Excellent post

Sorry I didn't include the part of the quote where you said "Lil Wayne and Drake". I hate their music too but they are still rap artists. Thread after thread you discredit artists' creativity because you disagree with how they choose to make music and what the subject matter consists of.

Just about every song ever made has some level of artistry and creativity rather you appreciate it or not. I don't really see how your opinion matters. It's not an opinion argument. You seem to have this idea where if you say it's your opinion then it makes anything you say valid but sometimes discussions are actually based on facts.

A valid opinion of yours is that so-so didn't get the credit they deserve. - That's fine if you hold them in high regard and feel they deserve more recognition than they have received.

An invalid opinion is that certain artists are being creative and others are not - Music is art. Making music takes some level of creativity, regardless of what the quality of the end result is there is still thought put into. There is always some creative process behind it.

It's aggravating to constantly have this discussion with you because we generally agree on what constitutes quality music.

^ I am not sure why you feel this way when every time I express my opinion I always say "In my opinion"

You are right. Discussions can be based on facts which I do express as well but what does that have to do with this thread? lol

All of what you said above is based on your subjective opinions, not facts.

Mainly because of the purely superficial content of the lyrics. Modern day mainstream rap/hip hop has become very materialistic and braggadocious :\

I always wonder, why people say that music as a whole or some specific genre is dying.
Sure, there might be some decay of quality, when you pay attention to the charts, but why should you do this? The majority of people want some simple music to enjoy and party and that's fine with me. It doesn't necessarily make them stupid or superficial, they might just have other priorities.
But if one thinks, that because of this the genre is dying, then they don't put enough effort into research, which is actually made quite easy by the internet.
There is a quote by a german rapper, something along the lines of "Hip-Hop lives in the underground and dies in the charts."

I went to the lastFM Funk tag, and listened to some of the top artists. Compare the absolute first, Jamiroquai(never heard of that artist before), to the rest. I noticed it just has this ''poppy'' or ''mainstream'' sound in his voice, and little did I know, turns out he's popular, judging from the youtube views. What's with this? Do marketing people just know this exact sound of voice that appeals to a wide audience or something?. Then there's a few friends I have. I like Punk and Rock, and they listen to ''rock'' artists I either really dislike or hate. Breaking Benjamin, Panic! At the disco, Three Days Grace, Fall out Boy etc. I noticed how music appeals to them if it has this certain type of vocals I usually dislike, it seems. Is there this secret formula that makes things appeal to teenagers, and a wide audience in general or something? I'm still just trying to figure out what makes certain music liked by the mainstream, but other music that's accessable enough and just as well of a candidate not.

This happens in any genre of music it seems. Especially since hip-hop is relatively new compared to rock, country, etc. Some people just don't "get it." Which is fine. I have a different appreciation for hip-hop since I work at a studio where 90% of our clients are hip-hop artists. I see the work that goes into it. Many hip-hop artists are very professional and serious about their music. Sure, I wish everyone could see that, but some people are stubborn and like to hate on things that are different from what they like. Haters are lame, but who cares. They like what they like, and I like what I like. That's all there is to it. I will keep supporting hip-hop and the hip-hop/rap community regardless of what people say, because I believe in it and I believe in self-expression. Criticism is one thing, but I only take criticism from working professionals or people with experience in what they are criticizing. Unfortunately, some people just like to be haters, even if they don't quite understand what they are hating on. Everyone does it in some way or another.

I think the best way to defend modern hip hop and rap to a bunch of music geeks is to give up some examples of good modern music we can check out. I listen to a lot of rap and I find I almost exclusively listen to Rap from the 80's and 90's because that was the heydey, when the good and powerful stuff was being made. Now, for me, the most interesting rap and hip-hop seems to be getting made in other countries. The only newer US artists I've been able to really get into have been Lizzo, Big Freedia and Freddy Gibbs. Drake is boring, and I don't get Kanye at all. Who, especially on the Rap side of things, is really showing the goods these days? Gimme some examples or I'm going back to my Wu-Tang records. (Currently listening to Ghostface - Iron Man. Slammin'!)

Billy Woods, Run the Jewels, Dark Time Sunshine, Death Grips (love or hate band), Homeboy Sandman, and Dälek (early 2000s but modern enough) are all great in my book. Also El-P's Cancer 4 Cure is his best album, IMO.

Thanks man - I will report back.