Like I said before - many people can write a good song, many people can write complicated lyrics, many people can be clever and draw your attention in their writing - very few can PERFORM that writing.

Even if you can write cleverer punchlines, more multi's, or doper songs than a rapper like Eminem (I'm refering to 1996-2001 Eminem), which is believable to some extent, I SERIOUSLY doubt you can flow better than him, or have a better devilvery. So even if you can write well, if you can't perform well, it means jack shit. What're you gonna do, put up a huge billboard with your lyrics on them at a concert and play a beat in the background?

Of course image sells, but if your on the right label, then you can do your own thing anyway. Eminem was Slim Shady before Dre signed him, so he did his own thing with the Slim Shady and Marshall Mathers LP's. And Def Jux too - they're definately not going for what sells. Eminem was simply lucky that his style appealed in the mainstream, but that doesn't stop him being talented. It's when you do have potential, but you choose not to use it, like in 50 Cent's case (Power Of The Dollar was decent at least, unlike GRODT) that you become a "sellout". Other examples include Snoop Dogg.

So you get two bottom lines:

1. You gotta sound good as well as write good.
2. Talent should be judged on quality, not success.