Did you know, hip-hop music sales made up 89.2 million, or 11.7%, of the 762.8 million albums sold in the U.S. in 2001-ranking it the third bestseller behind rhythm &blues and alternative music, according to Sound Scan, a White Plains, New York-based firm that monitors U.S. album sales. At an average of $12 per CD, that's more than a billion dollars in hip-hop music sales alone. The Hip-Hop economy slumped in 2001 when the U.S. slid into recession, but sales were more robust in 2000, totaling 101.5 million of the 785.1 million albums sold in 2000 for a total of $1.2 billion. When these revenues are combined with clothing, film, and television revenues, the market grows exponentially.