I'm honestly more aligned with the people who have chimed in about why they don't like hip hop/rap, as a grown up, but ultimately I grew up in an almost entirely non-white peer environment until I was 11, and didn't listen to anything but rap for most of that time. As such, and generally speaking, I listen to rap from time to time for the same reasons that old metal heads listen to DIO or something. It is more or less vapid material, but at times it can be clever, good to clean the apartment to, maybe lift weights, etc. And I prefer it to techno.
To disagree with many people here, the most tedious is the hip hop that attempts to be deep and sentimental. I just like sharp and clever and catchy, the more arrogant and childish, the better. I have liked elements of MF Doom, and some others whose names I can't even remember at this time, but most people fail at the idea of "new directions" by way of experimental/time signatures/spacial stuff in underground hip hop.
I'm still keen on Outkast and Wu Tang Clan, and a smattering of other "mainstream" artists, not to mention various underground stuff, from time to time, but I have to admit that Eminem is miles above everybody to me, especially because he is not only the most talented, but also clear enough, not using "gangsta" slang so much that it is alienating.
But I'm drawn to extremely clever combinations of syllables for effect. The best example of this is one of his early tracks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6VJZK6G5dQ "I hope god forgives me for my sins
I guess it all depends
on if I keep on killin' my girlfriends"
"freestyles" and "rap battles" also interest me, because people are challenged to be insulting in a spontaneous rhyming manner completely impromptu, and this is pretty much the only arena of hip hop where I am ever truly impressed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqV5zLqr2soAlso noteworthy to me is his capacity to piss people off unrelentingly. This video is not particularly good, but it's the only one to insult Michael Jackson and discuss pedophilia while also Paris Hilton, who is in the video, and various other things, and it was aired on MTV, probably the best selling hip hop artist ever. Interestingly enough, this is his last hurrah before making more serious, but still vulgar, music that is easier to sell to 11 yr olds, but it's still very talented, for what it's worth. After this song, Michael Jackson bought all of the rights to his songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dcVOmEQzKAOther than that, there are a couple of Puerto Rican strippers that I like to listen to, mainly because of the textural quality of their voices.
This one I genuinely enjoy, it's creative and energetic. Mariah Lynn:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sCX32jBGUsAnd then there's this one. "very talented". Cardi B:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nMun3qjKAZU