that Def Squad joint playing.


I think rapper persona is so obsessed with being original and unique for the 375th time that covers aren't often explored, let alone accepted.
It isn't a genre that's about paying homage. For the longest time rappers would say shit like "I don't even listen to rap anymore," or they'd only give respect to themselves and the people around them. Shit, even from the fan point of view, it isn't okay to be a fan unless everyone else is. "Stan" was a song about someone with an unhealthy obsession, and people use the term to call someone a bitch for being a fan of a particular artist.

We already know the expected responses to an artist putting a cover on an album.
"Do your own shit/get off my dick/you lack creativity."
I think the older the genre gets, the more it warms up to mutual respect, and now is just as good a time to try it out (as there seems to be a lot of changes happening), but it still isn't well explored territory.