How To Become A Rapper (With No Money)

Do you have dreams of becoming a famous rapper? Do you have the talent and the drive but not much money? Then you have come to the right place!

Rap music is prevalent in today’s society and has cemented itself as one of the most popular genres of music out there. So it’s no surprise that there are lots of people that love the genre and want to become a rapper themselves.

In this article, we will help you learn how to become a rapper and cover what you will need to do to succeed. Also don’t worry if money is tight, as we will explain how to become a rapper with no money.

What Is A Professional Rapper?

If you’re here then no doubt you already know what a rapper is – it is what you are striving for! Being able to support yourself as a professional rap artist is no mean feat, it takes skill, dedication and determination. It can be done though, just look at artists such as Eminem. He overcame poverty and a difficult upbringing, and he didn’t let these things hold him back. He is now recognised as the best-selling solo rapper of all time!

What Do You Need To Become A Rapper?

So what do you need to become a rapper? There are some set skills and knowledge that you need, and I’m sure you will already be aware of most of them. However, it’s still a good idea to have a list to refer to at a later date. Let’s take a closer look at what they are, shall we?

Talent: This is first on our list because you aren’t going to make it as a professional rapper without talent! You should then put in the work and hone your skills. This can be done through a variety of methods, such as online courses and going to rap events.
Branding and Marketing: As you know, marketing is extremely important in an artist’s career. It is not something to be overlooked and you should put hard work into cultivating your marketing channels. There are various different marketing channels at your disposal, such as a website, posters, flyers, word of mouth and more. Branding relates to the selection of your unique performer name. Choose something that people will remember and take note of.
Understanding of the music industry: You should also have a basic understanding of how the music industry works, particularly for your genre. This gives you a head start and allows you to be in control of your music career.
Finding rapping jobs: You should also be familiar with how to find paid rapping jobs. You can actually find them in a variety of ways, such as through word of mouth, an agent, through friends or by being discovered on music distribution channels such as SoundCloud or Spotify.

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How To Become A Better Rapper

Becoming a rapper is all about practice and honing your skills, after all, you want to impress your fans and tastemakers. So let’s take a look at some key tips on how to become a better rapper:

Listen To A Variety Of Music

Don’t just listen to artists that you know you like, branch out and listen to a variety of music. This way you can garner inspiration from a range of different artists and sources, and this could influence you when it comes to creating your unique sound. Listen to old-school rap artists like Kurtis Blow and The Sugarhill Gang, or to artists like Eminem whose style is more complex and fast-paced.

Rap Battles

Freestyle rap battles are one of the most exciting things to watch, as MCs try and outdo each other! Going to a rap battle allows you to immerse yourself in rap culture and you can pick up skills by watching and listening. Perhaps you could even brave the stage – as they say, diamonds are made under pressure. What’s more, you can meet like-minded people at these types of events and this could lead to friendship or even collaboration. These events can also provide great networking opportunities to meet industry execs and tastemakers.

Try Poetry

Yes I know what you’re thinking ‘I’m a rap artist, not some fancy poet’… but poetry is more similar to rap than you probably think. Reading and writing poetry is a great practice for honing your skills at writing your rap lyrics. Reading helps to expand your mind and your horizons and writing it will help you learn about cadence, rhyming and more. Bonus: you can also make clever references in your art and impress your fans and reviewers!

Read The Dictionary

Yes, you read that correctly! Using a rhyming dictionary or thesaurus can help to create catchy lyrics as well as broadening your vocabulary. Soon there may be a point where you don’t even need to use them because you have become accustomed to creating fresh and vibrant lyrics. If it worked for Eminem, it could work for you too!

How To Become A Rapper With No Money

You really don’t need money to begin your rapping career, despite what people may say! The simple truth is that you can start from nothing and build yourself (and your career) up! It’s very simple, as long as you have the confidence to practice and get yourself out there, you are already ahead of the game.

Making money from your rapping may seem daunting at first, so why don’t you begin by performing in front of your family and friends. This way you can get used to performing in front of an audience.

The next logical step would be to go to open mic nights and go out busking and see if you can make some money from this. Top tip: check out the local laws for busking in your area as you don’t want to be fined for breaking the rules!

You could also enter competitions and battles that have a cash prize or upload your music online. Becoming a rapper is simple – just put yourself out there and start earning money! This way, you can invest the money you earn back into your music career. Invest and believe in yourself.

How To Become A SoundCloud Rapper

Want to know how to become a SoundCloud rapper? We’re not surprised, some amazing rappers have been discovered on SoundCloud as you probably already know! The streaming service platform has launched many a rapper’s career, such as Lil Yachty, Lil Uzi Vert, Asian Doll, XXXTentacion and so many more. All of these artists have a different sound and vibe, but they all have one factor in common – they stand out from the crowd.

Take Post Malone for example, he uploaded a song that made him famous instantly. Whereas Bryson Tiller already had a following from a mixtape he made back in 2011, however when he uploaded a song to SoundCloud his career rose to starry new heights.

So many people want to make it as a rap artist, so they all knew they had to bring something special. You need to ensure that you create a unique sound before you think about distributing your music. Let’s take a look at three simple tips for how to become a SoundCloud rapper.

Stand Out

Yes we already mentioned this, but it really is vital! Standing out from the crowd could mean a number of things; a signature lyric that you have in every song, or building your presence on social media so that it’s your personality that draws listeners to you and your music. A good way to stand out is by having a unique performer name.

Hone Your Fan Base

While you don’t need a fan base to become big on SoundCloud, you’re far more likely to if you do. Your fans will wait for you to upload new music, while people are unlikely to check out your music if they don’t know who you are. Make sure to figure out who your fanbase is and how to engage with them.

Create A Hit Song

Create a catchy rap song that people just can’t help but listen to. Take Lil Pump, for example, his song Gucci Gang just has one verse and the rest of his song is the hook. This means that about 1 minute and 30 seconds of the song is the hook, so it’s guaranteed to get be in your head for the rest of the day!

Final Thoughts

So there we have it, our guide on how to become a rapper! We hope that you have learnt something useful from it, in particular the fact that you don’t need to have lots of money to spare to become a professional rapper.

Remember to keep in mind our list of everything you need to do in order to become a rapper with no money – it’s simple! The key things to take away are to create a unique sound and name and to create a catchy tune. Honing your rapping skills will improve your chances of being discovered on places like SoundCloud. We have covered how to become a SoundCloud rapper, and you never know you could get your big break from it!

As you well know rapping is a skill that can take time to perfect, but if you’re patient and willing to put hard work into improving your craft then you will reap the rewards.

So what are you waiting for? Get out there and begin your professional rapping career today!

Music Gateway is here to help! Whether that’s through helping you execute great collabs, sending your demos to record labels and publishers or working on your artist branding and music marketing. We’ve got your back! Sign up now for a free 14-day trial, no strings attached.

Don’t forget to apply to this paid rapping opportunity and potentially earn your first $2,500 from Rapping!