Fair enough, but I don’t think [the culture] is a [i]bad[/i] thing either. I think the music of poverty, oppression, and all that has a lot in common with the punk movement at its peak in the 1980s— there was something about politically and socially minded music that is important and good to have; even if there are facets of that culture that are awful. God knows I can relate in a similar fashion to you in that we’ve probably seen our fair share of what poverty leads to and the facets of street culture that are largely negative. Interesting that you’ve come out of it apprehensive towards it, but I suppose that’s how it goes: you either tolerate/embrace it or dislike/reject it. 

What do you mean about lyrical diversity though? Hip-hop has plenty of lyrical themes that go beyond social commentary about poverty, crime, and “hood culture”. There’s plenty of artists who lean towards the abstract, the dorky, the emotional, and so forth. It may not seem transparently as diverse as metal (what with themes about science, medieval history, fantastical concepts, politics, etc) but I think it is plenty diverse— it’s just that you have to look for it.