I could write about my favorite music for hours, but I'll try to keep this brief. In terms of newer (relative term) artists, guys like Kendrick Lamar (Good Kid Maad City), ASAP Rocky (LiveLoveASAP), Big Sean (Detroit), Pusha T (Wrath of Caine), and CyHi the Prince (Ivy League Kickback) have put out solid music. Those are all pretty mainstream artists with big time record deals and connections.
In terms of more independent artists and labels I'm a huge fan of Strange Music and a lot of the artists they work with. Tech N9ne's most recent album is excellent as is Krizz Kaliko's. Three other artists affiliated with the label (but not necessarily signed to it) that have put out good work lately are Yelawolf (Radioactive), Rittz (White Jesus Revival), and Hopsin (Ill Mind of Hopsin 5 is just one song, but one of the best songs I've ever heard.)
For two artists that are independent right now that will be hit or miss in terms of you liking them I recommend Yonas (either The Black Canvas or The Transition) and XV (Zero Heroes or Popular Culture). Neither are gangster rap at all, and I'd actually describe XV as 'nerd-rap.' Their word play is better than just about all of the mainstream stuff and they're two of my personal favorites.