Can't abide Rap because I can't understand what they are saying- even with a written cheat sheet in front of me. The same is true of many hard rock purveyors. The best singers using dialect or local speech variants have good diction. Has anyone had problems with Jean Ritchie, Bill Monroe, even Leadbelly? The odd word is missed, but the message gets through. Dylan's message comes through if you listen long enough but I also get turned off by him because his presentation can be downright sloppy. He sometimes shows a lack of respect for the people who have paid to hear him. I do have problems with the dialects of Scottish-Irish North-of-England singers, but once I comprehend the words, (sometimes with the help from Mudcatters and by using word books) the message is heard- in other words, most of them care about their song's content and try to put it across to their audience. I guess what I am saying is that good diction does not correlate with the level of academic training and that respect for the paying audience is important.