Listening to the "big budget self indulgent wanking" is certainly not the same as typically seen with kids who relate to generic, uninspired teen angst anthems. Most of your examples are club pop stars, where most people care just a bit more for the dance beat than the words spoken.
However, all those guys got popular in different ways. Eminem was authentic, and if this were 2000, he could very well be the "sex pistols style band' you're looking for, someone who was heavily influenced by the original hip hoop roots but tried to break away from the racial and social stereotypes. Unfortunately, he resorted to shock tactics, otherwise no one would have cared what he had to say. The more he got involved in the rap game, the more he became what he didn't want to become. He's slowed down tremendously, and still figures that taking cheap shots at unpopular celebrity figures will sell records. His songs are practically just as ghetto-moronic as his protege, 50 Cent- a minimal-talent fad rapper who's nine-shot gimmick gave him undeserved leverage. Even within G Unit, he happens to be the least talented, lyrically and otherwise. I'll give Nelly some credit for opening the doors for Midwest rappers, although he did it by basing his choruses around catchy, sing along nursery rhyme styles. He's a pop star, and once again, even within his own St Lunatics clique, he's probably one of the lesser talented lyricists.
But, the rappers know just as well as the records execs, the marketers, and you and I know- those kind of dumbfounded hood anthems sells (for whatever reason). Who would have thought 20 years ago that these kind of lyrics would merely become played out hip hop cliches? It's ironic that most of the time, the people buying these records are the same people being demeaned and demoralized in the songs.
Really, this thread can be applied to a much broader scope, current music in general. You can't really "clean out" what sells. And as you expected, yes, there are great rappers out there who don't get as much recognition. If you, and everyone else just started believing that, then hip hop wouldn't need a spring cleaning. Those artists would be making money, and rightfully so.
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