Body Count
"This next record is dedicated to some personal friends of mine -- the L.A.P.D. For every cop that has ever taken advantage of somebody, beat 'em down or hurt 'em, 'cause they had long hair, listened to the wrong kind of music, wrong color, whatever they thought was the reason to do it - for every one of those fuckin' police, I'd like to take a pig out here in this parking lot and shoot 'em in their motherfuckin' face."—"Cop Killer"
Body Count is an American Hardcore Punk and Thrash Metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1990. The group was founded by rapper Ice T. Ice-T founded the group out of his interest in heavy metal, and took on the role of vocalist for the group, writing the lyrics for most of the group's songs, while the music was written by lead guitarist Ernie C. The group's self-titled debut album was released on Sire Records in 1992.
The song "Cop Killer" was the subject of much controversy. Although Sire Records' parent company, Warner Bros. Records, defended the single, Ice-T chose to remove the track from the album because he felt that the controversy had eclipsed the music itself. The group left Sire the following year.
- Body Count (1992)
- Born Dead (1994)
- Violent Demise: The Last Days (1997)
- Murder 4 Hire (2006)
- Controversy-Proof Image: The backlash against the song "Cop Killer" didn't hurt Body Count. In a subversion, the album actually went Gold because of the controversy. Although they continued to release albums, none of them have had as much mainstream success as their debut.
- Cover Version: "Hey Joe", done in the style of Jimi Hendrix' version of the song. Appeared on a Hendrix tribute album and Body Count's Born Dead album.
- Dating What Daddy Hates: Entire concept of "KKK Bitch":
She said "I love you, but my daddy don't play, he's the fuckin' Grand Wizard of the KKK"
- Death Row: "Dead Man Walking"
- Did Not Do the Research: During the "Cop Killer" controversy, they were often referred to as rappers, and the song as gangsta rap, instead of Hardcore Punk.
- For Great Justice: The song Born Dead states that BC stands for "truth, justice and FUCK THE AMERICAN WAY".
- Hollywood Voodoo: The song "Voodoo".
- Instrumentals: "C Note" and "Mr. C's Theme"
- Intercourse with You: "Bring It To Pain"
- Mugging the Monster: In "Momma's Gotta Die Tonight", about a teenager murdering his racist mother, and "Cop Killer", about murdering crooked, racist police.
- New Sound Album: Their debut was mostly Hardcore Punk, Born Dead was mostly Thrash Metal, and Violent Demise was mostly Heavy Metal. Murder 4 Hire returned to the band's thrash/hardcore roots.
- Precision F-Strike: "Fuck the police! Fuck the police!" Also doubles as a Shout-Out to the similarly titled song from N.W.A..
- Police Brutality: "Cop Killer" is about this.
- Power Ballad: "The Winner Loses"
- Prison: "Bowels of the Devil"
- Refuge in Audacity: Many of their songs are this.
- Refuge in Vulgarity: This too.
- There Is No Kill Like Overkill: The main character in "Momma's Gotta Die Tonight" sets his mother on fire, beats her to death with a Louisville slugger, chops up her body, and spreads the parts across the country.