Rappers have always been great marketers. Their aggressive promotional techniques, such as the use of MySpace and other social media, have blazed the path for mainstream businesses. Regardless of musical tastes, entrepreneurs can learn a lot from the hyper-promotional world of rap.
Currently, many rappers are utilizing user-generated content to great effect. While old-school corporations zealously guard their intellectual property, rappers often allow their music to be remixed, sampled and cut. A good example of this would be Jay-Z’s “The Black Album.” The “final” studio album from the legendary rapper got off to a great start, debuting at number one on Billboard and selling 463,000 units in its first week. Jay-Z also released an acappella version of “The Black Album” for the express purpose of it being used for remixes by DJs and fans. The resulting remixes and mashups include Kev Brown’s The Brown Album and Danger Mouse’s The Grey Album. While Jay-Z received no payments for these albums, they attracted massive amounts of attention to his music. His fans were able to personally engage with the music and were more likely to spread the word about him and buy his music in the future.
Jay-Z’s user-generated initiative brings up another important rapper marketing element – partnerships. While business partnerships can be extremely lucrative, many entrepreneurs are reluctant to enter into them. Rappers, on the other hand, collaborate so often that it’s unusual to find a song that doesn’t feature at least one guest-rapper. Songs featuring five or more collaborators are not uncommon. And rappers constantly reference each other in their songs even when they don’t appear on the album. These plugs are freely given to label-mates, strategic partners and friends. It’s an entrepreneurial practice that allows rappers to be introduced to new audiences and assist one another in the climb to the top.
One final area of marketing where rappers excel is repeating the message. Some studies suggest that people need to see or hear your marketing message up to seven times before they take action, making repetition a crucial key to success. Rap lyrics, often derided for their formulaic structure, are replete with self references. For example, if you listen to a Snoop Dogg album, you’ll constantly be reminded of his name throughout. If a friend were to join you halfway through a song, it wouldn’t take long for them to hear a clear reference to Snoop Dogg and know exactly what rapper you were listening to. By constantly providing their listeners with “brand” references, rappers use this form of promotion to the extreme.
Even as marketing evolves in our social media-driven world, rappers continue to find innovative ways to reach new audiences. And the aggressive marketing seems to be working; while other genres of music falter due to file sharing and the sour economy, rap and hip/hop have maintained a steady sales and a loyal fanbase.
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