An NPR audiocast alerted me to this surprising fact:

According to Billboard, rap and hip-hop album sales are down by more than 40 percent compared with the year 2000. It’s hard to know why the genre is suffering a bigger blow than rock or pop.

Some industry experts say young people are fed up with the violence, degrading imagery and lyrics. Others say the music is just as popular as it ever was, but that fans have found other means to consume the music.

Latino Leadership Circle: Is Hip-Hop Dying or Going Underground?