The Spotlight has definitely been on Michael Christmas a lot lately. In fact, DJ Booth just labeled him a Top Prospect. Learn more about how he’s quickly become the talk of the town…
In this post, I will share a quick background on Michael Christmas. Then I will show you how he uses word of mouth to open doors.
The aim of this post is to give you an example of how somebody is opening doors with word of mouth and to inspire you to create your own luck.
Background on Michael Christmas
Michael grew up in Roxbury, MA. I first crossed paths with him through 12for12. Having not been selected as one of the 12 emcees to represent Boston, Christmas felt a need to make his mark on the scene. In the 12for12 cyphers, Mickey did just that.
His dynamic flow caught my attention along with most of the people present.
Michael Christmas makes people instantly love him. Self-deprecating humor helps him achieve this. Admittedly, Christmas is an awkward goofball. That is why we love him.
Using rap as his vehicle, Michael and his team capture this loveable nature like a firefly in a bottle. His debut mixtape, Is This Art?, and the visuals that come along with it are the firefly in a bottle.
When people enjoy this light energy, they want to come back and expose their friends to it. Then everything begins to snowball…
How Word of Mouth Opens Doors
People love Michael Christmas. His art makes people embrace him and want to tell the whole world. Take a look at some of these tweets.
The self-proclaimed, Overweight Drake gets love from three critical groups: fans, tastemakers, and influencers.
Fans
Fans scream his name. They share his music. They love to make sure other people know who he is.
Look at what they are saying:
Achieving levels of support like this among your core audience will naturally lead to tastemakers.
Tastemakers
These people keep their ear to the street and listen to what the fans say. Based on a solid intuition of the scene, they can pick out top talent. When they say to pay attention to an artist, people listen.
Traditionally this authority comes from a rich experience and knowledge within the trade. That also means it comes with a web of connections.
Of hip hop tastemakers, Christmas got the attention of Plain Pat. This producer and record executive has had a hand in the early projects of many household names like Kanye West, Kid Cudi, and Drake. Check out what he says about Christmas:
With a testimonial like this, he can start to open both more and bigger doors.
Influencers
Influencers can have characteristics of both fans and tastemakers. There is one key difference.
These people have their own audiences, typically large ones. When an influencer gives you a shout out, your site sees traffic spikes. A wave of new followers join your social media presence. Your base grows.
Christmas caught the attention of pop star and fellow Massachusetts native, Jojo. I personally used to dream about her in eighth grade. Now, she goes to Michael Christmas shows and clues in her followers.
For Christmas, this both builds credibility and exposes new people to the art.
She’s telling 700,000 Twitter followers and 340,000 Instagram followers. That’s a lot of people. An artist with a developed platform, take Christmas for example, will capture some of them as longtime fans.
The added credibility and the new fans that influencers offer open many doors.
In Sum
When fans, tastemakers, and influencers are excitedly sharing your work with like-minded people, you are bound to see the world from higher and higher vistas. Start with a remarkable product. You will know you are heading in the right direction when people want to come back for more with friends.
3 Pieces of Art to Get You Started
Michael Cera
Christmas embraces his comical awkwardness on this track in a simple and understated way. Also, he shows his ability to flex metaphors with pop culture references, like Superbad and Arrested Development. Note what an authentic and loveable impression he makes.
Ya’ll Trippin
In this video, the infectious fun only escalates. Their dance party makes you wish you were there with them. Short and sweet, this leaves people wanting more.
Jackie Brown
The opening sample from Jackie Brown helps Michael demonstrate his unassuming, slacker persona. He just wants to spend the day watching TV and eating Ramen with his little sister in their pajamas.
The best part about Christmas is his humble nature. He wants to succeed in the rap game, so he can pay for his sister to go to college and buy his mom a house. What a guy!
Resources
Stream Michael Christmas’ Mixtape, Is This Art?