Take UK funky - the talent that always existed was focused upon and released by the emergence of a genre. And while some producers from funky have been able to turn their talents to other forms, most will never be able to produce anything on the same level. Perhaps I'm getting at something else here (if at anything much at all) - the aptness of certain forms to give certain talents their fullest expression. The form creates the talent and the talent creates the form.
On a simpler level I'm just wondering where the greatest concentration of talent is in modern music - does it go where the money is, or where the unexplored territory is? The money tends to turn up after the territory has been mapped, like a Costa Coffee appearing in a once-trendy neighborhood. But OTOH, when there is money to be made (and fame, and sex to be had) there's a magnetic effect - and I left out the not inconsiderable question of an audience for your music.
To plea my case here, I came up with this thread while waiting in McDonalds, stoned.
Perhaps there isn't anything as fascinating to say about this idea vis modern music as there was avout 19th century poetry Vs modernism.