Have you ever come across an artist who thinks that they are wonderful, but in actuallity have no talent at all? How do you break it to them or do you just go along with it and let them think that they are talented?

LOOOOOOL oh yes I have come across these ones before. I'm no Simon Cowell so I tend to just tell them they are great, i don't have the heart to break their dreams. If they are rubbish but I can see potential, I will say something like they need improving, but if they are no hopers...."they're the next jay-z"....lol

Everyone deserves their chance to dream.. who am I to tell the next Jay-Z that he's no Jay-Z?

Besides, think of all the people who told Eminem to put down the mic - what if he'd listened to them?

I told one band I didn't want to work with them any more because I didn't see it going anywhere, next thing I know they are in the Top 5.

Sometimes we get things wrong..

One singer in particular I worked with comes to mind. She showed a video of hers to a voice teacher, and the voice teacher said something like "You're very brave." I think at that point she started to question her technique.

I tried to get her to do more takes of recording, but after a while it looked like she honestly didn't hear the problems and it may have seemed to her that I was just trying to log more studio time with her.

Some people get illuded by nice things said by their mother or friend and can't really see reality. We can find good examples watching American Idol, when so many talentless people addition for it and just make a fool of themselves.
I had a friend who had a beautiful voice but didn't know how to use it, so whenever she would sing, she screamed really loudly and thought she was nailing it.

JUST BE REAL AND TELL THEM THE TRUTH. THAT DOESN'T MEAN TO GO AHEAD AND BE RUDE WITH THEM THOUGH. IF THEIR RHYMES ARE WACK, SIMPLY TELL THEM YOU NOT FEELING THEIR LYRICS OR FLOW AND EXPLAIN TO THEM EXACTLY WHY YOU NOT FEELING IT. IF ISH IS WACK, IT'S WACK. LYING TO THEM ISN'T HELPING THEM, IT'S ONLY HURTING THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE BELIVING THEY ARE NICE WHEN IN FACT THEY'RE NOT. USUALLY THEY WILL RESPECT YOU MORE FOR BEING 100 WITH THEM. IF THEY FEEL OFFENDED THAT MEANS THEY ARE IMMATURE AND NOT READY FOR CRITICISM AND CRITIQUES. NO SENSE IN BEING A 'YES MAN' CO-SIGING SOME BULLISH.

LOL. I've met a lot of people like that already. So boastful when they're not that even good. They just think they are. It depends actually, if s/he' boastful I say it right in their face. Something like "yeah right. As if your singing is really good when in fact you sing and act like a pig." That sort. But if they're nice, whether or not they have potential, I say "that's great" and then I'll point out something that needs improving even if it has to be all of what that singer has done as long as I've said something good first so they won't feel so down quickly.

Yea Sparkz is right, you shouldn't lie to them, but I just don't have the heart to tell people they are wak. As I said before, if I see potential then I will be honest with them about what they need improving. If I don't see ANY potential then it's hard to say what you feel. I'm not saying that if I don't see potential then they don't have any, but what do you tell someone who is so bad that you can barely listen to them?

A I agree!

well, i have lots of artists in mind who think that that they have the talent.but its the other way around...anyway, you can't stop somebody from doing something they love..but they must also be aware of their capacity and use it accordingly...