Who do you listen to then? If you are looking at it from the standpoint of poetry then you probably would like some of the stuff I listen to which isnt much. I dont even necessarily have certain rappers that I like more just certain rap CDs. I like Jedi Mind Tricks. I dont know if youve ever heard of them. Their Violent By Design album is probably one of my favorite rap CDs of all time. Their DJ Stoupe is also my favorite DJ ever. Ive never heard anyone who makes beats and music as interesting as he does in the rap genre. They just have a different style to their lyrics than most people as I get tired of rappers talking about money, cars, bitches, drinking champaign at the club type shit....cant relate to that. I can appreciate rap from the standpoint of poetry if their lyrics are really creative and they try to do new things.

My absolute favorite hip hop album of all time is Cannibus's Rip the Jacker. If you want to talk about intelligent lyrics, poetry, and topics that are never seen in rap songs there is no better CD than that one. A lot of Cannibus's stuff if pretty shitty or ghetto but he really matured on that album. The main reason I checked it out was because the DJ from Jedi Mind Tricks Stoupe did the music but I ended up really liking the album. I can listen to every single song on there. He has some standard battle tracks but then he has one where he is a different character in each verse who dies suddenly at the end of the verse. One verse hes rapping about some sci-fi setting with aliens and shit, then next hes apart of some futuristic firefighting force. Just stuff you never hear in rap music at all. Whats impressive as well is he does the whole album himself. None of this lets have 15 different rappers on every song shit. He talks about how no one else is good enough to be on his album, and after listening to it I have to agree, and the last track he even spits lyrics for like 10 minutes straight while the song changes beats and music constantly...very impressive and very poetic. The song is ever called Poet Laureate ironically. He just has a very strong vocabulary on this album and his lyrics and rhymes are actually interesting.

My other favorite rap CD of all time is Method Man and Redman Blackout. I love their style and their first album was great. They just recently came out with Blackout 2 but I havent heard it yet.

I also like some Wu-Tang every now and again.

It took me a while to respond to this post because I had to "catch up" so to speak.  I listened to pretty much every song you mentioned and I have to give you props on your taste of music.  Method Man and Redman have always been classic and I like everything they've touched pretty much, even if I don't "buy" it.  I don't like Cannabis, but mainly because of his fued with Eminem which (no offense) Eminem pretty much destroyed.  I did listen to his Rip the Jacker the past few days and to be honest it's pretty damn good, and I'm greatly surprised considering his raps toward Em were so so at best.  I think I found (or you found) a really great album and I'll probably buy it down the line sometime.

I mainly listen to, in no apparent order, Eminem, Jay-Z, Obie Trice, early 50 Cent (last 2 CDs are coasters).  A few songs on each CD by Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and Ludacris are instant winners, but mostly even they put our garbage.  The only two artists I buy CDs for are Eminem and Jay-Z, occassionally an Obie Trice CD (definitely buying his next since its his own label, he left Shady).

Mainly the reason I listen to Em and Jay-Z is because I can relate to both of them almost ridiculously.  I'm not a millionaire or anything like them, but previously before they became famous.  And I'm not saying I will become anything in life, because I won't.  TMA Admin is the highlight, believe me, but everything Eminem and Jay-Z touches is almost golden.  They lay a few eggs of course, everyone does, but the things they talk about are real, they have positive messages believe it or not, and they count their syllables like an 18th century poet.  Being a music lyricist over musical background, IMO, nothing is better than full on emotional real rap.

Plus Eminem's battles are just insane.  Here's two if you care (dare) to listen Xizor (or anyone).  I did like nearly every song you mentioned, I wouldn't say ALL of that Canibus CD was good, but most of it was definitely something that only a talented few could write.

Em dissing Canibus and Jermaine Dupri - http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#eminem%20can%20i%20bitch

Em dissing Ray Benzino (owner of The Source) - http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#eminem%20the%20sauce

just push play, nigga!

And going against Eminem btw is suicide.  No one black or white disses Eminem because he will fuck your shit up.

MODIFICATION - For the fuck of it.  Em dissing Ray Benzino and Ja Rule...http://www.playlist.com/searchbeta/tracks#eminem%20bully

These are two that come off the top of the head...here's one of each.

Eminem - Sing For the Moment (Aerosmith Dream On sample)
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/singforthemoment.html

Jay-Z Minority Report (Hurricane Katrina and Bush)
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jayz/minorityreport.html

But the three I mentioned earlier are all diss gag songs, which are usually the best and funniest rap you can listen to, so read those if you want a taste of a genius poet at work.

Can I Bitch dissing Canibus and Jermaine Dupri
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/canibitch.html

The Sauce dissin Ray Benzino and "The Source" magazine
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/thesauce.html

Bully dissin Jermaine Dupri, Ja Rule, Murder Inc, and Ray Benzino.
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eminem/bully.html

A rap diss is very similar to a TMA Brawl except it rhymes.

I want to hear Steven King rap. That would be awesome on about five thousand million billion levels all at the same time.

Speaking of Eminem, he just got owned last week by Sasha Baron Cohens (Borat) nuts and ass in his face at the MTV awards. I dont know if Em was in on this but if he wasnt this shit is funny as hell.

Haha, Eminem you crotch sniffer.

Male crotches! He sucks off of those black rappers so they wont fucking own his white ass.