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Perception is a funny thing, funny as in immediately all-powerful just by virtue of where it sits on the chain of information intake and comprehension. Two plus two equals four, but that’s only as absolute a truth as the popular belief currently defining the understanding of what numbers are supposed to be.

Truth is completely dependent on what we believe, lies become more real than reality itself. Essentially, the sun used to revolve around the earth, the planet truly was flat as a penny in the sun at one point, and MC’s honestly were evaluated on their skill level as opposed to their degree of business success and savvy.

It’s nearly impossible to argue that 50 Cent is not the most loudly ubiquitous rapper looping smoky, streamlined influence around the throat of collective popular culture. G-Unit, with all their campus sized click tracks and muttered threats that, when focused properly, could cut c-note sized holes in bedroom windows define modern high-level hip-hop. However, their status as the ultimate trend-setting crew has little, if anything, to do with the quality of their songs at all. Rather, they are who everyone wants to be because they have everything everyone wants: A honking fat bank account in the name of each G-Unit member.

Perception is everything, while being one of the funniest things. In years gone by, before hip-hop was so fundamentally middle aged and republican and toothless, respect was directly proportional with ability. As in, people called you dope if you were.

I don’t think I’m romanticizing the noises that gave the context of my childhood a bit more purpose, and listening to old Lord Finesse, Mad Skillz, Ras Kass, et. Al, as opposed to Buck, Yayo, and 50 pre and post road rage helps me trust that assumption.

Somewhere along the line, hip-hop got on the other side of it, taking both feet and hands off the concept of artistic credibility and putting a strangehold on financial viability.

This idea has been grabbed so tightly, so completely that perception has flipped. Individual fans, critics, industries and blind babies all believe 50 Cent is one of the best rappers alive because he is the most consistently successful, to the point that he now sells huge numbers of records largely because he sells huge numbers of records. It’s the first truly self-fulfilling prophecy for the Internet generation.

Perception is a funny thing, everything and nothing all at once, depending on how much you trust your own judgement or, conversely, how much stock you put in the relevance of Fiddy’s chartered accountant.[[In-content Ad]]

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