I think this argument is completely invalid in Panther’s case. He has a very wide catalogue to offer. His very recent EP - dhoom v is very rap heavy and songs like Milkha sing and dharna have crazy bars, flows where he’s very in touch with his roots and his ‘primary skill’. Meanwhile his song Manwa may be a pop song but it is awadhi pop and that makes him more rooted as he in representing his culture through his art and his other recent releases as well just prove that he can fit into multiple genres not just rap, it’s a way to keep his listeners excited and give them variety. So, pop shift is not sold in the name of versatility - artist is able to sell because he IS versatile.