Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons/Andreas Lawen
“To me, that’s the world’s scariest band.”
—Chuck D, Public Enemy
Ever hear about the all-Black hardcore band that unleashed one of the greatest records of the nineties, and faced a censorship battle that went all the way to the President of the United States? Did you know that their record was pulled from stores, and remains banned to this day? And did you know that they’ve since reunited to their biggest audiences and greatest acclaim, or that their frontman is now a beloved TV star, or that they recently won a Grammy?
Maybe you heard. But there’s never been a book about it, until now.
Here comes the first-ever book about Ice-T’s Body Count, the most incendiary band in the world and one of the most important stories in music history by author Ben Apatoff OUT NOW! Body Count (33 1/3) is about a set of high school friends who shattered musical boundaries, 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. This book was drawn from years of fandom and research, including exclusive quotes and interviews from Ice-T, Ernie C, Sean E. Sean, Vincent Price, Ill Will, Juan of the Dead, Jello Biafra, Bobby Brooks, Max Cavalera, Dan Charnas, Doc Coyle, Heidi Siegmund Cuda, Chuck D, Laina Dawes, Ron DeLord, Corey Glover, Dave Halili, David Harleston, Gibby Haynes, Gary Holt, Howie Klein, Chris “Hot Rod” Long, Matt Mahurin, Bernard Matthews, Duff McKagan, Bob Merlis, Angelo Moore, Darlene Ortiz, Phyllis Pollack, Will Putney, Vernon Reid, Henry Rollins, Troy Staton, Steve Stewart, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Ulrich Wild, Juan Williams, Mark Zonder and more. This book is also part of Bloomsbury’s prestigious 33 1/3 series.
On Ice-T’s 1991 classic O.G. Original Gangster, he introduced his all-Black hardcore band Body Count, bringing lead guitarist Ernie C, rhythm guitarist D-Roc the Executioner, bassist Mooseman, drummer Beatmaster V and hypemen Sean E. Sean and Sean E. Mac on the first-ever Lollapalooza tour that summer. The next year, Body Count’s self-titled debut album 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.
