>but i will say that the post is a bit of a contradiction
>because it assumes that those factors are what is the most
>important to people in regards to the success of their music
>career.

I don't think it's a contradiction at all. He never said that these things are what's most important to the people he listed. He asked who has remained relevant and has always been a factor in popular rap music. It's a pretty simple question, and I think the answer is pretty simple.

Bro you and I are on the same page that Nas is the far better artist than JayZ is, but Nas doesn't have to win every poll. Nas has successfully carved out an impressive niche and since having a few slipups in the late 90s, has really found his stride over the last 10+ years dropping a lot of great work. But if we're talking overall success in terms of relevance in the big picture and remaining a factor in hip-hop's mainstream, JayZ is the NO BRAINER answer to this poll question.