Does being "relevant" mean more than skill and artistry?

[JustCKing]

Relevant - appropriate to the current time, period, or circumstances; of contemporary interest.

Seems self-explanatory.

However, I do find it interesting that we only have this conversation when it comes to rap and black artists in general. Nobody asks if Justin Timberlake is relevant, for example

I agree with your point, but its Hip Hop. Relevance is a huge factor because of how trendy everything is. More so than any other genre, Hip Hop is more about how an artist is able to survive trends while sustaining relevance. Otherwise, you're labeled a has been.

 

[Knucklehead]

Rap in the only genre of entertainment I can think of where the majority of the fans equate being popular with being good.
I can imagine people throwing on the new Drake like “man every 30 year old white suburban woman is listening to this too I feel great!”
The fact is that lowest common denominator will almost always become most popular because most people don’t want to be challenged by their entertainment.
The OP said JID isn’t relevant but he and Smino just had a hugely successful sold out tour and both made millions of dollars. A lot of other artists may not be “relevant” but still get their names in big fonts on festivals and make huge bank as well without spending any time trying to get attention on IG.
It’s all perspective.