Editor’s Note: Following the publication of this article, Rojas and Alex Gelbard reached out to Genius to clarify their roles in Pump’s discovery and marketing. Rojas helped develop the marketing concepts used to promote Lil Pump, while Gelbard worked with Inzei Records using these concepts but not directly on Pump’s promotion.

See below for original story.

With rap music continuing to dominate the charts and the music industry flush with cash for the first time in a decade, labels are snapping up viral hip-hop acts quicker than ever. A new report from Vulture explores the label mechanisms behind the signing and promotion of rappers like XXXTentacion, Lil Pump, and 6ix9ine, whose careers are often cloaked in controversy both online and in real life.

One fledgling label involved in this scene is Inzei Records, run by Rojas—the co-producer of X’s breakout hit “LOOK AT ME!”—and his business partner Alex “Loyalty” Gelbard. Both men were involved in the marketing effort that made Lil Pump famous, and they revealed that they use the rapper as a case study for how to turn any artist into a viral star.

Vulture’s Lauren Levy explains:

The two of them helped build Lil Pump’s career using a method they now refer to as the ‘The Pump Plan.’ It’s a ten-step program that guarantees transforming a local rapper or minor celebrity into a meme and then a viral sensation using a set of proven marketing tricks. It includes tactics like: social-media influencer campaigns, meme-ing the artist, Musical.ly placements, World Star promotions, and something called ‘controversy projects,’ which seems to mean planting feuds between artists and igniting drama to stoke controversy and online attention. They pitch it to new artists they’re looking to sign.

A 2017 Billboard article previously explored how Pump’s career was boosted by the widespread use of influencer marketing and other viral tactics. Some have speculated that 6ix9ine and Trippie Redd’s protracted online beef was egged on by their mutual record label TenThousand Projects, while the bizarre viral hit “Mia Khalifa” by iLOVEFRiDAY has used similar tactics of online controversy and Musical.ly placement.

Gelbard explained to Vulture that Warner Bros. was originally hesitant to sign Lil Pump because of his promotion of drug use as an artist who was still under 18, but the rapper’s runaway success ultimately convinced them. “If you’re a proven success, if you have proof of concept then they’re going to stand behind you,” he said, citing the label’s willingness to put out Pump’s July single “Drug Addicts.”

Multiple industry figures cited in the article note that controversies, like Pump’s promotion of drug use or X and 6ix9ine’s serious felony charges, are often ignored or even viewed as a positive.

“I don’t know if record labels think it’s negative unless it interferes with the bottom line,” said entertainment lawyer Amit Krispin. “[Signing new artists] happens so fast and the labels don’t want to miss out so they’re just gobbling stuff up.“ This is especially true because rappers like X and 6ix9ine have opted for one-off distribution partnerships rather than traditional record deals that limit the financial risk for labels.

Read Vulture’s full article here and catch up on all the lyrics to Lil Pump’s biggest hits on Genius now.