A common goal amongst our youth is becoming the next best rapper or singer, starting with little or more talent. This day in age, with a laptop and basic internet, you can find lots of ways to make a career out of your wonderful and unique vocals. And with the idea that you have to sound like someone on the radio in order to make it big, it's a lot harder to stand out, ironically, and obviously.
But what you may or may not know, is that even the best selling artists on the radio such as Lil Wayne, Drake, Rihanna, Chris Brown, and Justin Bieber, have their songs written or co-written by well-skilled writers. Though the art of hip hop was once based on the motive to make it from the hood with one's own talented rapping and rhythmic skill, many commercial hip hop artists hire only the best of best. Hip hop and r&b artists have songwriting camps where professional songwriters network and work on the best lyrics for upcoming and commercial singing stars.
2 Quick & Simple Fun Facts: 1. Absolutely every artist on the radio you know, including Taylor Swift, has had a song (co)written for them by someone else.
2. To be a good rapper is to be a good performer. Even if you aren't performing your own lyrics. It's a lot more than just the basic hip hop technique that every hip hop head knows of. Y'know, flow, delivery, bars, etc.
If that isn't enough for you, check out one of the top songwriters in today's society... Ms. Ester Dean, who produced, wrote, and performed her hit single in 2009, "Drop It Low" featuring singer/rapper/dancer/artist Chris Brown. As follows on Wikipedia, she has written for Christina Aguilera, Katy Perry, Keri Hilson, Beyoncé, Priyanka Chopra, Mary J. Blige, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Clarkson, Ciara, The Pussycat Dolls,Usher, Kelly Rowland, Girlicious, Rihanna, R. Kelly, Britney Spears, Melody Thornton, Vanessa White, Selena Gomez, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, Pia Toscano, Tinie Tempah, Lil Wayne, Machine Gun Kelly and Eurovision Song Contest 2012 winner Loreen.
According to Celebrity Net Worth and Ester Dean's current net worth is currently at $24 million USD, which is no surprise after reading this list.
While there are people with sh*tty jobs in this world working under people who do a much simpler job and make a lot more money, and I'm definitely not saying that being a performing and recording artist is sh*tty, I believe that if you find the right fit for you, you can have a career that wins big time.
One simple reason I say this is because of one person. His name is Soulja Boy Tell Em.
Soulja Boy has found a sweet spot in the music industry where he can make simple and catchy music and have a huge following and crowd that can vibe and rock with it. Soulja Boy Tell Em was once signed with Interscope Records with an album that "flopped" in sales with only 56,000 sales in the United States of America. It was a big disappointment on the count of his big break through release with "Crank That".
Soulja Boy Tell Em is indeed a hitmaker but not so much of an album person. Speaking of which, this definitely is prevalent, looking at his first big collaboration since Sammy (with Kiss Me Thru The Phone), with Drake on "We Made It".
So my advice to all those out there looking to make a career in music, you don't have to be the one on stage all the time to make good music and make good money. It's not all about the money, but working for "free" just isn't acceptable in the music industry. Someone is making money off of you and it's only right that you can make money off you as well, isn't it?
(Note: There are well over ten reasons why, but it's ultimately up to you to choose your own destiny, in the music industry and in your world.)
(Note: There are well over ten reasons why, but it's ultimately up to you to choose your own destiny, in the music industry and in your world.)
