Over the past 26 years, Master P has accumulated a wealth of knowledge while navigating the forever changing tides of the recording industry.

He still isn't quite sure how to boost his SoundCloud play count without making it look obvious he purchased fake numbers, but the New Orleans native does have a firm grasp on the necessary steps that wannabe 2017 rap stars must take in order to extend their 15-minute shelf life.

"Just don't only depend on the online market," P told Mass Appeal during the latest episode of their Open Space series. "Cause you still need to touch the people. And I tell artists this all the time: you could be the biggest thing on social media or the internet, but if you don't touch the people, it's not going to be no genuine love. Most people create a buzz now online. It's not a movement, it's different."

While I'd argue that there are plenty of buzzing artists online who built a non-manufactured, organic movement—seeIsaiah Rashad, Noname, Smino—before ever heading out on a national tour to, as P says, "touch the people," his main point still stands.

An artist could be the biggest thing since sliced bread on social media, but if he or she can't sell out a 250-person venue in a major market like New York or Los Angeles, they've got no future.