Body Count

33⅓ Main Series #177

by Ben Apatoff

On Ice-T's 1991 classic O.G. Original Gangster , he introduced his all-Black hardcore band Body Count with lead guitarist Ernie C, bringing them on the first-ever Lollapalooza tour that summer. The next year, Body Count's self-titled debut album, rounded out by rhythm guitarist D-Roc the Executioner, bassist Mooseman, and drummer Beatmaster V, made them the most incendiary band in the world, confronting white supremacy and police brutality with pulverizing songs that shattered musical boundaries. Body Count 's rage and shock humor sparked nationwide protests and boycotts, including death threats, censure from the federal government, a spot on the FBI National Threat list, and a denunciation by the President of the United States. The album was removed from stores and remains banned to this day, but decades later Body Count are performing to their
biggest audiences and greatest acclaim, pulling off one of the most remarkable comebacks in punk or metal history.

Drawn from years of research and dozens of new interviews, this is the story of a band of high school friends who revolutionized modern music, brought explosive live performances, and raised questions America's lawmakers didn't want to answer, overcoming some of the country's most powerful forces to reshape the world's cultural conversation.

Genres: Music

184 pages, Paperback

First published September 7, 2023

Reviews

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to see Body Count on that first Lollapalooza tour and they definitely commanded attention. I think i realized what was happening around the time they played KKK Bitch.

This record was one of the first moments i fully realized that conservatives and police were a bunch of spoiled children who equate resistance to absolute obedience as disrespect, and will play victim the moment they’re no longer able to harm people without consequences. How they’re willing to violate your rights just so they can feel “respected” and above society.

This book goes deep into the Cop Killer controversy, outlining the hypocrisy of the NRA demanding the legality of a Teflon bullet named “the cop killer” while also pressuring to remove a song about a character being fed up with police brutality from a record. Politicians got involved, police threatened to not do their jobs (personally I’m fine with them going away), and cops made bomb threats and death threats to Warner Entertainment buildings and employees.

Ice T always has been a smart social commentator and NJ is proud to claim him as one of our own. Decades later, this Body Count records still stands tall. Not for the crepe paper tender people among us.

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ben Apatoff’s Body Count is a great addition to the 33 1/3 library. First, there aren’t many of these books about great metal albums. I read the Slayer Reign in Blood, but I don’t think there are many others (It is a great and fun read). Plus, I think many people may not be aware of how controversial Body Count was in the early 90s, nor how revolutionary and kind of unclassifiable they were at the time. Apatoff’s book helps to contextualize Ice-T’s role in popular music, providing a brief biography, and showing how he eventually got involved in music after a brief life of crime. I’ve always loved Ice-T’s music and remember just how hard “Colors” was in 1988. “High Roller” and “6 in the Mornin’” were some other favorites because, as Apatoff notes, Ice was a storyteller, not just a rapper. He was like a poet and writer able to create these characters and stories, often with a kind of dark irony, that were just as appealing as someone I’d read in school like Poe or Shirley Jackson. His were just shorter and set to really great music. I still don’t know what some of the sounds were from “Colors”, but they were really haunting.

Ice-T was also one of the first rappers to really move into movies as well, although I don’t really remember his role in Breakin’. However, I remember when New Jack City came out—both the soundtrack and the movie. Apatoff’s book uses these events to show just how powerful and well-known Ice-T became in the media as someone who not only could popularize a kind of underground form of music (at the time), but also could make movies (and soundtracks—New Jack City, Ricochet, Trespass—some classic 90s films). Needless to say, Ice T was powerful, and people were listening to him. What is surprising, though, is that once Body Count came out, people began to distance themselves from him and his music. Apatoff also helps to contextualize the release of Body Count, providing great details and research about the times and the members of the band. Readers learn that Ice-T was also a fan of rock music, especially Black Sabbath, and he met some other musicians, especially Ernie C, who became the lead guitarist for Body Count, in high school. It was cool to learn that Ice-T, at the height of his power, reconnected with some friends to do some different music that people probably didn’t really expect. It was also brought about by Ernie C’s connection with Perry Farrell, who wanted to record with Sly Stone, but ended up recording his song from Gift with Ice-T, which I always thought was pretty weird. Regardless, this led to a booking on the first Lollapalooza, where Ice T decided to do a show half rap and half metal, with Body Count. It was great to read about this iteration of Lollapalooza, and how the Rollins Band (and probably Jane’s Addiction) influenced Body Count’s music.

The most interesting chapters of the book revisit the book’s first chapter where, in July of 1992, about a year and a half after the Rodney King Beating and about 3 months after the LA Riots, we learn that Ice-T intends to remove the song “Cop Killer” from Body Count’s debut album. It was really interesting to read about the controversy and uproar the album provided in the post-Rodney King video world of music. While some metal groups from the 80s faced scrutiny over their lyrics, it seemed like rap music in particular was in the crosshairs of conservative activists who were certainly not advocating for free speech. Taking the music literally, critics on both sides of the major parties like Dan Quayle and Tipper Gore took umbrage at Ice-T’s song, failing to recognize the criticism it leveled in how African Americans had been and continued to be brutalized by newly militarized police forces. Furthermore, they often failed to connect the lyrics of Body Count to Ice-T’s other music. Nevertheless, reading these criticisms today, where terms like “Black Lives Matter” and “Critical Theory” spark such outrage among supposed free speech advocates is a reminder of the utter hypocrisy that has been a large part of American politics. It’s not about furthering rights of all, but rather putting on a show for constituents, and often using fear-mongering, creating enemies and others to create a common enemy. As Ice-T’s earlier album would claim, Freedom of Speech…Just Watch What you Say!

The other chapters in this book explore the creation of the album There’s a brief chapter at the end that runs through all of the songs on the album and provides quotes from Ice-T and Ernie C about how these songs developed, and it’s worth the read, especially for Ice’s remembrances (or non-remembrances) of some of the songs. I also liked learning about the different punk and thrash metal bands that influenced Body Count, like Suicidal Tendencies, who I always thought sounded a lot like Body Count, not musically, but more like thematically/lyrically, DRI, and even Living Colour, who were part of the Black Rock Coalition, but didn’t really include Body Count in it. There’s another chapter that focuses on how Ice-T and Ernie C resurrected the band after a few failed albums that followed their debut. I remember hearing about some of the albums and learning about the different influences that Body Count had on newer, younger metal bands. Apatoff used a quote from Laina Dawes, whose book I’ve been meaning to read, to explain how Body Count were metal, but also funky. Ernie C’s guitar work has that kind of funk sound to it, where there’s some of the influence of P-Funk’s Eddie Hazel. A lot of times, these 33 1/3 books have a kind of tragic ending or we learn that the band never made more albums, but this one classic album remains influential. This book was different, and I loved seeing how the band came back and were still relevant. Although the social problems like racism, violence, and drugs are still around, it’s great to have a band like Body Count to document and criticize it in their own thrilling way. Part anger, part humor, all metal—Body Count is in the house!

One final note about Apatoff’s writing—I loved how he documented nearly everything from his research. Sometimes these books don’t include citations and documentation of their sources, but Apatoff’s research and extensive bibliography of books, podcasts, videos and articles has provided me with some great follow up reading! Many thanks!

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating read, well written and very informative. Loved the political and historical context provided. I’d never listened to Body Count before reading this and wish I had found them in High School when I would have gotten more out of their incendiary lyrics and humor. Great book!

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

In all honest, this book deserves a 3.5 stars. It's really well written and tons of research, illustrating a depth of effort put forth into the craft. Now, that said, it plays into a lot of the controversy of "Cop Killer," and while I definitely think that's a super worthy touching point, would have maybe liked equal attention given to some of the other tracks, which maybe wasn't quite as in depth as the main focal point. The weaving together of textual evidence was perfect, but just maybe over-reliant on the selling point, if that makes sense. It's 2024...why can't I give a half star!!!!??

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good in its account of the controversy, overly effusive of the artistic merits of the music itself. The author does a great job of setting up and discussing the national and political campaign to get time warner to ban Body Count and the "Cop Killer" song in particular. He does a bad job in describing the music. I love the album but it was not pioneering in any sense other than it was written and performed by Blacks, rare in rock/metal. There are some great songs on it and some bad ones. No need to act like it was a masterpiece.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look back at when popular music could still shock and make its way into the public discourse. Author comes across as a little too enamored with Ice T but ya know he wrote a book about him so I guess that comes with the territory.