what about mf doom or whatever his name is, people like him and he wears a damn metal hockey mask. It's not an issue of appearance. If it was, soulja boy wouldn't be big. This isn't the 1950's, people are pretty open to different appearances
First of all, I'd say Tech is bigger than MF Doom already! Maybe not in exposure, but definitely in sales/finance, influence, etc. I know WAAAAY more Tech fans than MF Doom fans, fa sho!
Second of all, MF Doom isn't that popular among people outside a certain subculture of hip-hop. I don't know what you would call it, but his fans aren't really the core hip-hop crowd. (My opinion) Not to say Tech's are either!(thank God). But I think Tech's skill level would give him a larger audience if it wasn't for the clown shit. Like "mainstream" hip-hop heads would even dig him more if it wasn't for that. Cuz like I said before, the music's bangin! Without question. But I think I can speak for a lot of black folks when I say this...black people don't "get" a brother with paint on his face and dyed hair and shit. Str8 up. Might even like his music, but don't "get" the total package because its not the way most of us get down. I overlook it cuz I try to be open-minded and I think his music makes up for everything else. But most black people I talk to about him are always like "Oh you talkin bout that weird ni&&a with clown paint and shit on his face?!" Once I play his shit, they're wide open, but they don't get him off his look. I'd say its pretty much the same with white folks that I talk to about him too.
But Tech knows that, cuz he speaks on it in his music. So fuck it! i like him, they should too! haha!