The 5 Most Dangerous Mistakes That Most Recording Artists Make

[Tommie Hoffman]

Mistake #1 is Trying Too Hard.
Have you ever been watching an emcee perform and they were rapping so
FORCEFULLY that they almost seemed DESPERATE? Were their arms were
flailing all over the place? Was their face completely scrunched up
with EVERY word they said? Many emcees make the mistake of trying TOO
HARD to impress their audience. The paradox is that, by trying so hard
to get approval one usually GETS NONE! So what does one do then?
It's actually very simple; RELAX! Have FUN with your music. Your fans
already have enough people trying to sell them things all day long.
Don't become just another salesman trying to convince them of how
tight you are. Simply KNOW how tight you are and show it! Does that
make sense? Trust me, people will respect you when you respect
yourself and you're not worried one bit about what they think! And
most of all, don't THINK about ANYTHING while you're performing! Let
me ask you a question; Say you are watching your favorite funny TV
show and something happens that makes you bust up laughing,
are at the moment you're laughing are you thinking about anything or
are you just enjoying yourself? RIGHT, Now you're getting it! You want
to be in that state of ENJOYING YOURSELF when you record your songs or
perform. So How do you do that? Just get up on stage or on the mic and
GET LOOSE! FEEL the crowd and FEEL the music. Let your facial
expressions and movements take care of themselves.
This can ALL be summed up in two words and those two words are: DO
YOU! The key is in doing what makes YOU feel good. Which leads right
into the next common mistake.
Mistake #2: Trying To Please Everyone
A wise man once told me this: "No matter WHAT you do some people will
hate it, some people like it, and some people won't care either way."
And you know what, It's the truth! Bill Cosby, one of the most
successful entertainers in his field, was once quoted saying: "I don't
know the one sure path to success, but the one sure path to failure is
trying to make everyone happy" Think about that for a second. If you
are planning on making an album that EVERYBODY is going to like, then
you are setting yourself up for heartache. Here's how you get ahead,
The next time you're writing a song, ask yourself these questions:
Who's going to listen this song? How old are the people who will vibe
with this song? Who can relate to this song? When you really answer
these questions, you'll know who your song will connect with. And
those people who your songs connect with are called your Niche Market.
If you want to be huge, then you need to find your Niche Market and
EXPLODE IT. Write songs to your niche! That's how you build a huge fan
base, not by trying to make songs for EVERYBODY but by making songs
for your NICHE MARKET! Once you know who your niche market is, the
next thing you need to do is find a producer that you "match" with to
help you blow up your Niche Market.
Mistake #3: Working With A Producer You DON'T Match With. Matching is
all about Musical Chemistry. Many Producers have different views about
what Musical Chemistry is. It seems to me that it all comes down to
Intention. The Producer that matches with you will be the one who has
the same intentions as you. For instance, Do you want to be a local
act only? Find a producer around town who has the same goal. Do you
want to go major? Find a producer who has the same goal. Do you want
to make heartfelt music? Find a producer who wants to do the same. Do
you want to make club hits? Find a producer who wants to do the same.
When you and your producer are on the same accord, that's when the
magic happens. Your vocals and his beats will fit together like glue.
Your songs will just feel right.
Now if you're a gospel rapper, and you're working with a producer who
just wants to make hits for the club, your product is going to come
out sounding unnatural. It will just sound forced. Are you getting
this?
Work with a producer that you match with and your career will run 10x
smoother.
Mistake #4: Being Too Flat And Predictable Everybody and their mama
wants to rap nowadays. What is it that is going to set you apart from
the pack? An idea to try out is: BEING UNPREDICTABLE. You never know
what to expect from the GREAT ARTISTS. They keep you anticipating
their next line, you never know what they are going to say next! So
how do YOU do this? Switch your style up. Rap fast sometimes, then
show them how you can slow it up. Don't be afraid to offend anyone,
say how you REALLY FEEL. Let your records be a testimony to your REAL
LIFE. Don't spit about it, unless you live it. Too many rappers just
get on tracks and "stick to the script". They say the same things that
they just heard on 106 and Park and then copy and paste those lyrics
to their tracks. They rap in a dull boring voice, that incites no
emotion whatsoever in the listener. Play with your voice inflections.
Know the emotion that you want your listeners to feel when they listen
to the track you're lacing. Fill yourself full of that emotion and
SPIT IT OUT! You want to give your niche what they need on a
consistent basis.
Mistake #5: Not Staying Consistent Lets say you put up one tight song
on myspace, People will say, that's a tight SONG. Lets say you put up
one tight song on myspace EVERY WEEK, People will say, YOU are tight.
That's the difference between a one hit wonder and an accepted
recording artist. You gotta keep the hits coming. The more hits you
drop, the more your next hit will be anticipated. Labels recognize
this too. They will be more comfortable in signing an artist that
drops a hit record every week, than a guy who just has a song that
people like RIGHT NOW. If you stay dropping new material, and
constantly reinvent yourself, there is no limit to how high you can
climb in this game.
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