Avi Cantor-Capstone
What happens when the fact-driven world of journalism clashes with the unruly but thriving underbelly of underground rap? A multi-media platform that both promotes and critiques up-and-coming rappers from across the country through written, video and social media journalism.
The two driving principles for my capstone were to create a platform for under recognized artists to flourish and have their content promoted. From that promotion, I wanted to allow my audience to learn about these artists in the hopes that they’d find their favorite new rapper.
In order to make these ideas a reality, I first created the Instagram page for the platform back in January. Since starting the page, I have promoted over 80 artists, been shouted out by rappers with major industry connections, and connected with industry professionals who have worked with big-time acts like Blacc Youngsta, NLE Choppa, Lil Baby, and many others.
After creating a social media following, I decided to video my ‘Heaters and Seaters Review’ series where I evaluated projects from a range of up and comers. I rated their ability to compose cohesive tracks that caught my attention as well as if they were able to veer off their typical vocal and instrumental style to create something unique and original. This allowed my audience to either weed out rappers they didn’t like or look into their catalog more extensively.
Throughout this process, I’ve learned how to network, promote effectively and write in a way that entices an audience to want to learn more about an artist they’d never heard of.
Annotated Bibliography linked below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1v81FqEgQxfh8gOf8W8ogcnfYpeXdqpmHWvGi0qhVCMY/edit?usp=sharing
