With Drake having spins on everyone’s favorite radio stations, hit after hit, one must wonder, how did he become so “successful.” In his single teamed with Trey Songz, the Toronto-native raps about wanting the “money, cars, the clothes, and the hoes,” but hasn’t he already achieved all of that without an album? For all of the rappers with a dream and a dollar and even to those artists that are in the industry but aren’t getting any play, GIANT has put together a “how to guide” for success, Drake style that is…
1. Lesson 1: Rep An Unknown Town
Everyone’s from the A, and everyone claims that they are Yankee-bred, but who reps Canada? There was a void in the hometown shout-outs for Canadians, and not wanting to disappoint, Drizzy stepped in and repped for Toronto. Would C-Town be their hood alias? Tip: Try to represent a city or state that’s not already claimed or overpopulated by other rappers and upcoming artists. Nebraska or Idaho maybe? Who’s really from the midwest?
2. Lesson 2: Get Weezy to Back You
Not only does the self-proclaimed martian claim that he’s the best rapper alive, he also proved his title by rapping on every hook and mixtape under the sun. With Young Money creating a new buzz, Wayne has formed his own team of proteges, and luckily for Drake, he’s on Wayne’s starting line-up. If you want to be considered reputable, have a well-known MC rectify just how great you think you are.
3. Lesson 3: Bring Light-Skinned Back
Hey, if Obama likes it, I love it. Before Obama’s presidency, the light-skinned brothers’ likeability scale sunk faster than Chris Brown’s career. But with Drake now on the scene, there may be hope, for light-skinned brothers that is, not Chris Brown.
4. Lesson 4: Be Lyrically Savvy
The-young-spitta-that-everybody-in-rap-fears, has rappers all over fearing for a good reason. Metaphors, similes, and puns aside, the young lyricist brought a breath of fresh air to hip-hop with his catchy flow. If your mass audience ranges from men who still wear Kangol hats to toddlers not even old enough to enroll in school, we automatically consider you a creative genius. So rappers, drop the AK 47′s and stop rapping about slinging crack, you can still be “Unstoppable” in other ways.
5. Lesson 5: Create A Buzz Off Of A Mixtape
Before mixtapes were the “thing” to do, Aubrey Graham, his government name, was already two tapes deep in the business. With sole creative control Drake was able to create an ample audience off his mixtapes, manage to have single upon single played on the radio nationwide, perform at the BET awards (no comment) and manipulate a bidding war to ink a deal with a record label. Before pressing to get signed, create good music that will speak for itself. The buzz from “Thug Life Parts 1-3″ should be a sign to where your career is headed.
With that ladies and gentleman, we’ve created a guide to a bright and successful future in the music biz. But just in case you are in dire need of motivation or a theme song, check Drake’s latest video for “Successful” featuring Trey Songz after the jump…
