I'm an electronic music producer and I'll be the first to say... we're not real musicians. I don't consider myself a real musician like a traditional guitarist or pianist, although I do create music with a DAW, synths, drum machines, and even a guitar from time to time. I consider the computer to be my instrument, it's amazing the sounds you can create all by yourself without a band or anything. But having said that, electronic music in general doesn't have the soul that human played instrumentation has, so I understand people's hesitation towards it. And conversely, you can't create music these days without these tools even if you can shred. That's all the electronics are - tools just like a guitar or some pots and pans.
I think what's more important than how you make the sounds, it why you make the sounds. To me this is more deterministic if something is music. If you operate from a place of greed and materialism, you'll probably make some shit ass rap song. If you operate from a place of beauty and truth, you might make something really beautiful that actually connects with someone - irregardless of how it was created. This is what separates music from shit IMO.
Knowing this, I try to incorporate live instrumentation into my work as to breath life into it, so it doesn't sound so soulless and digital. As I kid I was total enamored by electronic music. As I get older, I crave the story telling and warmth of old country songs (I've been eating up Fred Eaglesmith recently). So I've been trying to learn guitar, traditional music theory, and songwriting to incorporate into my electronic work in hopes of bringing the soul to it.
Music is a journey, and while I agree that a lot of contemporary electronic types often lack talent and soul. It also opens up new avenues of expression to people who may not take naturally to traditional instruments, and therefore is valid. You can check my music out on spotify, let me know if it's any good.
Beyond that... rap is for nogs.
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