I like the EX5R. Although it's quite a few years old, it does have some great features. It also works well for the music you've listed. The Power of the EX-5 and EX-5R is in the voice editing. Plus you can expand the sample memory and add more samples. The capacity of the sequencer is considered small by todays standards. It's funny though that the EX series had a sequencer with a 30,000 note capacity and the PSR-3000 is only 5,000 more.

Arrangers are nice, but I will tell you from my years of experience with trying to compose HipHop, R&B, Rap, Dance, ect on arrangers keyboards has been VERY disappointing. I still feel that arrangers aren't built for these styles of music. For these styles you need a board that uses pattern chaining (since the majority of HipHop ect uses chained patterns).

Also with these styles you have to have a board that will allow you to really twist up the sounds. HipHop for example is a style where the instruments are changing daily. It's a very hard style to keep up with. Plus the board you choose needs to have the ability to edit the drum kits.

Arrangers don't use pattern chaining either. Plus your patterns when taking bass tracks and so forth are limited by the board (because you have to record in a specific key signature to get the auto accomp to work properly).

I have since given up on using arrangers to compose these styles of music. I've owned several great synth/workstations over the years that were great for these styles. I didn't have the EX-5R, but I did have the EX-7, and several others

Squeak