Parker, I am a drummer in a local pro band. We play a lot of funk, motown, 70s classic rock & R&B. 3 of my bandmates are black guys, a bit older than me but they feel the same way about rap...dumbed down music that has negatively impacted young minorities (actually most people) and have discouraged club owners from hiring real musicians for gigs. A lot of rap is using samples of old music. Hip hop has some talented people but for the most part, rap is created in the studio with computers and music programs. It sucks and I will never agree with the massive amounts of money some of these simple artists get paid. It's an insult to real musicians. The 70s was probably the height of pop music for musicians in most genres. Fusion jazz, rock, R&B, funk, etc. Jazz will always be musician's music, some metal also produces great musicians, except for the singers 
And I don't disagree with you or the guys in the band...I never said Hip-hop was better. Actually I listen to mostly old skool R and B, Jazz, Latin, Soca, Bosa Nova, etc.
Which if you listen some hip hop producers like Kanye, they listen to the same. They spend hours "digging thru the crates", finding old skool jams, that otherwise would have bee forgotten. Bringing new appreciation from a younger crowd. Do you think James Vrown would have been as relevant today had he not been the most sampled artist? And artists/Producers like Ryan Leslie and Drake can play instruments very well. Scott Storch used to play for The Roots, which is arguably one of the best bands that play all music. I also live in the DC area, so that means GO-GO music!!!!
Check out Ryan Leslie sorting out a piano version of Lil Wayne's Lollipop on Air, which he has never done before
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