Pipes and music are completely different for me. Now first things first... I'm a metal head, always have been, but it's not the only genre I listen to and enjoy. But metal doesn't go well with pipe smoking for me... the exception being maybe Blind Guardian's Nightfall On Middle Earth or something similar. Or perhaps some metal that's instrumental and not a sucker punch to the face like perhaps Metallica's Orion, which is more like a punch to the face you see coming but are too mesmerized by the beauty of the form of the punch thrown to duck.... and then you slowly pick yourself up off the floor, wipe the blood on your sleeve, wink and point with a smile at the guy that punched you and say, "Bro.... that was a beautiful punch! Thanks man!" And then you bro hug and buy each other a beer. Ok wait.... where am I going with this? Who cares. I'm listening to Orion now as I write this and it's going great with some Black Frigate!
But other than that, I typically find myself listening to celtic music, or some form of classical, or maybe some Ol' Blue Eyes... Frank Sinatra's music goes great with a pipe. Except the song, Forget Domani. For some reason that song really annoys me. I can listen to some country with a pipe, as long as it's not that really old school twangy stuff, but it's still got to be the right song by the right artist or it doesn't work for me.
Hip Hop...... Hip Hop should never be played while smoking a pipe. I believe that could have been the 11th Commandment. Thou shalt not EVER listen to Hip Hop whilst smoking a pipe meant for enjoying tobacco. While the 12 Commandment could well have been Thou shalt not Ever break commandment 11. But that's really just my opinion. If you enjoy your pipe with some Eminem, or go old school with a little Run DMC, more power to you.... ye breaker of commandments.
Oh... one more metal song I could listen to while smoking a pipe. Manowar's cover of the aria, Nesun Dorma is pipe smokable 8)