Rap can't really be characterized as just one form. The stuff Terry is talking about is "gangsta" rap. Yes, it's terrible stuff. There are a lot of other kinds of rap, though. Some, for instance, are just pop. Will Smith, for instance, is just silly. There are also those that have a very legitimate message and convey it well. Some of Erykah Badu's music is rap, and it is a celebration of her culture and womanhood. Coolio's "Gangsta' Paradise" was an expression of the despair lots of young blacks feel without suggesting that people kill each other. Not all rap is Tupac.