The first thing I do is not consider it a competition. When you are in your own lane....there is no competition. Every year 4 or 5 artist prove people's theories wrong whether they like their music or not. Somebody can make some noise with old g funk, some booty shake music, some old boom bap...ect. I'm one of the few that don't see music today as some kind of era sound......just a bunch of dream chasers doing what they feel will get them closer to what they want.....(biters). But outside of all the biting, there are guys in the underground who are original.....and it's not their originality only that are helping them to own their city...but what and how they contribute. Those are the future Jay Z's and T.I's and such. The biters never last long. The people who don't have the city behind them don't last (as far as hip hop).
Get the city behind you. Then you get the region behind you. Then you get the country behind you. Simple as that. Just because you see mainstream artist success doesn't mean it's the only success. And if you feel comfortable with a style....their are people to support you on it......just let them know what you want and need. People don't take to kindly to arrogant beggers. But they can feel where your heart is at.
So don't ever worry about era change.....because all of the era talk is really only an illusion. Because you turn on the radio and here it....turn on the T.V and hear it, see how they dress, see what other media infested minds think about. But out of all that.......the dude next door telling you he knows SO N SO.....the guy who is making noise in the city. THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE SHOULD WANT FIRST AS THEY START OFF. If your city full of lames and unsupporters....MOVE! Don't exactly move your furniture, but move your ASS........go to the next city and start your movement.
But before all of that................make sure you have a good product that you trust to go on. A lot of artist make some of the smallest mistakes in the booth and think it's passable. People subconsciously can hear those type of mistakes....they can tell you needed to take a breath at certain spots, tell you fumbled a word that was unexceptable....they just can't tell you exactly what it is that is wrong....but they know you ain't ready when they hear these things. So you must have a developed ear to catch those mistakes...either you or somebody else. Dudes have unlimited studio time at home and rushing through bars like they on a 2 hour block. lol! Don't be afraid to tell yourself you are not one take material...it is not that serious at all....take your time. You can make yourself sound like whatever you want in your voice limit....take the time to know what makes you sound best or better yet find someone that can bring the best out of you.
Word of mouth in the city > It starts in your neighborhood. Your neighbor don't have to be a ghetto or whatever.......but how are you serious about becoming an artist and people in your neighborhood don't even know? Your neighborhood has something to look forward to now. You can keep them updated with your life. Let them know accomplishments. They will be the first one telling people they know you.....even when you just small time gig hittin....you still something major in your city just because you "doing something". And that's one way to stay ahead of the "competition" is to simply DO SOMETHING. Because a lot of your competition is DOING NOTHING. They living an internet hype. They get fake comments and beg for likes and put on big ass fronts. So what they doing eqauls only 1 thing compare to the many "little things" you can do to add to what you do on the net.
Just my 2 cent. I ain't nobody.
