Ice-T: A King Among Men

racy Marrow, better known as Ice-T, is no stranger to controversy. At age 56, this man is an established film and television actor, reality TV star, rapper, author and lead singer of a thrash metal band, known as Body Count. Though most commonly known as a pioneering figure of West Coast, L.A.-based gangster rap, his most famous and controversial song is Body Count’s “Cop Killer,” a song about police brutality and racism. If there is one thing he’s got, it’s street credibility. Literally, having grown up in the streets of South Central, at a young age, Ice-T became a part of the gang culture and community, and eventually becoming a bonafide hustler.

After serving in the Army as a young man, Marrow wanted to stay away from gang life and violence and instead make a name for himself as a disc jockey (DJ). As a tribute to Iceberg Slim, Marrow adopted the stage name Ice-T. While performing as a DJ at parties, he received more attention for his rapping, which led Ice-T to pursue a career as a rapper. With those days of street crimes and gang banging long behind him, Ice-T’s prolific rap music became a foundation to the gangster rap genre, and also paved the way for modern rappers and hip-hop music, as well as heavy metal. Ice-T recently took time to talk with CULTURE before the beginning of a festival, where Body Count performed.

The band features original guitarist Ernie C, guitarist Juan of the Dead, drummer Ill Will and bassist Vincent Price. “The band was calling me,” he said, referring to the fact that Body Count’s new album, Manslaughter, is the first release in over seven years. “I was in New York, doing my thing with my TV show, what I call my day job. They would keep calling me and asking if I wanted to make a record.”

But, Ice-T told CULTURE that he was at first hesitant to jump in, without the right support. “I wanted to make sure the band had a label to help it with support and a great producer to make a good album,” he said. “The band was connected to Sumerian records,
and the owner, Ash [Avildsen], was a fan of Body Count, so next thing you know we got a record deal.”

The band, which rose to fame in the early ‘90s during
Ice-T’s rap career, shed light on the boundary-pushing genre of thrash metal, and saw the band touring the world, literally, appearing at the early days of Lollapalooza. He tells CULTURE that the environment is key to the energy of a good concert, but especially a heavy metal or punk show. “There is nothing in this world for a punk band or metal band to play in front of a crowd, when there’s a good mosh pit!” he said. “It’s insane, and just gives off this energy it feels like you’re radio
controlling them!”

Ice-T has been a known advocate against violence, but being in a thrash band, sometimes the gigs can get crazy if a pit gets too rough; things can get out of hand quick. But, for the most part, he said, he has been lucky with good concert venue security and staff. “I remember Lollapalooza in Seattle when it was raining once, and at this show it was all wet and slippery outside, and there was just one big audience of thousands of people, all in front going nuts. People were sliding in the mud, moshing, and it was just wild.” But, he did recall several exceptions. “Some of the early gigs we played, our very first tours and club shows, in fact, there were was a group skinheads,” he said. “We definitely got a few raised eyebrows, but once we played they knew were weren’t bullshitting and started moshing really hard, and it got rough, because see these white boys had to show a black band what was up and prove how tough they were.”

“Making [cannabis] a criminal offense makes no sense to me;
jail is a real thing, you don’t just throw anyone in there. I’d rather throw
violent offenders and rapists in jail as opposed to a non-violent weed smoker.”

Ice-T says that the band is beyond excited to be on the road after so many years of being absent from the scene. For this year’s installment of the Rockstar Mayhem Festival, he said he wanted to bring Body Count to a broader audience. “The reason we did this tour is to put ourselves right in there, among the younger bands, the new bands,” he said. “That’s how to make new fans, you don’t want to just play shows where only your fans show up, you want to get in front of other people let them get a taste of what you do, maybe they will bite.”

He mentioned that he is excited to be performing again, but also admits he wanted to see some of the festival’s other bands such as Avenged Sevenfold, Cannibal Corpse and Korn. “It will be good to see Korn again, because, we came from that generation, with them and Limp Bizkit, Rage Against the Machine. Plus, we’ve known those guys for years. Also, I want to see Cannibal Corpse, because I know the old singer, Chris Barnes; but, now he’s in Six Feet Under.”

Ice-T said that from day one of Body Count’s emergence in the early ‘90s, the band fit right in with the thrash metal 

scene. “We kind of got that vibe and snatched a lot of fans of Suicidal Tendencies back in the day,” he said, of the legendary Venice-punk-turned-thrash metal band. “But, yeah, we were immediately embraced by all the greats from Henry Rollins, Jello Biafra and Slayer. We got the thumbs up from the thrash metal and punk scene real quick; the first band we toured with was DRI, who took us out on the first tour; and we’ve toured with everyone from Anthrax and Exodus to Pantera.”

But, beneath the actor, the writer, reality TV star, thrash metal singer and gangster rapper, is a witty, intelligent individual, who keeps up to date on current events, but despises gossip shows and websites.

“I’m just not into gossip, I don’t watch TMZ or any of that other bullshit,” he said. “I do sometimes, try to watch news but sometimes it’s just so incessant with gossip, and I don’t want to hear about everyone’s sex life—they sound like little bitches.”

In terms of the controversy over the song that became infamous, Ice-T told CULTURE that it is mostly overblown today. “Some cops know me but a lot of those officers that were on the force back then, aren’t around. Now, when cops pull me over they’re mad at me because of my nice car,” he admitted.

Although he does not partake in cannabis ingestion and abstains from drinking alcohol, Ice-T said that he is in favor of decriminalization. “I don’t smoke weed, or drink, and am what you might call Straight Edge, so no drugs or nothing.”

“It’s a big waste of money and effort to go after weed,
really. It’s just a matter of time for the government to figure out a way to
tax it, and they should.”

“But, from the early days, all of my friends smoked weed, some still do,” he said. “I don’t have a problem with it, as long as people aren’t reliant on hard drugs or booze. But with my clique, we had one simple rule, even if you were high or drunk, there were no excuses. If you acted stupid, we got to beat your ass.”

Ice-T also mentioned that his son, Ice Marrow is directly involved with a line of hemp clothing called Hemp and Relax, which can be found online. “I told my son not to be a drug dealer,” he said. “So he went and found a loop hole, now he is dealing the clothes made of hemp!”

In all seriousness though, Ice-T said he is definitely against the prohibition of cannabis, for adults to use recreationally. “It’s a big waste of money and effort to go after weed, really. It’s just a matter of time for the government to figure out a way to tax it and they should.”

He explained that people who aren’t in favor of cannabis use, should at least be against incarcerating people for simply using and possessing the plant. “Making it a criminal offense makes no sense to me; jail is real thing, you don’t just throw anyone in there. I’d rather throw violent offenders and rapists in jail as opposed to a non-violent weed smoker.”

Ice-T told CULTURE that after this tour is finished, he is definitely open to more music and tours with Body Count. “When the tour’s done, we’re going to lick our wounds, and see how the record sells,” he said. “If the fans want more we’ll make another record maybe next year, tour Europe, if there is no demand we’ll put it to sleep.”

The rapper, and thrash metal vocalist told CULTURE that so far he has received nothing but positive reviews of Body Count’s new album, Manslaughter. “Hopefully we can strike a nerve in the music industry and bring back something old that seems new, and you never know, maybe a new Rage Against the Machine will come out of what we do.”

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