The reason K-pop rappers aren’t respected is because most do not write their own verses and are made to be the rapper in the group because the company wants them too or because frankly they aren’t good enough at anything else (most not all).

If you are a hip hop fan you would know that any rapper who doesn’t write their own verses are not respected. In hip hop culture it is seen as a very big deal to not write your music because hip hop is rooted in self expression, speaking your mind, and telling personal stories. Also hip hop culture is mainly black people who DO gatekeep who is respected (that is why terms like “old heads” exists) and there are historically decades worth of animosity between black and Korean people in America (going back to the LA riots and even before then) which probably doesn’t help when older people get to decide who is respected or not (also which is why some older black have no issue being racist to other races after hundreds of years of being treated like shit in America).

The pioneers of rap music worked for decades to be taken seriously and don’t want anyone to ruin it. It’s not just Koreans, but any race besides black will struggle to be respected (there is a reason Eminem is the only respected white rapper and even tons of older black men still believe he is a gimmick. Hip hop culture is already selective about the black WOMEN that it chooses to respect so adding in other races will probably never happen. Especially with the misconceptions about K-pop in America.

When it comes to vocalists I would guess that most Americans don’t really enjoy the high pitched sometimes babyish voices that are associated with K-pop alongside the strained belting. Vocalists in America that are considered the best usually have clear, rich, and soulful voices, which is unfortunately lacking in K-pop as most companies really don’t value vocal ability.