Who knows. Getting the stamp of approval from a well-respected artist is just as significant as a budget from a major label that promises to push your song to the fullest extent. After all, they say “word of mouth” is the best form of marketing, so you tell me: are you more likely to listen to a new song you just stumbled upon online, or one that Drake or Wiz Khalifa told you to listen to? I think we all know the answer.

Unfortunately, there aren’t step-by-step directions on how to land the beloved cosign, but in reality, the formula is quite simple: make the best music you can possibly make, strategize on the best way to release it, and if it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be. To the artists clawing their way over the millions rappers and singers out there and flooding social media with your music, remember that good music speaks for itself. Focus on that first and foremost, and the rest will fall into place. And while the power of a cosign is arguably the strongest form of promotion in hip-hop, it’s not the only way to get your music out there.

The art of the cosign is nothing new, but its impact in 2014 is much greater than it used to be in the early 2000s and in the 90s. We have social media to thank or to blame for that–your choice. Either way, these artists who have received a major cosign deserve to enjoy their moment, but I would urge them to really understand that it’s what they do with their cosigns that truly matters.