that i feel the profanity (or rather, vulgarity) is unwarranted and it cheapens the listening experience

that kind of "frank talk" might have been fresh, bold and exciting when Rick James and Prince first did it, but now in the current climate where crassness is the norm (as you said) it just seems boring and unimaginative. it's the easy way out. everybody does it now, which was not the case 20 years ago now.

today, the fresh, bold and exciting thing would probably be to find a more "artful" way to let your freak flag fly.

and btw P-Funk was NEVER crass. they might have been freaky, but they were always artful and humorous in the way they expressed themselves.