feature: black punk history—fearless rap-metal icons body count

Body Count was formed by schoolmates Ice-T and guitarist Ernie C. Born out of their mutual love for metal, along with future bandmates Mooseman, Beatmaster V and D-Roc the Executioner—black kids from Crenshaw High School.

Ice-T was already rapping by the time Body Count started and he used that platform to bridge the gap between his hip-hop audience and metal fans, as he did at Lollapalooza 1991 where he introduced Body Count and played half of his set with the band. They also made an appearance on T’s “O.G. Original Gangster” album. In 1992, Body Count released their self-titled debut album which heavily featured themes of police brutality, gang violence, drug abuse, etc., including the aforementioned “Cop Killer.” Controversy over the song’s release was major and widespread and even included death threats which were sent to the band’s record label (Warner Bros. Records) and outrage and threats from company shareholders. Ice-T eventual relented and pulled the song from from future releases don’t he album. But thank god it’s 2016 and you can totally listen to “Cop Killer” down below! Since 1993, Body Count has released five studio albums, including 2014’s “Manslaughter.”

By Erin White*, AFROPUNK contributor