Master Your Gift

Master Your Gift by Carlton Inertia Wilson 2009 MyPersonalProducer.com, All Rights Reserved

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Master Your Gift

What Every Artist Should Know About How To Be Successful In The Hip Hop Industry

By Carlton Inertia Wilson

2009, All Right Reserved


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This book is copyright 2009 with all rights reserved. It is illegal to copy, distribute, or create derivative works from this book in whole or in part or to contribute in copying, distribution, or creating derivative works from this book. I regularly check the internet for people who violate my copyrights. If I find you in violation, I will have my attorney contact you.


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Table of Contents Chapter 1: The Game .6 Chapter 2: How To Be Hot 11 Chapter 3: How To Balance Swagger and Substance..17 Chapter 4: Seek No Approval.21 Chapter 5: Dont Try...23 Chapter 6: Stay Focused.28 Chapter 7: You Already Know What To Do.32


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CHAPTER 1: THE GAME


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Chapter 1: The Game The game is changing. In less than a minute, a person in Connecticut can listen to a song that an artist in Belize finished 2 minutes ago. The communication between people all over the world is rapidly increasing. There has never been a better time in history to decide to become a rapper. All the tools that you need to become financially independent are right at your fingertips. The question is: are you ready to put in the work? True, it may be easier to reach people now, but as a consequence it's now 10 times harder to reach them. We are all being so bombarded everyday by people who want to get something from us that we are starting to become numb to normal communication. Most of the things we hear and see everyday are seen once and never given a second thought. However, even with all the mess thrown our way throughout the day there are still a few things that we remember, things that stick with us. In order to become a successful rapper you must become one of those things that stick with people. One surefire way to become sticky is to BECOME REMARKABLE.


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We see mediocrity everywhere we go: -The supervisor who treats his or her employees with disrespect. -Your friendly neighborhood rapper who can't wait to tell you the exact amount of hoes he has. -The pushy salesman who tries to MAKE YOU buy his or her product. These are common everyday encounters. What sticks with us is the REMARKABLE: -The supervisor who treats his or her employees as equals. - The rapper whose confidence shines without trying. -The polished salesman who finds out exactly what you need and does his or her best to serve you. If we expect to become successful as a rapper today, then we must become REMARKABLE. Well how do we become remarkable? It's simple, quit trying to be remarkable. Huh? Yes, that wasn't a typo. The way to become remarkable is to stop trying to become remarkable.


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Most rappers spend their time trying to convince others that they are remarkable. They can't wait for you to listen to them plead their case as to why they are the best thing since sliced bread. They call this approval seeking, song-making. If we wish to stand out from the crowd then we must quit trying to stand out from the crowd and simply be who we are in the first place. Our natural greatness will do the work for us. Because the fact is: WE ARE ALL REMARKABLE. We all have a certain something that no one else has; a certain perspective, a certain talent, or a certain skill. This is our gift. We become masters our gift when we stop trying to get value because of it and starting giving value through it. When we change our mindset from "Get value from our fans" to "Create value for our fans", we're on our way to becoming a success. The most successful are not those who figured out a tactic to get people to buy their album, it's the ones who simply created the best albums that people naturally want to buy. Do you see the distinction? You become a remarkable rapper by using your gift to create value for your audience.


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Now here's where the art comes into play. How can you create value that your audience will enjoy consuming? That's the key. You see, all the value that a person needs to become everything they ever desired is at their nearest library. Then why aren't they at the library 24/7? Probably because they DON'T ENJOY reading. That's the gift of music; you can deliver value in a medium that people ENJOY. So if youre going to be a successful rapper you're going to need to be more entertaining than a library. You're going to need some swag with your substance. You gotta be HOT. How do you do this? It's simple.


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CHAPTER 2: How To Be

Hot


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Chapter 2: How To Be Hot So you have chosen to be a professional recording artist. Do you have what it takes? How do you even know? I'll tell you how. Pay attention. Are you hot? When you play your songs do people ask "Who is that rapping?" Pay attention. You've got to pay attention to yourself and how people respond to your music. If you don't pay close attention you won't be able to sustain success. So many rappers are building off of their opinions about themselves instead of their observations of themselves. This is key distinction. Everyone in the world has an opinion and most opinions have nothing to do with actual reality. Of course your family is going to tell you that you're hot. That means nothing. When you observe people who don't know you, and could give two shits about you


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giving you praise, then you've got something. An observation by definition has no vested interest in what it sees therefore it is more likely to lead you to the actual truth of things. You must be HOT. I don't care how much work you put into your music. If it isn't HOT, it will not be successful. HOT doesn't necessarily mean trendy. HOT means HOT. What is HOT? HOT is something that evokes emotion in you. PERIOD. When you see someone's face scrunch up after the beat drops, an emotion was evoked. When someone is moved to tears from your lyrics, an emotion was evoked. When someone gets up out of their seat and starts to dance, an emotion was evoked. You want your music to evoke emotion in your listeners. So many musicians get too caught up in the mechanics of the music and lose sight of why theyre making the music in the first place. They can't see the forest because the trees are in the way. Remember that most of the people who are going to buy your records could give a damn how well you play your instrument. However, they do care how well your music sets the mood for their evening out with friends or how well your music sets to mood for a romantic evening with their significant other. There are generally 3 moods that every song you have ever heard will fall into. They are Living, Trying, and Dying.


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Heaven, Earth, and Hell. Every hit song you have ever heard is written about one of these states. Here's a chart to illustrate what I'm saying: Truth -------- Love -----------Happiness = Living =Heaven | | | Desire --- Nervousness -----Anticipation = Trying = Earth | | | Dread-------- Anger--------Depression = Dying = Hell Do you get this chart? It's simple. If you want to make a HIT RECORD you either talk about living, trying or dying. That's the universal experience. Living is Heaven. Living is when everything is going right. "Today Is A Good Day". We have finally made it. I have found my true love. I am happy with my life right now. There are infinite amounts of ways to express the heavenly experience through song. That's what YOU'RE here for! Trying is Earth. It's the struggle to the top. Determination to make it. Seduction. The power games played between people. The cold feet before marriage. All these things categorize the earthly experience. There are infinite amounts of ways to express the earthly experience through song. That's what YOU'RE here for!


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Dying is Hell. It's the way you feel after your best friend dies. Its life in extreme poverty. The shame of humiliation. The guilt from a brutal act. There are infinite amounts of ways to express the experience of hell in song. That's what YOU'RE here for! You getting it? When you know what emotion you want your listener to experience you automatically know what your content matter needs to be. Your content matter in your song is what I call your substance. But substance is not the only component of being hot. On the other side of the coin you have your swagger. Being HOT lies in both your substance and your swagger. It's in having something to say and saying it in an entertaining manner. Your swagger is what makes a person choose to listen to what you have to say in the first place. You can't fake swag though. It's obvious when a person is trying to do this because they will sound FORCED. Like they are trying to MAKE you like them. You don't want to do this. Swag is your natural state when aren't trying. So in order have swagger, you must know what you're talking about. Because if you don't know what you're talking about then youre going to have to try to sound like you do. Therefore your material must only be about that which you know about.


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I guarantee you that there is something HOT in the things that you know about. HOT is what is right in front of your face that no one is talking about. There are so many issues that we all face on a daily basis that are so commonplace that they get looked over. WRITE ABOUT THESE THINGS. There will always be inspiration right in front of you. Pay attention to your own thoughts. What do you think about most of the time? There is something HOT in there. Are you getting this? Create value for your audience by giving them substance. Make it enjoyable for them through your swagger. You need to balance between the two. How do you do this? That is what we are going to address in the next chapter.


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CHAPTER 3:

How To Balance

Swagger And Substance


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Chapter 3: Balance Your Swagger and Substance I'm going to give you a key concept that will help you understand what creates a truly successful timeless hip hop artist. Listen to me when I tell you this. If you fully get what I am teaching you here, you will know how to create music that will last forever. You will know how to become an artist who has longevity! You'll know how to write songs that people will be singing in 2033. This is common sense, deep down you already know what I am about to share with you... I call this concept "Swagger And Substance" Think of swagger and substance on a spectrum, with Swagger on one end and Substance on the other: Swagger-----------Substance When you veer off to the far left of this spectrum is when you become "Trendy": One Hit Wonder (Trendy) Swagger-*---------Substance


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This is an MC who's full of swagger with no substance! He will simply be focusing on how tight he is, or what he has, but lacks any depth of character in his music Hence TRENDY! When you veer off to the right of this spectrum you become "Cult": Underground (Cult) Swagger----------*-Substance This is an MC who focuses all on substance but not on swagger! He will probably use lots of big words and long complicated sentences. He will probably have lots to say, but he doesn't deliver it in a way that is easily understandable to the masses. It is when you find the balance right in the middle that you create a new superstar: Superstar (Timeless) Swagger-----*-----Substance This MC delivers a definite message through his music and delivers it effectively! He is cool enough that one doesn't feel awkward playing his music with the windows down, and yet he still has something of value to say. This is a superstar.


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It's as simple as that! Make sense? This concept of Swagger and Substance can be applied to anything. Here is a list of pairs that will help you more completely understand this concept: Swagger------------------------------Substance Confident----------------------------Accurate "I am the best"-----------------------Humble Politically incorrect-----------------Politically correct Social---------------------------------Still Spontaneous-------------------------Analytical Bold-----------------------------------Realistic Free-----------------------------------Responsible Flirty----------------------------------Nice Seeking Money---------------------Seeking Growth Playing around----------------------Being Serious Relaxed------------------------------Intense Unpredictable-----------------------Disciplined Master--------------------------------Novice Ball hog------------------------------Team Player Is this making sense to you? If you are looking to create timeless music, then you want to find the balance between both sides. Too much of either side will hurt you. The perfect balance is what is needed!


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When you find your perfect balance, you have found yourself. When you have found yourself, you no longer need anyone's approval to tell you who you are.


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CHAPTER 4: Seek No Approval


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Chapter 4: Seek No Approval Music comes from the heart. If someone doesn't agree with your heart are you going to hide how you feel? Would you prostitute yourself in order to gain the approval of another? If your answer is yes then you are reading the wrong book. I stand for the authenticity of my truth. I don't care if you agree. Approval seeking does nothing but annoy people. It might please them temporarily but ultimately, no one will respect an ass-kisser. So many people that we see on the television everyday are prostituting themselves in order to get something. They are doing what they think will gain our approval. Why would you want to do this to yourself? Stand for what is true for you. Refuse to conform in order to perform. That is the essence of hip hop. When you step in the booth, leave it all in the booth. Don't go in there with the intention of trying to get more fans. That will keep you from getting any fans. Go in there with the intention of putting your soul on wax and your fans will find you. We always respect the person who doesn't try to gain approval. We have no choice.


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CHAPTER 5: Dont Try


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Chapter 5: Don't Try I want you to do an exercise for me. If you're sitting down, stand up right now. If you weren't sitting down, find the nearest chair. OK, now try to pick up that chair... Go ahead do it now. NO, dont pick it up, TRY and pick it up... Quit picking it up, I want you to TRY and pick it up... Are you getting my drift here? You either pick up the chair or you don't. Trying to pick up the chair is the same as not picking up the chair. Trying to become a successful rapper is the same as not becoming a successful rapper. If you're going to make it as a rapper you either do it or you don't. There is no in between. So if you choose to do it then you are going to have to learn how to MARKET YOURSELF. The landscape of the music industry has completed changed. Your abilities as an artist must evolve with the times or you'll simply get left behind. If you're current mindset is that you can just keep writing hot raps, honing


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your skills, and your music will just magically "end up in the right hands", then you're mindset is OUTDATED. You need to shift your paradigm. The new paradigm is: Keep writing hot raps, hone your skills, and BUILD YOUR WEB PRESENCE. Yes... Everybody knows that the internet is revolutionizing the way that we do everything; its no different with your rap career. You have to build your online presence. How do you do that? I'll give 3 steps to get you going: 1) Start a blog! Blogging is here to stay folks. You might as well start your own! Go to Blogspot.com and click the button that says "Create your Blog Now". Create a blog site that represents you. Post up your favorite movies, favorite music, your favorite women, whatever interests you. This is an excellent way for your fans to get to know the person behind the mic. And also, post your latest music on this blog as well. The key is, don't make your blog all about YOU. Make it about your industry. Contribute to the whole and the whole will contribute to YOU. 2) Start a twitter page:


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Twitter is the hottest new social networking site on the planet. I don't see twitter disappearing anytime soon. If you dont have one, then its past due time for you to start your own twitter page. Put your picture up, write a hot 1 line bio, and start sharing yourself with the world. Converse with people, comment on the trending topics, and of course tweet links to your new music from your blog. The key is in staying consistently active and maintaining your focus on supplying value. And for gods sake, please don't SPAM Diddy everyday trying to get a hand out. Build your own movement and then soon enough Diddy might be reaching out to you. 3) Record Video: As you probably now know... As of today, YouTube.com is the 3rd most trafficked website on planet earth. People love watching video. That's why YOU need videos. If you don't already have one, invest in a decent digital camera and start shooting! Take video of you and your boys freestyling (come hard, don't post up garbage), Take video of you doing shows, shoot video of you having a good time after the show, etc... Just shoot whatever interesting things you're doing and put it up on YouTube. Make it seem as if your fans are right there with you. These 3 ideas are just the stepping stones to building a web


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presence in this day and age. I am just attempting to stimulate your brain to shake you out of the old mindset of submitting demos and waiting for your dream to come true, to the new mindset is MAKING YOUR DREAM COME TRUE. There is no trying involved, only a decision. And once the decision is made, you stay focused on the goal until it happens.


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CHAPTER 6: Stay Focused


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Chapter 6: Stay focused Do you know about Michael Chang? He is the tennis player who won the French open when he was 16 years old. In the huge upset, he beat Ivan Lendl who was the #1 player in the world at the time. During the match, whenever Lendl hit a bad shot, you'd see him roll his eyes like "I can't believe I missed that"! Whenever he hit a good shot you'd see him pump his fist in the air like "YEAA! Michael Chang on the other hand was calm and focused the entire match. He stayed focused on the ball and didn't let anything deter his focus. And he won. After the match when he was asked how he did it he replied "I felt like Jesus Christ was by my side the entire time." What do you think that means? I think it means that HE WAS IN THE ZONE. What is the zone? I believe that "the zone" is our natural state when our bullshit is not taking us out of it. What is our bullshit? Our thoughts and emotions. Now there is nothing wrong with thoughts and emotions, but when start taking them too


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seriously, that's when they take us out of our zone. You see Ivan Lendl was caught up in his thoughts and emotions during this match. With every bad shot his focus was on his thoughts and emotions about it. With every good shot his focus was on his thoughts and emotions about it. On the other hand, Michael Chang's focus was on the match itself. With every good shot, his focus was on the match itself. With every bad shot his focus was on the match itself. You see the difference? The way to get into your zone is to stop focusing on your thoughts and emotions and put your attention in the moment. Your thoughts and emotions can only be about the moment, they are never the actual moment itself. You dont get in the zone through thinking; you get in the zone through relaxed attention. Let the thoughts and emotions go, and focus on what youre doing right now. Stay focused on your intention Stay focused and you are unstoppable. Now the key to staying focused is in having a tangible goal. You have probably heard this a million times. There's a reason why you've heard it a million times. It is a fundamental truth. How can you hit a target you can't see?


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Choose a goal that you can start working toward right now. Choose something that is measurable. Don't choose "I want to be the best rapper on the earth". Cmon son. That is way too broad and generalized. Your goal should sound like "I intend to sell 1,000 copies of my album in the next 2 months". Now we're talking. Once you have a goal in your sights, map out a game plan for its achievement. Now realize that this game plan is just to get you moving, more than likely things aren't going to go according to plan. But if you have no plan to begin with then there is no organized effort. Without organized effort you cant focus your energy. A plan is like a magnifying glass to the sunlight. The sunlight by itself wont torch the leaf on the sidewalk, but as soon as you put a magnifying glass over the leaf, POOF. So set your goal, map out a plan for its achievement, and stay focused on that goal until it happens. As simple as it may sound, this is the way to achieve anything. Just pay attention, you already know this.


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CHAPTER 7: You Already Know What To Do


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Chapter 7: You Already Know What To Do There is nothing that I can teach you that you don't already know. You may have forgotten it for the time being, but you know it. You know how I know this? How many times have you read something in this book and said to you yourself "Man, that's true!" Well, you could say that only if you recognized the truth of it, and you can only recognize what you know. So the bottom line is, TRUST YOURSELF. You already have within you EVERYTHING that you need to become who you wish to be. When you're recording songs dont THINK ABOUT ANYTHING. Don't be in the booth like OK, Inertia said to do this or I wonder what Jay-Z would do in this situation or I wonder what they are thinking All of that will take you out of your zone. Come from your stillness, not from your mind. Do you know what coming from your mind is called? It's called trying. Do you know what "coming from your stillness" is called? It's called nailing it. If you got it, you got it, and if you don't you don't. No amount of thinking will change this fact. Once the beat drops, just GO. Swag on them bitches. And after you're


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done recording, listen to the track in the same way, from your stillness not from you mind. You know what listening from your mind is called? It's called analyzing. You know what listening from your stillness is called? It's called being real with yourself. Listen to the track like you're someone who has never heard of you and has never heard this track before. Are you hot? Is this something you would roll around your neighborhood bumpin'? Is this something you would roll around bumpin' with the WINDOWS DOWN? Be real with yourself. Be real with yourself and you'll know if you're on the right path or if you're trying to be something you're not. If you ARE on the right path then it is only a matter of time until it's your turn. Get your swagger right. Get your substance together. Build your online presence. And seek no one's approval. You can't fail.

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