An overwhelming amount of hip hop artists I’ve come in contact with, throughout my years in the biz, spend a lot of time trying to perfect the recording process and not enough time perfecting their stage show. Hip Hop is one of the most influential genres of music today yet there are only a handful of artists who can fill a large venue or have a newsworthy tour.
This is largely due to the fact that fans are often disappointed with the performances of the hip hop acts they pay to see. Being a fan of hip hop myself, I too am often the spectator of performances by artists that are just plain wack. I pay to see some cat walk across the stage, looking ordinary, spitting rhymes that I can barely make out and after two songs, I’m either heading towards the exit or looking to strike up a conversation with someone.
A lot of people thought MC Hammer was lame, but I dare you to follow his act. I double dare you! Your stage show has got to be an event that stays with your audience long after it’s over. Be creative, add some theatrics, add hot girls… SOMETHING other than you and your hype guys shouting in the mic for an hour or more. The experience of seeing you live has got to be greater than listening to your music, and if I don’t have your music, I should want to own it after I seeing you perform.
I also want to feel safe going to your show. I believe that performing artists have the powerful ability to control the mood of the crowd they are playing to. That means, to put it bluntly, I don’t want to get shot while trying to come out and see you. While I’m writing this, it’s reported that 5 people were shot at an E-40 concert last week. Now, E-40 shouldn’t be unfairly blamed for the actions of some idiot, but you’d have to admit that violence at concerts are unheard of for certain hip hop artists. You know who they are.
The real deal is that there is so much music out there that people are even finding it hard to give away. People constantly give me music to listen to and I eventually listen to everything, but most people don’t bother. Don’t believe me? Make your music free to download and see how many people take you up on your offer. On the rare occasion that I see a hot hip hop show, people line up afterwards to purchase music and merch. You don’t need a big budget to hire a live band or set up a glow-in-the-dark tour like Kanye, but you’ve got to do something that will give your act an identity of it’s own. That stage is your church and that audience, your congregation. Move them!
