Producing vs. Singing/Rapping

I go through phases with my music. I'm currently in the "lack of inspiration" phase. I've made one beat in the past few months. While I have been doing a lot of recording and mixing these past few months, I still really have no motivation to hit the keys. I tried to work on something earlier but it never materialized. This made me think of the differences in those that create the instrumentation and those that write and perform the lyrics.

I started off back in high school rapping in a group called 5-N-0 (like a sports record). There was only ever four of us though, the fifth guy was always M.I.A. We caught a lot of jokes about that, let me tell you... LOL. Being in that group was what got me into producing, though. We needed original beats, so I started to hone my talent on the boards. I've come a loooong way since then, but I'm still nowhere near where I would like to be. But anyways, I'm rambling...

What I'm getting at is that back in my performance/song-writing days, I almost always wrote to my own beats. Still the same way now. But as I come across so many talented producers on the web, hearing what they've created makes me think about writing and rapping to it, something I've never really done before. I also think about what goes into making a successful artist-

• Singing or rapping talent
  
• Attractiveness (Sex Sells)
  
• Personality/Swagger
  
• Intelligence
  
• Business Minded
  
• Songwriting Talent (optional)
  

Well, intelligence and business minded are optional too. You can always pay someone else to write for you, think for you, and take care of your assets. Self made musicians with all of these qualities are rare, and to be honest a lot of the major label recording artists you see aren't as talented as you think. A producer basically needs only one skill though- an ear for music. To be a successful, that skill must be sharp as all hell.

So when I think of becoming a full time rapper, I just think about what kind of personality, swagger, business, looks, and talent it takes to succeed. I eventually realize that its not so much for me. I have the confidence that I could get somewhere if I put tons of effort into it, but at the end of the day what my idea of good music is can vary drastically from what commercial music sells to the masses. I'll just stay back here in the shadows where I belong.