>he is not his art. no one is asking him to be. that he's
>apologizing for his artistic output and conflating himself
>with the actual art is the problem.


You're expecting him to separate himself from the art but what he's
saying is that he isn't separate from his art. If the nigga is telling
you that he IS his art then how you tell him he isn't?
He's telling you this shit is first person accounts for him.
Plus you don't speak for everybody and some people DO expect the nigga
to BE what he's saying he is on record.