please explain

my first introduction to hip hop was via my first *real* boy friend, phillip. i cant even tell you the names of the groups he listened to, but what i can tell you is that i endured hours of it.

it all sucked.

ok, maybe not to phillip and his mates, but i gave that music a pretty good go, and it never won me over. i was 14/15 at the time and am now 26. since then, mainly in the last year or so, i've gotten into hip hop a little more. with bands like the hilltop hoods and a tribe is forming playing songs that are not only catchy, but good, i can see how hip hop can be popular.

what i cant see is how groups like 50 cent and r. kelly can be popular. do people even listen to the lyrics? we got a copy of rolling stone last week and it had an article on product placement in predominantly r&b and hip hop songs.

here are some examples

'all around the world on a microphone/leaving the booth smellin like burberry cologne' - missy elliot
'dont want to meet your daddy/just want you in my caddie' - outkast
'the way you do the things you do/reminds me of my lexus, cool/that why im all up in your grill' - r. kelly
'ma, you worry none, the minks come with the guns/prada, the gucci, its all in bird fun' - ginuwine
'when i pull up front, you see the benz on the dubs/when i roll 20 deep, its 20 knives in the club' - 50 cent

i vaguely understand portions of those lyrics...i honestly have no idea what bird fun is