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Boss man Jermaine Dupri already gave his two cents about breaking into the music biz through the Internet, but I figured I’d give some tips on how you—yes, you—can make it in the biz just by getting your online game right.

First off, you’re going to need talent. Whether you’re a rapper, producer, singer, guitarist, etc., you’re going to need some talent. Now, this is not to be confused with grind/hustle. Everyone is on the grind. If you want to keep your lights on, then you need to be on the grind. But talent is the ability to master a skill better than the rest of the population. If you don’t have talent, then you better stop reading here.

Still with me? Good.

The beauty of the Internet is the ability to express your talent out there. But if you think that your beats or rhymes are going to beat out the competition by just being good, then you’re wrong – you’re going to need a hook…and I’m not talking about the kind that’s in the middle of a song. Soulja Boy had a strangle hold on the Internet after he figured out to crank his way all over Youtube. He got it so right that there’s all sorts of crazies imitating him on the ‘Net.

Once you’ve figured out your hook you’re going to want to get your sound out there. A Myspace page used to suffice, but now if you really want to get your message out there you’re going to need to become a one person PR team.

Submit your materials to any and every hip-hop blog that updates on the regular. Back in the day this was referred to as cold calling. I guess now you can call it cold emailing.

If you’re persistent enough, then chances are the blogger will listen to your music. But if they’re really trying not to you hear and tell you to stop posting, respect that. You’re on your grind, but they are too.

If you do get that hit on a site, then this is you opportunity to get your links to other sites and grow your name. The more hits you get, the more you’ll be able to leverage how many people are checking for you.

This is where it gets tricky. You now have the opportunity to either sell your music and make some ends, or give it away for free to build a bigger name.

Remember, people love anything free – especially in hip-hop.

Cash versus cred – that’s part two. Check back soon.