Authenticity?

Authenticity has been a key point of discussion recently in my Hip Hop Theatre class. Whether artists are being fake or real based on how they portray themselves publicly, through lyrics and music videos. Collectively as a class we have more or less agreed that being real or authentic is relative to how you were raised and what one grows up seeing and experiencing. Whether fans can relate to rappers like Soulja Boy more than Weezy . or Eminem more than Will Smith . Is completely uncontrollable by the rapper if they are being real. Although Popularity does not discriminate, it can be the cause of selling out or becoming fake. Where do you draw the line between it all being business and cheapening the art?