Can South West Rappers Make Their Coast Heard?

With hip hop growing like fungus on the walls of music history; it's a shock that Arizona hasn't quite made a name in the urban world. With so many artists trying to get their piece of the new "American Pie" it makes things more difficult for states to make a name for themselves. East Coast, West coast, down south, and now mid west has all set their own precedence in the world of hip hop. But where is the southwest? When is Arizona going to make a move onto the music scene and blow up? Each of the previous regions mentioned have an original swagger and charisma to them. With the southwest being surrounded by all these mini-genres it's obvious we Arizonans are a mixed breed. With the growth of Arizona, many Emcees' have been placed here with moving families that are looking to start fresh. And fresh they come. With tons of talent surrounding the Phoenix, Tucson, and other outlying cities, it's only a matter of time before the southwest lays a brick in the hip hop wall.

Analyzing this movement, there must be a few things set aside to help the growth of southwest hip hop. First and foremost, it is okay not to like other cats in the game. That is always going to be present. But uniting with the other local clicks you are cool with will only make your voice a stronger presence. Think about this: Your camp of 25 people plus your next-door neighborhood's entourage of 25 people. Add them together and you have 50. Without bringing you back to elementary math, you get the point. Join forces with the people you are cool with and use each other to promote as a whole. Dudes and bitches lie; numbers don't.

Secondly, make sure your work is legit before you put it out. Don't half ass tracks just to produce something. All good artists put their time into their CDs, why shouldn't you? Also create a concept for your album. Have a surrounding point and idea that stays the same throughout the album. Nobody likes confusion, but make sure you keep a healthy balance of tempo in the tracks.

Be sure to understand your target audience and play to their ears. If you have a fan telling you they like a certain song, dissect it and find out what makes it bang. Doing that will help you market your music and keep a solid fan base of listeners. Lastly and most importantly, make sure you have a message in your music. If you seem to get writer's block every time you sit down and pen up, maybe you should stick to being a hype man. No matter what you touch on in your music, make sure you actually touch a concept. Nobody likes songs that have 3 verses talking about 6 different topics. Find a common ground and way of advertising your music. Look for sources that promote unbiased ways and help distribute music to listeners. Like dagreenbeat.com (plug me!)

Put the southwest on the map!