Upon Rap Credibility

I find myself recently wondering about the credibility gap in rap music. Generally, either you get famous by making club bangers, or gully street anthems. If I look back at the biggest rappers of the second wave my generation, you find that Tupac (party rhymes/then gangsta, then conscious, then really gangsta) Biggie ( party and gangster trade back and forth), Jay-Z (flashy gangster), Nas(clever wordsmith gangster) and the rest all make it large with tales of street life, or of extravagance. In the beginning, people will readily accept tales of drug dealing, and an attitude of "test me and get shot up". We don't believe this guy who just got signed is popping bottles and driving Bentlys, because only the top suppliers live hugely large off of dealing, and a street dealer who will bust his gun at a moments notice doesn't make the big money. Yuo can pretend that you have money like scarface, but keep your hood status, largely because you truly cant afford to move out of the hood.
As a rapper grows in fame and wealth, the pendulum swings to the other side. We see how the cars once only rented for the video are now featured on Cribs, and driven in the street. The ice is not just a standard jesus piece, its now personalized. Clothing lines emerge, as do record labels and fledgling acting careers. However, now we are supposed to believe that a millionaire packs an AK, and will still set it on anyone trying to set up shop in his hood. If a hugely successful rapper continues to rhyme street, we dont believe him anymore. However, if he sticks to rhyming about how much he can floss, he stands to alienate the street fanbase who first related to his tales of having nothing, and being so desperate as to kill someone. I loved Nas in the beginning, but he lost me when the money came and he did all the nastradamas nonsense. Pac was truly still thugging, but he got the end that comes with thuggin till you are nearly 30. jay-Z manages to stay hot, but he did the dealing albums, did the flossing albums, did the "look how long i've been ill albums", and he called it a wrap (no pun intended). Its weird that in the minds of many fans, if you blow up, you either sold out or went soft, and if you keep it street you never made it. Other genres face similar fates, but are less about lifestyle glorification. Hair metal died, punk either went pop or ducked back underground, techno stayed in the club or went to KTU.

These are my musings.