Improve your singing ability. Even if you are currently a competent singer, take lessons to improve your voice. Numerous courses are found either online or at local music studios. An important improvement for your voice is to practice proper breathing and diaphragm techniques. Since rapping and singing are two different sides of the same coin, practicing these techniques can make the switch back and forth much easier.
Listen to other rappers. Get a feel for the genre by listening to various artists and what they are rapping about. This gives you a feel for the different rap rhythms, rhyme styles and different lyrical content in today's rap music. Being able to rhyme in rhythm is an essential element to becoming a rapper and singer.
Write your own raps and songs. Covering tunes by others is a great way to learn, but it's not a way to get noticed in the hip hop community. Being new and original gets you noticed and separates you from the rest of the pack. Choose a rap subject matter for your songs and stay true to it, such as gangsta, religious, political or popular entertainment rap. Practice freestyle rap with others; it will you to think quickly while rapping. Freestyle rap is creating rhymes on the spot, bouncing ideas back and forth with other rappers.
Become involved in the rap scene. Attend open microphone events, get to know other rappers and be active. This not only helps you meet contacts, but it's an education in itself. Go to hip hop clubs to meet performers and club owners. If you must perform for free, do it.
Record a demo of your best pieces, either professionally or do-it-yourself with one of the many music production software programs on the market. Record the best-quality demo possible. Remember that, in hip hop, the beat and voice are the two crucial elements, and the recording should reflect this. Use the proper voice effects so the vocals are smooth, such as reverberation, compression and the auto-tune singing effect, which is popular with most rapper/singers, including Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne.
Create a press kit to distribute to local hip hop clubs, record labels and publications covering the hip hop industry. A press kit should include demo recordings, publicity photos, song lyrics, a biography and a resume of any accomplishments in the music field. Accomplishments should include performances at any hip hop clubs, collaborative work with other musicians and any music education you have.
Market yourself by identifying your target audience. While rapping and singing, who are you thinking about when performing? Who are the people that are going to buy your music? This is your target audience, and everything needs to be geared toward them. Figure out the age group, the clothes they wear and what music they recently purchased. Knowing this will help you market yourself to the right people. Also, promote yourself on social media outlets, such as Facebook, Myspace and hip hop specific sites, including Boomdizzle and Goldmic.
Be real. Acceptance in the rap genre is based on credibility, be it street credibility or talent. Style also plays a major role part in the rap genre. The world of hip hop can be as much about style as it is the music. The proper style and a proper rap name are essential to succeeding as a rapper/singer.