@ X,Y and Z and Forbidden B-Otch:

Although commercial success is not always a sign of talent/quality (see: Rihanna), have you considered that, whether you like him or not, maybe he really is that good? Especially for all the ups and downs he's had in his career, I'm pretty sure that by now he would have no career left if it were just a gimmick?

Also, Run-DMC, Tupac, Biggie and Jay-Z all have ethnically diverse fan bases, and the last I checked they're black. On the flip side, nobody's checking for Vanilla Ice, and he's white.