I love music in general, but I listen to some form of rap most of the time. Whether it's more mainstream or obscure/experimental/independent...well that depends on my mood.
I'm the opposite of Dex. I used to be a metal head, now not so much, though I still listen to some metal. I'd much rather crank up Immortal Technique and bounce my head to his music, though.
I also listen to both "good" hip-hop and "bad" hip-hop. I treat my music the way I treat new people: With an open mind, saving judgment until after I've given it/them a shot first. There's so much good music out there that a lot of people miss out on because of having a closed mind.

But it's ok, I still hear it.
As for the other part of the original question, I do think I started listening to more hip-hop when I got with my ex boyfriend, however it wasn't entirely his influence. I'd already started listening to more hip-hop when I moved to Houston, and it wasn't long after that when I met him, so he just sorta inserted himself into my life while I was already updating my music library. He got me on some interesting stuff, though, and is the main reason there is so much New Orleans rap on my computer.