and the faster you learn how to creep the faster you learn how to walk in this game and achieve some type of recognition for your hard work.

The people around you will receive their rewards as well when you succeed, that's why it's so vital for you to have that support in the very beginning because without that, it makes it 10 times harder to achieve any type of success unless you're one of the lucky ones who are able to just be in the right place at the right time and have shit drop into your lap like that.

Your biggest promotion tools that are in front of you right now as you sit here reading this are WORD OF MOUTH and the INTERNET. They go hand in hand and if used properly you are going to be well on your way to achieving your goals. The whole music industry has changed and getting a record deal is not what it used to be a few years ago -- more and more artists go the independent route to establish themselves, making themselves more appealing to a record label to get a deal if they so choose.

I say “choose” because most times if you go the independent route it is because you have more control over your music, image, creativity and money. There is no middle man to eat away at your revenue stream.  By doing the groundwork and establishing yourself as a bonafide independent artist with a following, you have basically done the majority of the legwork that the label's promotion departments would have done in the first place.

Now after all of he work is done and you have a descent following, If a label decides they gonna sign you, all they're gonna do is put the promotion machinery behind you to push you worldwide.  Yet if you did your homework on that part right there, then you would have already had a bit of worldwide exposure through the internet. With word of mouth and the net, the more people who hear your music -- your name and your voice, then the easier it is for you to become a household name.

Artists, every chance you get to put your name out there, do it. A simple thing as doing a drop for a DJ makes a hell of a difference for your career. It may seem like nothing, but consider this fact. DJ's have loyal followings, and if a DJ is consistently giving people the music they wanna hear, whether it’s on mixtapes, parties, clubs, radio or internet radio, and a drop of you is played on any one of these mediums -- you have just exposed yourself to the masses in a very big way.

You have just officially promoted yourself to hundreds, if not thousands of potential fans who will be eager to hear what you got to say and anticipate what you have to offer.

This all translates into sales. A simple thing as a drop which is a marketing and promotional tool costs nothing for an artist, yet it has a lot of benefits.

Do not take this lightly. If a DJ asks you for a drop he or she’s doing it to help promote your artistry and all it costs is 5 to 10 minutes of your time -- standing in front of a mic reading a lil script and then it's done.

If just 5 minutes of your time is too much to ask for then I quote Phife Dog, “A middle finger goes to all you punk emcees.”

You have established artists now (even with their hectic schedules) who have drop sessions. They go into the studio recording drops just for the DJs who request them. Doing drops have become the norm now for artists to push their new album or singles and DJs are eager to add your drop to their mixtapes and shows. Promoting yourself in the simplest form can make a world of difference.

Don't Sleep...