The roots also go back to people just riffing on the corner over beatboxing, which evolved into battle raps, which inevitably led to bragging. Mos Def is my favorite rapper and I love guys like Kweli, Tribe, Black Thought but there are different sides to every genre and I love listening to other styles. Artists like Ross and Nicki don't represent the entire genre. They're popular but anyone who truly listens to rap knows there are better lyricists and artists beyond them. On another note, anyone listened to 'The Water' by Mick Jenkins? One of the best mixtapes of the year.