I absolutely see what you're saying and understand if my point was misunderstood. Perhaps it's because we're having a conversation within the context of music and I was actually commentating within the entire scope of individuality.
If a black dude say goes to the store wearing a tech n9NE shirt he's just assumed to be a stereotype. Dude must play basketball, smoke weed and rap, right? Who's to say that guy doesn't go home and look at bugs under a microscope for fun? Meanwhile a black dude at a store in a Metallica shirt sets the stage in others minds of oh, he's unique, I bet he does unique things.
That's the kind of stripping of individuality I'm talking about. Music isn't the only indication of personality, but in the context of OP question, he'd find himself very welcome because of it.