The best is very hard to prove when there is no competition to measure the best and worst by. Hence my first post in this thread.
But let me point you to the Billboard charts which are dominated by hip hop artists:
Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100 | Billboard.com
I don't personally like any of those songs on that chart. But somebody does. In fact a lot of people do. A lot of people who just might be taking our country into the next decade. It does sadden me how much popular hip hop is just club oriented party music. In fact I'd put money on the statement 95% of pop music sucks. Kind of a perpexling idiom. The good music is not popular but the bad is..It makes me think of Idiocracy.. (good movie)
Anyway here is a hip hop song I love off Outkast's 3rd album Aquemini:
Also, to answer one of your underlying questions yes, I even like T-pain.