Just cause its hard to do something (come up with rap lyrics) doesn't make it good.
Lets see, if I had to choose between a good Van Halen song, or a song by, say DMX, I would choose Van Halen. Heres why.
Rock music usually involves singing, not talking. I find rap is more forced talking than singing. Granted you have an edge in rap if you have a rough voice, the same can be said for rock, the difference, you sing in rock. Also, rock music usualy requires more of a vocal range than rap. Listen to a Van Halen sond, then to DMX, like I said. Notice something? Rap is like a monotone thing, and rock, well, its got a lot more range.
I would also pick rock because they play they're own instruments, write they're own songs, ect. Rappers write they're own songs, but thats the extent of they're musical talent. The rest is all hired guns, a drum machine, whatever. Plus, if there even is guitar on a rap song, its usually limited to a few randomly played twangs that my I could have played when I was 3.
I can also relate to the rockers, I play guitar, Im in a band, and me and my buddies have even taken a few cracks at song writing. I dont have much in common with rappers, and like I said before, even if there are any complex instrumental parts to a song, you can bet they didn't play it.
Finnally, I dont like the profanity used in rap. Its puts me off, I mean, who wants to pay money to listen to some guy shout f*&! a bunch of times and sing about how they're the opitamy of contraversy in the music world. I know that some rock groups use language like that excessivly, but I dont listen to them. It just puts me off.
I guess what Im saying is, I tend to like music based on the actual MUSICAL !(keyword)! complexity, rather than the lyrics.