Record a demo by booking time in a local studio. You'll need to have your lyrics and music together or you'll have to hire musicians to help you record the songs for your demo. Be advised studio time is expensive. A cost effective alternative is to purchase a home studio and record your music yourself, but the downside is that your demo may not be up to professional standards. Music is also about image so, once you have spent time recording your songs, be sure to spend equal time concentrating on how you look.
Browse photos of R&B and rap artists whom you admire and pay attention to what they're wearing. Hip-hop has a definitive style that most artists adhere to, but you'll have to spend some time developing your own look that sticks to the formula but adds a bit of personal flair to help you stand out.
Create a website that allows you to showcase your music and photos. Popular social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace or LinkedIn are free; you simply create an account and customize the page as you like, adding the music from your demo as directed. In some cases, you can sell copies of your music. This method is an invaluable tool for building a fan base.
Sign up on other music-specific social websites like Bandmix.com or Reverbnation.com. Sites such as these allow you to network directly with venues and small labels that can advertise and distribute your music across the world. Other sites such as Cafepress.com will allow you to develop and sell certain types of merchandise that fans can purchase.
Perform live locally at music festivals or public events. This will expose you and your music to an audience that may otherwise be unaware of you. If allowed, sell copies of your music and merchandise. This helps establish new fans and continue building your fan base.
Contact an agent that specializes in your style of music. This is often the most difficult and time consuming part of the process but once you have landed an agent, they'll be able to negotiate contracts with larger music labels that can establish you as a star.