I feel you on that. Hip hop seems to still be a "non-legitimate" genre to so many people. It can be frustrating as a fan.

Consider though: having respect as a POP artist can mean a lot more longevity as opposed to acclaim in hip hop. People know who Diddy is; mentioning Rass Kass will earn you blank stares.

Neither, actually! One thing to understand about hip hop/rap is that for most of the time it's existed, white kids have purchased the majority of the music. They are the audience that determine the direction of the genre by & large. When they move on, the folks they were listening to drop off & the cycle starts fresh…

Most white kids grow out of their "rap phase".