Chet, you make an interesting point about listening to a music that encourages you to grow up to be a thug. I still think this thread is apples and oranges, and should be two threads: "Is Rap Folk"? and "Divisive Music".
In my teens the music I SHOULD have listened to exclusively (rock and roll) was sending a message to grow up kinda tough, macho and anti-establishment. The music I ACTUALLY gravitated to (Folk) said: be a wanderer, dress in a homespun (hence, VERY hip) way, sing ballads and girls will approach YOU, and think about social issues before your own concerns. Never did my music say "you must kill to be hip". Of course country music always implied to it's devotees that "to protect freedom, killing might be neccessary", but that had a more "in the future, if need be" ring to it. I think you're right about the immediate message of rap. Terribly sad though.

Rick