Is having a gimmick more important than having skills?

Via 2dopeboyz

Definition of Gimmick:
an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, esp. one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.


That was for those who were wondering. We if you're here you know that Skills matter alot,but thats not the question. The question is more like do skills still matter in mainstream and I would have to say NO. People just want something they can dance to and could care less how clever the wordplay is. 


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Thats one reason some of the more lyrical artists arent really surviving or choose not to be apart of this industry because of all the dumbing down and "Club Hits" people want. Because back in the day R&B guys were mainly responsible for Club music and if your song were to become a Club hit it wasnt your original intention. Also here's where the gimmick thing comes into play. Some dudes try so hard to create this persona of them being this "Hardcore, Gangster from the streets who sold dope and then decided to rap" and about half the time these guys are lying their ass off. But the thing is if you can find ways for people to believe you, mainly vids and Repition on your songs, people accept your mediocrity just because they perceive you as "real" and if you talk about selling coke and killing bitches all day they go "oh thats some 'real' shit". And its not its just them putting on a show. 


See for me that "but he's real" thing never made me like anyone; you just had to be a good artist and lyrics play a huge role in that. And also if you didnt notice, Rappers dont need to be from the "Streets" anymore to be accepted because if you look the majority of these new cats arent. I do think people are slowly starting to look at what an artist says more than how 'bumping' the beat is and Im happy about that change even though its slight its gradually sliding back to what Hip-Hop was mean to be.


All in all, if you are desperate to blow up pull a gimmick out your hat and roll with it and see where it takes you even though you are selling your soul, risking your integrity, and throwing all respect for you out the window for a chance to make it into a cold hearted industry its your decision not mine. And maybe the "Mainstreamers" will love you, but as for people like me who respect Hip-Hop for what it is and that is a Beautiful art form of poetry, expressionism, and music will never respect or like your music. With all that being said Im not saying you cant be real or from the Streets, Im just saying you should have more to offer me than just "Im from the hood buy my album". Im not saying you have to be fake, but I feel being real is being true to yourself and not going against anything that you dnt believe and if I think you're doing that you are real in my book.