This article is built around a single insight.  The artists I talk to who already have an online footprint and already did everything in the $0 Promotional Plan are facing a new question: What in the hell am I supposed to PUT on my website, blog, facebook and mother-effing twitter account? The nutshell answer: you use your platform to promote your fellow DIY hip hop artists.  This is a fundamental win/win situation—you get more content, they get more promotion, and the world is a better place.  For details and examples of Doing It Right, start here.

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Back when Audible Hype was running full steam—not coincidentally, also when I was living online fulltime—we had a regular series called Weekend Brainfood where I’d round up all the best articles I’d read recently, as well as sharing the personal lessons I’d been learning that week through World-Around Records.  Now, I realize I got a little cynical but that’s part of the growth process, too.  I stand by my mistakes...otherwise I’ve got nothing to stick up for.

I’m still a pitbull asshole in the content department—ask Kavit Haria—so I feel like I should be doing more to spotlight the people who are helping me stay informed.  This is an introduction to three of them, plus a summary of my daily e-hustle website routine, and as usual, way too many resources.  TOO MUCH IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN NOT ENOUGH.

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This has been a long time coming—I’m finally laying out, in great detail, how to set up a powerful online presence using nothing but completely free tools. 

In the past week, I’ve had no less than 11 up-and-coming hip hop artists tell me almost the exact same thing: “I’ve got my album done, but I just don’t have the money to promote it.” While I won’t pretend you can get to the top of the Clear Channel playlist and get some MTV rotation for free (without guns)—I am saying you can get to work promoting your music effectively as soon as you finish reading this article.

Let’s get right down to it...

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Everywhere I go, everyone I talk to, the word remains the same: “DAMN.” The US is going through a slow-motion economic collapse and hip hop is feeling the pain as much as any other industry.  For underground broke rappers, the situation looks downright apocalyptic.  What’s the point of making music when it’s all going to be free, right? 

Well...real artists don’t ask themselves that question, first of all.  Since you’re probably making hip hop because you fucking have to, the end of 2008 is going to be a long, frustrating winter. This article is about how to survive and thrive in a hostile climate. It’s also an opportunity for me to round up everything I’ve already covered here at Audible Hype.  My articles are constantly over-stuffed and I randomly go off on tangents longer than most blog posts.  Here’s the best of everything, plus everything I learned since I stopped, plus everything else you’ll ever need to know.  Just kidding.

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Nothing beats having a mentor. Helpful guidance and advice from experienced elders is solid gold, no matter what you’re doing in life. 

Unfortunately, Audible Hype is about DIY Hip Hop, which is a cut-throat and over-saturated business where nobody particularly gives a fuck about you. Even once you’re getting things done, the people who reach out to you are acting strictly out of self-interest.  This is a culture where information is valuable and connections are everything—so “sharing” is not part of the game.

Unless you’re a dumb hippie like me, that is.  This is a collection of the most valuable gems I’ve assembled in the Audible Hype Forum.—business and career advice from established masters, psychotically driven hustlers, and crusty old veterans.  Your kind of people, if you know what’s good for you. 

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Back when I first started Audible Hype, I did an article about hip hop demographics.  I had no idea how ambitious that topic really was, and did a half-assed job.  Today I’m going to fix that mistake and do this up properly, because it’s a topic that shouldn’t be complicated.

Demographics shouldn’t be complicated.  Accurate statistics should not be the exclusive property of corporate consultants.  Artists should not be basing their career on second-hand bullshit ideas of “who really listens to rap.”

Basically, I made a pot of coffee, sat down in the kitchen, and banged out the most detailed, useful and honest report on the demographics of hip hop I could possibly give you.  Enjoy.

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“Twice as arrogant as Kanye West.” That’s not my diagnosis, that’s a direct quote from iCON the Mic King’s own PDF press kit. There’s been a lot of controversy surrounding him over the years, but the real point to take home is that iCON the Mic King has been a topic of constant conversation for years now. He’s also been a constant inspiration for anyone doing DIY hip hop—from his “Rent Money Music” mixtape series to his infamous Greyhound Bus tours, iCON embodies the work ethic and determination that it takes to get your name out in the most over-saturated music market on the planet.

After all, that same press kit also contains this gem: “At the end of the day the real issue is the quality of the music and the struggle to get it heard by the masses.” That’s the sole focus of Audible Hype, so I’m honored that iCON the Mic King agreed to do an interview about exactly that: managing your own career in an industry that gets more insane every day.

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Here’s a common question I get: “If I’m broke and unknown, how can I start getting paying gigs?”

My first instinct is to reply YOU DON’T, but that’s not entirely true.  There’s other avenues, and the fact is, the old system of “paying dues” is broken.  You can be paying dues for years and never see much happen from it.  This is an article about “viral marketing” but I feel that term is so cliched that it’s become useless—the core point remains the same, though: be interesting, and people will be interested.  If you’re doing something remarkable, people will talk about you.

Here’s a detailed look at what works, why it works, and how to make it work for you.  Interested?

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“It’s been a long time—and I’m glad that I left you
I’ve been snacking on fresh fruit and practicing chess moves”

It’s been a couple months but I’m back. I appreciate the concerned emails, and the project is starting again.  I stopped writing Audible Hype because I was bored with the topic—I moved on to more interesting things, like studying 5th generation warfare over at Skilluminati Research.

Why did I get bored? Why am I re-starting the project now?  I have three basic reasons.

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The New England based d_Cyphernauts embody everything I’m advocating here at Audible Hype: they’re dedicated, positive and intelligent—and they’re running an increasingly successful career entirely by themselves.  Even more impressive, they recognize the importance of building a community and put in endless hours to develop their local scene and help everyone around them progress.  Needless to say, I dig what they do.

So I was honored that d_Cyphernauts member Othello agreed to do this interview—a very detailed, practical and inspirational look at his daily routine, his past achievements and his plans for the future.  He’s politically outspoken, business-minded and holy shit does he ever work hard. In addition to running his own business and maintaining a prolific musical output, he’s also a full-time teacher.

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