you don't really 'get it'.
I think I do Abstract, I had been in the music business for close to 20 years before moving on and growing up. Well kind of growing up. I started out in the mid to late 70's and was a rocker and a punk, but I also played soul, funk, backed up a classic doo whop group, played country with a punk tinge, did metal, jazz (as long as it swings) and even weddings. Most of these so called cultures that sprout up, and of which I've belonged to 2 or 3 of, are manufactured. Of course not when they first start out, but as soon as they get a little notice and some young folk with cash they're willing to dispose of, then it's just a gold rush. More so now with cable and all. The ones who really, really get it are the ones making money off of it. Most if not all of the subcultures are about sex, drugs/drinking and partying, but some may overlay that with a social message of some sort. But when you scratch the surface they're all the same.

My theory is that the industry manipulates stupid thuggish types into stars (and there are LOTS of hiphoppers who don't fit this stereotype) because it's much easier for them to get manipulated out of their earnings.
That and it feeds into the danger fantasy of the fans. I love watching these guys show off their rented houses and brag about stupid stuff like their X-Box, big screen tv and sneakers. The guys who do well are very pragmatic about what they're doing. They may love making music but they know and are involved in the business. After thugs and druggies, "true artists" are the most gullible.