To me, there are three kinds of artist.
First, there is the innovator/creator. This artist makes what is personal to him or her, whatever it is. At the end of last year, I argued that Terell Stafford's traditional-sounding Billy Strayhorn tribute fit this description, even though it isn't on the "cutting edge" of jazz. Vijay Iyer, who certainly is on the front line of innovation, also fits the bill.
Second, there is the follower. From Marcin Wasilewski playing like Keith Jarrett to BBNG riding along on Robert Glasper coattails (and dissing him in the process), there are tons of followers out there: cats who can't quite make music from the heart, so they just copy the heart of someone else. This is regreattable, but it's also worth noting that these people often do their copying very well, and in so doing, they often demonstrate something deeper about themselves, making it all kind of worth it.
Third, there is the musical narcissist. He's kind of like the follower, except without the redeeming qualities of good execution and that small glimpse under the surface. He follows, but he doesn't realize, or doesn't want to realize, he's following - he thinks he's innovating just as hard as the creator. His music is interesting merely as an artifact to reflect on later: "Wow, a lot of people jumped on So-And-So's bandwagon back in 1995," or whatever. If Art Tatum was the creator, then Oscar Peterson was the follower, and Benny Green is the musical narcissist.
See where this is heading yet?