NOW BOOKING!!!! 
Southwest Rapstock is a Independent Music Showcase. SWR will be held every 1st Thursday of every month at Copper State Tavern 5060 W. Bethany Home Rd from 9pm-2am. GET BOOKED NOW FOR THE NEXT RAPSTOCK RAP SERIES.
Major players come to the club on a regular basis like talent scouts, A&R's, Producers etc. just to see who's hot. Booking for Southwest Rapstock is done through this site.
ATTENTION ALL HIP HOP FANS, RAP, HIP-HOP and R&B ARTIST'S:
SOUTHWEST RAPSTOCK....THE LONGEST RUNNING UNDERGROUND RAP SERIES IN THE SOUTHWEST. 30 Groups performing LIVE on 1 Stage in 1 Night....SPECIAL EVENT....Every 1st Thursday of the month at COPPER STATE TAVERN 5060 W. BETHANY HOME RD. The vibe is all love and support for the Artists and the Game. Doors open at 9pm. $3 Drink Specials All Night Ladies Free Until 10pm 21+ Event. CHECK PAGE FOR SPECIAL EVENTS WEEKLY.
The sole purposes of the SOUTHWEST RAPSTOCK SERIES is: 1. For up and coming independent artists and labels to have a central location to network with eachother, build fans and perform their talents in front of a packed house of spectators. 2. Record label A&R's can come to a place scheduled to have alot of talent performing every week on one stage. This will allow for Talent Scouts to drop in unannounced (which they do all the time)and sit in on the performances and network with artists they choose. 3. It's major promotion for the artists performing. The SERIES is  big and was Voted The Best Hip Hop Show In Phoenix so come early cuz IT Does pack out. You never know when that right someone might spot your skills. Being at the right place at the right time is usually all it takes and a little skill.
SEND A MESSAGE TO GET BOOKED NOW FOR THE NEXT RAPSTOCK.........

Alot of people been messaging us recently wanting to do shows and basically stating that they wanna do biz, but when we open the message theres no bussiness talk what so ever.
To us bussiness is something thats gonna benefit both parties involved and/or involves the exchange of money. So before you message us in the future give some ideas of the kind of biz you wanna do!
We operate a business that offers services for Touring Artists that need promotional shows. Some are paid and some are not. Just depends on the circumstances.
Believe it or not we are not all about money and we will help people out where we can, but you need to give us more of an understanding of your plans. We offer a wide variety of services for Touring Artists.
Thanks for reading
Southwest Rapstock
P.S. Anyway just bare in mind what we've said above before you hit us up!

WHy playing live is so important
Playing your music out live is vital for a band/artist for many reasons.

Putting on a concert or playing a gig enables you to get your music out there and make people aware of your band. You can also sell merchandise and CD's at gigs, promote your website and network with people. Playing live performances means you can build up a fan base and get immediate feedback about you and your music.

Without this vital connection, how do you expect people to know you exist? Relying on the internet alone for your promotional needs won't be enough if you want to build a larger and more dedicated fan base. Here are some tips:

Make sure you have some business cards with all your contact details and website info on to distribute @ gigs. You can get some free cards @ vistaprint.com. It's also good to do up fliers to give to people with details of your myspace and upcoming shows.

Contact the local press and put posters up to help promote your gig. Build a mailing list and collect mobile numbers to inform people of your upcoming show. The more people you can get out, the more impressed the venue/promoter will be and the more likely they are to re-book you or put in a good word with their friends.

AT THE CONCERT no matter how small or big, here are some pointers:

Never ever put you or your band, the venue or promoter down. Be positive. Be prepared to sweat a lot. If anyone heckles you, remember, who's got the mic and the big speakers? Don't be afraid to make eye contact. Be polite with the staff and bartenders. Advertise your website or myspace between songs. Introduce each song but don't waffle on. Offer any merchandise you have for sale. Don't be afraid to tell any sound engineer what you want (more vocals in the monitor) Speak clearly. And most important of all HAVE FUN because if you are having fun then so too will the audience.

Playing live can be a bit nerve racking and if you have never played live and are weary and not sure what to expect you could try attending a local open mic night and get a taster for live performance there. The only way to build your confidence is to go out there and do it. You will be amazed out how gigging will help boost your confidence and help build a solid fan base.

OK... So you think your band is ready for the big time... You've been together for a while, wrote some good songs, done a demo or two, maybe played a few shows, Now what? Well, I'm glad that you asked.
Maybe now is the right time to shop your material to labels, but first there are some things you should know. First there is the matter of solicitation. Solicitation is getting permission from a label to submit material for their consideration.

The Basics

Although some independent labels will accept unsolicited (non-requested) materials, most labels will not. The reasoning behind this is as follows... A major label A&R rep (Artist and Repertoire: the people at labels responsible for finding and signing new talent, and dealing with that artist afterwards…) listens to all solicited submissions. They have hundreds, even thousands to deal with on a weekly basis. If they accepted unsolicited material, they would be there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week just listening to demos. (For many labels it is also a legal issue: to save themselves from plagiarism suits. If they do not accept your material- they cannot be accused of stealing from it down the road.) So you must always contact the label first.

But don't expect to be able to just call up Geffen and say "Yo, listen to my tape, OK." It's not quite that simple. In fact, the majority of major labels will not accept material, or even talk to you, unless you have representation of some kind (Either management, an agent, a publisher or a reputable entertainment lawyer) that is presenting the material to the label for you. There are several other factors in how seriously a major label will deal with your submission. Other variables weigh heavily in the equation, such as history of regional radio, sales, live success, and a substantial draw or following. All are key in any potential record deal.

So, let's say BAND X has been together for 4 years. They have released 2 CDs, maybe a few 7 inches, by themselves or through an independent label. They have sold a few thousand, opened for Paul Westerberg, Live, and The Verve Pipe when they came to town, and draws a few hundred people consistently. Any label will be much more willing to talk to BAND X, than garage BAND Y, who has never played a show, and are shopping the demo they recorded in the basement on the 4 track. As with anything, there is a right time and a wrong time to shop your music to labels. You must give yourself and your band a chance to grow and mature as musicians first.

Sure you might think, "Oh this demo is awesome. These new songs are the best we've ever written." But assuredly, six months down the road you'll listen to the tapes and think "Uh, what the fuck were we doing?? God, my guitar tone is shit!" Bands, like wine and cheese, get better with age. If 6 months from now, you still love those songs, maybe, then you should think about shopping.

Of course all this applies mostly to major labels, and bigger so-called 'indies', (who are usually owned and or distributed through some kind of partnership with a major). The true indie label is usually a much better place for our friends in garage BAND Y to get their start. An indie label is usually run out of someone's house. It has a staff of maybe 3 or 4 people, if that. The staff is usually the owner and a few of his unpaid friends. The indie can serve as either a stepping stone to bigger labels, or a home for bands with no desire to be on a major label. It's really all dependent on your goals and needs as musician (which are good to determine within a band very early on to prevent confusion and misunderstandings later). But, indie labels are infinitely more responsive and friendly to the younger bands, ones just getting started. Indies also give bands a place to grow, while working towards those bigger goals in a much lower pressured environment.

Arguably, the most important factor in snagging a major label deal, is success on an indie. Consistently, majors scout soundscan on indie releases for bands that sell big numbers, or consistently sell in big markets. Major label A&R reps look for bands that come as a complete package: the less work for them, the better. Basically, as a rule of thumb, the best way to be noticed is to make as much noise in your hometown as possible.

Indie VS. Major

A good thing to remember, there are (of course) pros and cons to both major and indie labels, and questions you should consider before signing any kind of deal. Before signing any kind of contract, consult an attorney. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING. This is especially true when signing a deal with a major label. You must have, at least, a general knowledge of the workings of a contract (i.e., options, publishing, merchandising, coupling, etc.) to even THINK about signing a deal. (Major label contracts can be up to hundreds of pages in length- complete with payment responsibilities for every portion of a band's albums and videos: But that's a whole other article in itself.) Without proper guidance you could easily end up with a label owning you, and your songs. A label that leaves your band in limbo forever (or until you eventually become disenchanted with rock-n-roll, and become an accountant or janitor). Of course, this is worst case scenario, but a lot of unpleasant things can happen (and HAVE happened) if you sign a record deal without representation. Lack of proper representation makes it that much easier for you to get screwed.

Of course, major labels are not all out to exploit innocent garage bands, and gobble up everything in their path. In fact most major labels are very supportive of their acts, especially in monetary terms. On the down side, majors usually expect results much quicker, and much more visibly, than an indie. Indies tend to be more laid back and much more into artist development, and more long term promotion. The difference is simple. Major labels, especially now, are more singles-based than ever before. Larger labels tend to look for the quick return on their investment- a hook heavy hit radio song they can feed to the masses.
Indies, on the other hand, are artist based. Meaning that while the major wants the quick gain, and the quick return on their investment, independent labels tend to be more about building careers for their artists. Indies tend to be much more prone to stand by artists who do not show significant results out of the box. At the same time majors have a much bigger publicity, marketing and radio staff, not to mention significantly more leverage with press, retail outlets and program directors. These tools can have a significant impact on the success of a record.

The most important thing when making a deal with a label is to never ever think, "Wow we got a record deal. We made it. We can get lazy now, and just let the label do everything." This tends to happen a lot, especially with bands who land a deal with a major label. Just remember, The hardest work is yet to come. The record deal, although it is a good step in the right direction, is just another step in the process. You still have to get out there and SELL those records.