What defines real hip-hop?

I believe that real hip hop is defined by an artist who puts real thought and effort into his work as opposed to just putting any old catchy song out just to get radio play. The " Hip Hop is dead" mantra has been circulating for a few years now because so much of today's mainstream hip hop music is pointless and strictly for dollar signs. I also believe that real hip hop is when an artist goes out of his or her way to be original and doesnt care what is popular right now.

What makes an artist authentic

There are a number things which makes an artist authentic like their delivery, image, honesty, and their lyrics. If an artist comes on a song spitting like another artist and doing stuff that is well known known by another artist that can take away from their authenticity. If the image they are trying to portray is genuine and they are being themselves that makes them authentic but if they are doing stuff that they know they usually wouldn't do and don't know how to do that takes away from their authenticity. Honesty really means a lot in making an artist authentic. Honesty in their lyrics and interviews also make them authentic. The lyrics are the most important aspect of them being authentic. If they can come up with their own style and creative lyrics honestly they will gain more respect from the hip hop community. Being themselves and not trying to copy another person's lyrics, delivery, and image usually makes them authentic. Being able to tell the truth about their past experiences also because if they lie the truth will eventually come out and if they are constantly lying it will catch up and take away from their credibility. This is what makes an artist authentic in my eyes.

Artist Versus Industry; GO!

Can an artist be diverse (in his representation of self) and still be authentic?

First we must answer the question on what authentic in hip hop means? It is a true expression of the image of self, family and/or neighborhood. True authenticity comes from the idea of shared experiences and being openly honest about the experiences that one has experienced as an artist. An artist should not speak of things that they do not understand, or pretend to be something that he/she is not. There is a way to speak about lessons that one has learned through insight or from listening to others, there are ways to express sentiments that one simply understands without experiencing those things personally, but one should not speak as if the music and the lyrics were their real life if it was not, As a long as an artist stays true to him/herself than they can be counted and regarded as authentic.
Now with all that said the answer to the question is yes, an artist can be diverse in representation of self and still be authentic. Every one has to have room to change and be diverse, rather it is in ideas, fashion or overall character, as long as the person is staying true or authentic within self and the things that they do. Artists should be diverse depending on the audience they are appealing to at the time and also as time goes on their image should change, there is nothing worse than a 40 year old rapper talking about the same things on every album and never growing. The idea that at 40 they are still participating in the same thoughts and activities as they were at 25 is not an image most people want to see.
Diversity is good, as long as it is done within the context of the artist being them self and learning and growing with time. No one should misrepresent themselves or do something just because it is the style at the time. People, authentic people rather in the industry or not should feel comfortable with themselves, getting to know themselves and having the support of those around them!

GZA- Labels

Intro: RZA

Lot of people, you know what I'm sayin, they be gettin misinformed
thinkin everything is everything, that you could just get yourself
a little deal, whatever, youknowhatI'msayin you gonna get on you
gonna get rich. And all these labels be trying to lure us in like
spiders, into the web, knowhatI'msaying. So sometimes people gotta
come out and speak up, and let people understand, that you know you
gotta read the label you gotta read the label if you don't read the
label you might get poisoned...

Lyrics: Genius

TOMMY ain't my motherfuckin' BOY
When he fake moves on a nigga you employ
Well I'll EMIRGE off ya set, now ya know God damn
I show LIVIN LARGE niggaz how to flip a DEF JAM
And RUFF up the motherfuckin' HOUSE
Cause I smother you COLD CHILLIN' mother fuckers are still WARNER BROTHERS
I'm RUTHLESS my clan don't have to act wild
That shit is JIVE, an old SLEEPING BAG/PROFILE
This soft comedian rap shit ain't the rough witty
On the reel to reel it wasn't from a TUFF CITY
Niggas be game, thinking that they lyrical surgeons
They know their mics are formed at VIRGIN
And if you ain't boned a mic you couldn't hurt a bee
That's like going to Venus driving a MERCURY
The CAPITOL of this rugged slang, is WU-TANG
Witty Unpredictable Talent And Natural Game
I DEATH ROW an MC with mic cables
The EPIC is at a RUSH ASSOCIATED LABELS
From EASTWEST to ATCO, I bring it to a NEXT PLATEAU
But I keep it phat though
Yo, I'm hittin' batters up with the WILD PITCH style
I even show an UPTOWN/MCA style
Who thought he saw me on 4TH & BROADWAY
But I was out on the ISLAND, bombing MC's all day
My PRIORITY is that I'm FIRST PRIORITY
I bone the secret out a bitch in a sorority
So look out for A&M, the abbot and the master
Breakin' down your PENDULUM
As I fiend MC's out with a blow that'll numb the
a-ppendix, I'm holdin more more weight than COLUMBIA
Index INTERSCOPE, we RCA. clan
That's comin' with a plan to free a
slave of a mental death MC don't panic
Throw that A&R nigga off the boat in the ATLANTIC
Now who's the BAD BOY character, not from ARISTA
But firin' weapons released on GEFFEN
So duck as I struck with the soul of MOTOWN
While CENTRAL BROADCASTING SYSTEMS are slowed down
You're Dirty, like that Bastard
It's gettin drastic

Read the label and say it loud
Another Wu banger
Thirty-six chambers, to your area
Yeah, the RZA, phat tracks on a disc
Rza razor rza razor sharp
Another Wu-Tang production kid, comin at ya

This song takes all the names of the record labels that were out at that time and mixes them in to the lyrics of the song. The song seems more like a freestyle instead of a song with a meaning. I think that the meaning is within the different mixes of the label names