I know it sound naive but I was born in 99, first rapper I really remember seeing come up was soulja boy

I think MTV, radio, magazines, concerts

If you were popping in your local scene and/or promoted by a label you could blow up

popping off local then label backing or street pushing tapes get you hype

they handed out mixtapes or something

Honestly labels

Mixtapes, magazines, radio and music videos.

By sucking d***

Seems like being a label was so much riskier back then

Popping in your city.

I.E. local clubs, parties, word of mouth, etc.

This is when Labels and A&R's made their dough for real for real. Flying from city to city, and recruiting who's the hottest.

Labels had a lot more control over who's hot and who'd blow up than they do now.

Like how do you even reach a point where you poppin locally in a scene that people actually cared about i.e. NY, cali, BEFORE THE INTERNET?

Be friends w/ the program director at your local radio station.

Radio

Passing out your CD's at the swap meet, getting in good with DJ's in your city, so that they break your record in clubs, stuff like that

Like today, most of your rappers are rich before rap or have backing, which allows them to throw their money around the city, in clubs, in the streets, etc.

Only difference is the form of word of mouth. What used to be magazines, talent shows, passing out CD's in the barbershop, outside of clubs, etc. has been replaced by social media.

It's not 'thaaatt' much different than it is today.

by hosting oarties, performing at parties n clubs

What do you think this is referring to, OP?

By having actual talent.

ayy i remember being 7 and hearing about him

The most common way that rappers get on today is the same way they did back then, just looks different.

D*** dealers / gang members that get their money through street s*** and thus are popular in their city, use that money to fund their career and if the records slap it all goes from there.

Radio, connections in the industry, print media like newspapers

Before the internet you wasn’t blowing up unless you f***ed Birdman. It’s just how it was

Networking and having actual talent. Take Nas for example. He ended up meeting Large Professor and dude loved his raps and threw him on Live At the Barbeque. He put out a classic verse, which lead to MC Serch seeking him out and getting him a deal. Nas made a demo for the song Halftime. DJ Premiere heard it and wanted to work with Nas regardless as to whether he would even get paid or not. Eventually his music spread throughout the established rap scene and had other big producers like Q-tip and Pete Rock clamoring to work on Illmatic.

The good ol days