Body Count Lyrics

Body Count Info:

From:
Los Angeles, California, U.S.

Genres:
Thrash metal, crossover thrash, speed metal, hardcore punk

Years active:
1990–2006, 2009–present

Associated acts:
Ice T
Ice Pick
Madball

Name Origin:
According to Ice-T:
"We named the group Body Count because every Sunday night in L.A., I'd watch the news, and the newscasters would tally up the youths killed in gang homicides that week and then just segue to sports. 'Is that all I am,' I thought, 'a body count?'"

Members:
Ice-T – vocals (1990-present)
Ernie C – lead guitar (1990-present)
Ill Will – drums (2009-present)
Vincent Price – bass (2001-present)
Juan of the Dead – rhythm guitar (2013-present)
Sean E Sean – live backing vocals, sampler (1990-present)

Past Members:
Beatmaster V (deceased) – drums (1990-1996)
Mooseman (deceased) – bass (1990-1997)
D-Roc the Executioner (deceased) – rhythm guitar (1990-2004)
Bendrix – rhythm guitar (2004-2006)
Griz – bass (1997-2001)
O.T. – drums (1997-2009)

Body Count Controversy:
The song Cop Killer was the subject of much controversy. Vice President Dan Quayle branded "Cop Killer" as being "obscene," and President George H.W. Bush publicly denounced any record company that would release such a product.

At a Time-Warner shareholders' meeting, actor Charlton Heston stood and read lyrics from the song KKK Bitch to an astonished audience and demanded that the company take action. The criticism escalated to the point where death threats were sent to Time-Warner executives, and stockholders threatened to pull out of the company. Ice-T chose to remove the track from the album because he felt that the controversy had eclipsed the music itself.

Body Count Quotes:
"I thought I was safe. I thought within the world of rock'n'roll, you could be free to write what you want. Hell, I was listening to Talking Heads singin' 'Psycho Killer.' F*ck it, I'll make 'Cop Killer'! But, that was the cross of metal with something that was real. Now we’re not just killing your family, we’re killing somebody so real that everybody just went, 'oh shit.'"
-Ice-T

"The people who did have a platform were way off backing me on the First Amendment. That's not where all the anger should have been directed. The anger should have been generated back at the police. [...] Because people jumped on the wrong issue they were able to drive this thing totally through Warner Brothers."
-Ice-T

"I didn't want my band to get pigeon-holed as that's the only reason that record sold. It just got outta hand and I was just tired of hearing it. I said, 'fuck it,' I mean they're saying we did it for money, and we didn't. I'd gave the record away, ya know, let's move on, let's get back to real issues, not a record but the cops that are out there killing people."
-Ice-T

"For me, honestly, after something like that, you can either come to a dead stop or you can go on. [...] It was so emotional. We were in the middle of making a new record together and he goes and dies? It was like, 'damn!' Soon enough, though, everybody was like, 'c'mon c'mon you gotta do it.' It was make-or-break. The key essence of Body Count is it's a band made up of friends. It's not about going out and hiring the best drummer or the best guitarist. If we don't know you, you can’t be in the band."
-Ice-T, after the death of guitarist D-Roc

Tour Dates: