Body Count | |
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Body Count performs at a concert in Prague, 2006
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Background information | |
Origin | Los Angeles, California, United States |
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Years active |
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Associated acts |
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Website | www |
Members |
Ice-T Ernie C Ill Will Vincent Price Juan of the Dead Sean E Sean |
Past members |
Mooseman Beatmaster V D-Roc the Executioner Griz O.T. Bendrix |
Body Count is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1990. The group is fronted by Ice-T, who co-founded the group with lead guitarist Ernie C out of their interest in heavy metal music. Ice-T took on the role of vocalist and writing the lyrics for most of the group's songs. Lead guitarist Ernie C has been responsible for writing the group's music. Their controversial 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. Since then, they have released four further albums on different labels, none of which have been received as commercially or critically well as their debut album.
Three out of the band's original six members are deceased: D-Roc died from lymphoma, Beatmaster V from leukemia and Mooseman in a drive-by shooting.
Ice-T's interest in heavy metal stemmed from sharing a room with his cousin Earl, who was a fan of rock music and only listened to the local rock stations. Ice-T particularly enjoyed heavy metal, citing Edgar Winter, Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath as his favorite bands. Ice-T attended Crenshaw High School, where a few classmates shared his interest in the genre, including musicians Ernie C, Mooseman, Beatmaster V and D-Roc the Executioner. Ice-T began a solo career as a rapper, and later decided to form Body Count with these friends.