Jay Nordlinger

About the author: Jay Nordlinger is managing editor of the National Review, a conservative weekly magazine.

Many so-called "gangsta" rappers make a living selling albums that glorify guns and violence. Some of the most successful of these rappers practice what they preach: The rapper Notorious B.I.G. was shot to death in 1997, and Sean "Puffy" Combs was arrested for illegal weapon possession following a shooting at a nightclub in 1999. Anti-gun activists have not spoken out about these incidents or the role of guns in hip-hop culture because they do not want to alienate blacks. But there is no denying that gangsta rap's fixation on gun violence harms society.

Alot of people were interested in the Sean "Puffy" Combs trial: fans of rap music...