I was always one that thought rap and hip hop all sounded the same. I was an idiot and there is some really great stuff out there. I am recently getting more and more into it.
There's so much stuff out there in so many different styles that I really can't imagine how someone could possibly dismiss the entire genre. Most people start out with late 80s-early 90s Jazz Rap like De La Soul and the aforementioned ATCQ, but unfortunately a lot of people also get stuck there. Hip Hop evolves exponentially, and there's so much crazy stuff coming out in both the mainstream and underground (terms that are quickly becoming irrelevant) that there's gotta be something relateable to you somewhere. I guess what I'm saying is anyone feel free to ask for suggestions or recommendations. I live for that kind of shit.