You're Doing YouTube Wrong...

It's a shame only 200 people even saw it

Alright hip hop artists, let’s talk about maximizing your YouTube channel. Forget those starry-eyed promises—they don't always easily apply to our community. With all due respect, we're not trying to become the next YouTube sensation by following the same blueprint as pop bands. Nope, our game is a bit different. We’re looking for credibility, cultural influence, and a loyal fanbase that gets what we’re cooking.

So, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how a rapper can actually succeed on the platform without all that jazz.

Level Up Your Visual Storytelling

First off, hip hop is nothing if not visual. From the art that adorned the subway cars to the blinged-out music videos, visuals have always been part of the equation. Yet, a lot of content on YouTube looks like it's shot on your mom's old Nokia. Keep it real, but keep it professional. Your visual should complement your bars, not distract from them.

• Invest in a decent camera and lighting—no excuses, half-stepping is dead.

• Outsource editing if you’re not a wiz; Fiverr is your friend.

• Use your environment—those gritty streets tell a better story than any green screen.

Create Content That Speaks To Everything

Here's where most fall off: creating a YouTube channel isn’t just about dropping music videos. You need to build a multi-faceted content strategy.

• BTS Footage: Show the making of your tracks. Let us in the studio with you.

• Vlogs: Share your journey, your highs and lows, and what's next.

• Q&A sessions: Engage with your fans—get real with them. Answer questions and break down your lyrics.

• Freestyles and Battle Clips: Prove that you don't just need a beat; you are the beat.

Collaborate, Don’t Compete

Time for some real talk: stop thinking of every other artist as your enemy. YouTube is the land of collaboration. Those collabs are fueled with equal parts hustle and respect. The dream features don’t just happen by sliding into a DM. Seek features that complement your style—together, you can reach a larger audience.

• Reach out to producers for remix opportunities. Let’s get those beats flipping!

• Spotlight your own crew members—it’s all about community support.

• Feature other YouTubers, from fashion vloggers to tech reviewers, who get your vibe.

Master the Art of Clickbait (Without Losing Your Soul)

In the visual jungle of YouTube, your title and thumbnail are your spear and shield. It’s an unforgiving world where mediocrity fades to black. You need something that slaps harder than a well-timed bar.

• Don’t bait without substance—let your title entice but be legit.

• Thumbnails need to stop the scroll; use bold imagery and colors.

• Leverage trending topics—tie them in with what you’re already doing.

Analytics Are Your New Fam

Ah, the numbers. Listen, staying in the know isn’t selling out, it's leveling up. You don’t have to become data-driven overnight, but understanding analytics is key.

• Watch Time: Are they vibing or bouncing? Dive deep.

• Demographics: Know your audience’s age, location, and gender. Tailor your content accordingly.

• Traffic Sources: Identify what’s driving views—tweak strategies to amplify.

Refine Your Channel for SEO Supremacy

YouTube is basically Google for videos, meaning SEO isn’t optional, folks. Yet, this isn’t just about shoving keywords into your descriptions. Understand the game, and you’ll thrive.

You're Not Too Cool For Paperwork

THIS IS THE YEAR We get our P&C Lines

In the world of hip hop, where culture-defining bars meet heavy beats and underground vibes often break onto the mainstream stage, understanding your rights as a creator isn't just smart—it's essential. Let's peel back the layers of what every hip hop artist should know about copyright.

1. What Is Copyright, Really? For the young MCs and seasoned vets alike who thrive on breaking norms, copyright might seem like a stiff suit in a cypher’s world. But at its core, copyright is the legal shield that protects your creative hustle—or at least the product of it. It gives you ownership of your work, from the lyrics you spit to the tracks you produce using those midnight muse moments.

Copyright in a Digital World:

The digital age is the playground where most of hip hop's magic happens. When your tracks pop off on SoundCloud or go viral on TikTok, strong copyright comprehension ensures credit and cash flow land in the right place—your pocket. Remember, a copyright doesn't mean creativity under chains; it means safeguarding your soul's work.

2. Copyright Registration: Necessary or Nah? Sure, you can technically claim copyrights by the act of your genius alone—by fixing your genius to a tangible medium like an MP3 file. But here’s the kicker: initiating a formal registration process with the U.S. Copyright Office amps up your legal leverage. And even though pushing paper isn't as thrilling as scribing rhymes, don't sleep on how it enhances your ability to sue in case someone jacks your flow.

Why Hip Hop Artists Can't Ignore Registration

- Guard against sampling without permission: Let's be real. Hip hop's history is rooted in sampling. Register your work to stand firm if and when someone borrows too heavily.

- Boost street cred and business savvy: Knowing your legal muscle helps label execs take you seriously. Your art is your asset.

3. Public Domain and Sampling: Tread With Caution:

In the rap game, blending sounds is an art. However, stepping into the realm of public domain—compositions not protected due to expired copyrights—requires a fine sense of legality. But don't let your beats or bars fall into the hands of overzealous claims.

Sampling: The Fine Print for Hip Hop Artists

• Know what's fair game: Just because a track's been around doesn't mean it's up for grabs. Investigate before you rewire those melodies.

• Permission is power: Clear samples with original artists. This move not only keeps you clean legally but also shows love to those who came before.

4. Infringement: More Than Just Fighting Words: When it comes to infringement, consider it a lyrical battle but without the backing track. If someone appropriates your work without your blessing, the quiet outcome isn't just resentment; it's legal tussles.

Defending Your Art, Hip Hop Style

• Reclaim your flow: Don’t hesitate to call out those who copy you sans credit. While you're dropping truth bombs, keep them accountable through the right channels. -

• Legal reinforcement for cheap bite-back: Copyright enforcement is not about shutting down creativity; it's about safeguarding originality and ensuring that you, the innovator, get the props and bank you deserve.

5. Crew Dynamics vs. Lone Wolves: Who Owns What? In hip hop, collaborations and crews are as natural as a graffiti tag on a subway train. But when it comes to copyright, collective creation can muddle ownership waters.

Sorting Out Copyright in Teams

• Define roles upfront: When you're working with a clan of talent, discuss copyright splits before the track hits the club. Transparently hash out who owns what—or you'll be left bumping heads, not tracks.

• For the lone wolves: Secure your beats, bars, and hooks. You're on your own, but that means every piece is truly yours. Protect it.

Conclusion

Sure, copyright ain't the most exciting hip hop matter, but overlook it and you might fiend for royalties you're never gonna get. Protecting your work means stamping your voice on every corner of your journey. Remember, the goal isn't just to be heard, but to be recognized and rewarded. Keep the hustle legal, so the paper trail matches the fire tracks you drop.

WAR ROOM: Getting Started

First thing you need to do is get the following in order:

1. Notebook

2. Pen

3. PC, MAC, or Laptop with Internet access

4. A BUSINESS-oriented email account (not suckadick@yahoo.com)

5. An hour or two per night

6. A calendar

7. DRIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You probably have all of these things, right?

Remember, touring isn't easy for rock bands, so expect it to be at least twice as hard for a hip hop act.

So the plan is, "we go on a local or statewide tour" This is the first type of tour you will execute; easy for a rapper from New York, but harder for a rapper from Wyoming, and that is the way it is.

Not that Wyoming doesn't produce sick rappers, I don't know any rappers from Wyoming, but I won't put it past them to have an elite ripper or two in that state.

If you've got some real good friends, you can ask them to help be your committee.

**Clarification Note***DO NOT PUT YOUR CAREER IN SOMEBODY ELSE'S HANDS! You still need to have total confidence in your future, enough that you want your own influence on it. You can get a TRUSTWORTHY and psyched friend or family member to help you plan and communicate with the world. They probably want to help anyway, right?

You should still plan this by yourself, at least the first time, so you know what goes into it, and if you ever enlist the services of another, you know what to expect from deadlines to cost.

So, in a local draft of a plan you want to open up GoogleMaps which we will use forever and again.

Then add a tab to this window. Go to Google (they're just the best, period) Zoom in to your state, find a circular route beginning and ending in your hometown.

You know your state, you know where the universities and the party cities are. Write down every town you want to visit in the same order of your tour. Something to help with that, would be to calculate the distances and driving times between each city.

You should be able to input the zip codes if you looked up the city zip codes for your targets on the Googlemap interface. Open a calendar, and find your dates and make sure they coincide with your driving times and distances.

A 10 city tour should last 2 weeks.

It won't be like you'll be writing any of those directions, you won't even have to print them out; you can if you want to and I'm sure it will help a bit to have it in front of you; However, it doesn't have the venues addresses, and you will want them to make a printout of your final plan-in-action file.

Oh yes, you will have a file for this.

It can create a lot of paperwork, which is why you should normally wait to have all of your tour information and confirmation emails on paper. And work off of your computer.

Once you can see what type of tour you'll be doing it looks like, "this isn't so hard" but we know better than to underestimate this process...

A poorly planned tour can drain your finances, effect your employment, and you could end up burning bridges with venues with a display of your poor planning which just appears as bad event management, regardless of your intentions.

But now you have an idea about what kind of tour is being created in your first steps.