Oftentimes, the best way to stand out is to take a risk. Many rappers will do whatever it takes to get recognized. There are millions of MC’s out there, and you need to stand out somehow. Some have notably gone above and beyond to gain recognition. Here are some of the most creative ways rappers have gotten their music heard.
Soulja Boy included his real phone number in a song
Brilliantly, Soulja Boy inserted his own phone number into the 2008 hit “Kiss Me Through The Phone”. This clever marketing tactic directly connected his fanbase. Each person who called or texted the number was added to a subscription list. When new releases were ready, his team sent links directly to fans’ phone numbers. Some fans even regretted the number of messages they began to receive from Soulja Boy’s team.
Kanye WEST stormed into offices at Roc-A-Fella
People act like Kanye West had to sneak into Roc-A-Fella Records to hand out his music, but truthfully, he already had access to the building. He worked as an in-house producer on Jay-Z’s The Blueprint. They saw West as an in-house producer, not a marketable artist yet. West stormed into the offices of Roc-A-Fella, handing out his music and even rapping for an executive. This was all filmed and included in West’s documentary jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy. Ultimately, West signed with Roc-A-Fella later that year.
Soulja Boy used false titles on Limewire
Naturally, we come back to Soulja Boy, as the rapper came up with multiple creative ways to promote himself. In 2007, he uploaded his hit “Crank That” under false titles. Disguised as hits by Britney Spears or 50 Cent and various other artists, many people accidentally downloaded Soulja Boy’s track. Ultimately, this marketing tactic paid off, and Limeware eventually used “Crank That” for their own promotional ads.
Big Sean approached Kanye at a local radio station
A friend alerted Big Sean about a Kanye West radio interview in Detroit. Big Sean raced across town and used his own connections to get inside the station. After the interview, he approached Kanye. Begging to rap for Kanye, he eventually caved and let Big Sean do this thing. It turned into a 10-minute freestyle session with West bobbing along. Years later, Kanye West added Big Sean to his G.O.O.D. Music label in 2007. This approach isn’t as creative as it was a manifested moment for Big Sean.
Photo by Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic
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