Violent urban music, particularly "gangsta rap," is glorifying criminality, violence against police, sexual degradation of women, and drug and alcohol abuse. Rappers have become the street preachers of urban reality, and impressionable young people are heavily influenced by them. Music companies use the First Amendment to evade responsibility for the phenomenon. A futures research panel studied violent urban music's impact on the community, its portrayal of police officers, and how police officers will respond to public perceptions of its magnitude and severity. The panel projected the likely effects of various strategic measures and social phenomena deemed likely to happen, and analyzed selected rap lyrics. Excerpts of lyrics, glossary, 14 tables, 25 figures, 26 references, 43 endnotes