Studying performer's..especially rapper's and even writing songs(sound/lyricism) will only get you .05% of where you need to be. There is an intrinsic level of sociability and connecting with an audience that cannot be learned or taught...you have to DO it at some point...that will earn you another .05%. You will still only have an outsider point of view.
Read 50 updated books(that's more than a M.A/M.S in marketing) about
branding, marketing, social media, public relations and sales/lead generation. Watch some youtube lecture's on the topic. Intern/shadow/ghost//work for free for a firm. Watch the real world marketing machines and OBSERVE with keen focus. Stop studying rapper's STAGE performances and start studying their extended fan/customer relation performance via their WEBSITES/SOCIAL MEDIA/MARKETING.
You will still only be 9% of the way there but this is where you will figure out and deduce the "image" thing. This is where you'll
uncover your connectability and manufacture your songs, persona/ACT. I don't care how
REAL, a PERFORMER
, appears to be 50% of it is an act if not all of it. Who do you think interacts(directly or indirectly) with the public for most performer's...someone with a MA/MS in Marketing/Public Relations or a background in it.
The other 90% involves sound legal/financial/tax management(personal and business), routine planning(business and marketing) and routine execution. Read 50 updated books, shadow/ghost/intern at this level and EXECUTE.. you'll get eventually 100%+ of your money. This is why you don't hear 50 Cent or Jay Z crying about money.
That's the tip..operate like a business/company/lable...not a rapper.
