Body Count's self-titled debut album was released on Sire Records in 1992, and garnered much attention due to a controversy around the song "Cop Killer". Their label, Sire Records, and their parent company, Warner Bros. Records, defended the song; however Ice-T chose to remove it from the album because he felt that the controversy had eclipsed the music itself. The group left Sire the following year, and they have since released six more albums.
Three out of the band's original seven members are deceased: D-Roc died from lymphoma, Beatmaster V from leukemia and Mooseman in a drive-by shooting. Body Count's current lineup includes vocalist Ice-T, guitarists Ernie C and Juan Garcia, bassist Vincent Price, drummer Will "Ill Will" Dorsey Jr., and backing vocalists Sean E Sean and Little Ice, the latter of whom is Ice-T's son.
The band received their second Grammy nomination and later won the award at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2021 for Best Metal Performance with their song "Bum Rush" from the album Carnivore.
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, D-Roc the Executioner, Beatmaster V, and Mooseman. Ice-T began a solo career as a rapper, and later decided to form Body Count with these friends.
Ice-T co-wrote the band's music and lyrics with lead guitarist Ernie C, and took on the duties of lead vocalist, even though he felt that he did not have a great singing voice. The original line-up consisted of D-Roc on rhythm guitar, Beatmaster V on drums and Mooseman on bass,
Body Count's musical style derives from the dark, ominous tones of traditional heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath and thrash metal bands such as Slayer, as well as hardcore punk's aggressiveness. According to Ernie C, "We wanted to be a big punk band [...] Our first record is almost a punk record." The presence of a rapper in a heavy metal band has been credited for paving the way for the rise of rap metal and nu metal, even though Ice-T does not rap in most Body Count songs and considers it to solely be a rock band. According to Ernie C, "A lot of rappers want to be in a rock band, but it has to be done sincerely. You can't just get anybody on guitar and expect it to work. [...] Ice and I, on the other hand, really loved the music we were doing, and it showed.
In my head
Body Count Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I love the little outfits you wear.
I know you wear em for me.
God I want you."
Since the day you first laid eyes on me,
There was no doubt you would be mine.
You don't know me but I know you want me badly.
Can't control your feelings, it hurts you so you shy away,
[Chorus (x2):]
In my head
You are my wife!
In my head
You only want me!
In my head
God has a plan!
In my head
I am your man!
I watch you from my window,
I see you when you sleep each night,
I know you dream of me in your arms,
I'll be there soon my love.
You go to work,
You pass me and you smile at me.
That's just the way you choose to tease me and play...
[Chorus x2]
I call you on the phone at night but never speak,
I love to hear your breath.
It gives me chills, your body seems so close to me.
The other day I saw you with some guy, yo who is he?
He needs to understand that you're my girl and he could die!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
You love me!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
He's not right for you!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
Don't do this to me!
Bitch!
[Chorus]
I've pictures of you pasted on my wall that I have taken of you.
You walk your dog, I watch you in the shower.
I bought a camera, binoculars and video,
Your with me always, I love you more each hour.
That you don't know me, that turns me on that much more.
I know you know I watch you,
You little teasing whore.
One night soon, I'll introduce you to my flesh,
You are the one God chose, though you don't know me yet!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
I love you!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
You love me!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
He's not right for you!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
Don't do this to me!
The above lyrics are from Body Count's "In My Head" and are about the delusional and dangerous thoughts of a stalker. The song is written from the perspective of a man who is obsessively stalking a woman and believes that she is meant to be his. He watches her every move and believes that all of her actions are done specifically for him. Despite never having spoken to her, he believes that she wants him just as badly as he wants her. He claims to call her at night just to hear her breathing, and he even admits to having pictures of her on his wall.
As the song progresses, his thoughts become increasingly violent and disturbing. He sees her with another man and says that if he cannot have her, then no one can. He believes that God chose her for him, and that one night soon he will "introduce her to his flesh." The lyrics are a chilling portrayal of a dangerous obsession that is all too real for many people.
The chorus of the song repeats the delusional thoughts of the stalker, with lines like "In my head, you are my wife!" and "In my head, I am your man!" These phrases are repeated over and over, driving home the point that the stalker's thoughts are completely irrational and detached from reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Since the day you first laid eyes on me,
There was no doubt you would be mine.
You don't know me but I know you want me badly.
Can't control your feelings, it hurts you so you shy away,
You'll love me sooner or later, that's our destiny.
The singer has been watching the person they are obsessed with and knows that they are meant to be together. The person may not know them yet, but the singer is certain of the obsession and feels that their feelings will be reciprocated eventually.
[Chorus (x2):]
In my head
You are my wife!
In my head
You only want me!
In my head
God has a plan!
In my head
I am your man!
The singer is delusional and believes that the person they are obsessed with is meant to be with them, that they are married in their mind, and that they are the chosen one for their obsession.
I watch you from my window,
I see you when you sleep each night,
I know you dream of me in your arms,
I'll be there soon my love.
You go to work,
You pass me and you smile at me.
That's just the way you choose to tease me and play...
The singer continues to watch their obsession, even at night when they are asleep. They believe that their obsession dreams of them and that they will soon be together. The singer interprets innocent actions, such as passing by and smiling, as a way of tempting and teasing them.
I call you on the phone at night but never speak,
I love to hear your breath.
It gives me chills, your body seems so close to me.
The other day I saw you with some guy, yo who is he?
He needs to understand that you're my girl and he could die!
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
The artist calls their obsession at night just to hear their breath and feel closer to them. When they see them with someone else, they become jealous and possessive, believing that the person belongs to them and that anyone who interferes will suffer the consequences.
If I can't have you as mine then no one will!
He's not right for you!
Don't do this to me!
Bitch!
The artist is adamant that their obsession belongs to them and dismisses anyone who gets in their way, calling them names and insisting that they are not good enough for the person they are obsessed with.
I've pictures of you pasted on my wall that I have taken of you.
You walk your dog, I watch you in the shower.
I bought a camera, binoculars and video,
Your with me always, I love you more each hour.
That you don't know me, that turns me on that much more.
I know you know I watch you,
You little teasing whore.
One night soon, I'll introduce you to my flesh,
You are the one God chose, though you don't know me yet!
The singer is revealed to be a stalker who takes pictures of their obsession and watches them even in private moments like showering. They feel that the lack of knowledge their obsession has about them is a turn on, and plan to take things further by introducing them to their own body. They continue to believe that everything is meant to be and that their obsession is the one chosen for them by God.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Wu
on Black Hoodie
[Intro]
All these people out here tripping off police brutality like this shit is something new
Give me a fucking break
I've been talking about this shit for over 20 years
And now you can kill a motherfucker just because of how he's dressed?
Are you fucking serious?
[Hook]
Get on a black hoodie, its hood up on my head
I didn't have a gun, so why am I dead?
You didn't have to shoot me and that's a known fact
And now I'm laying face down with bullets in my back
Get on a black hoodie, its hood up on my head
I didn't have a gun, so why am I dead?
You didn't have to shoot me and that's a known fact
And now I'm laying face down with bullets in my back
[Verse 1]
This is how it happened
Out late night just chilling with my clique
No one had a gun, everyone's legit
One of my boys is drunk, I'm talking toe'd up
He can barely talk off that Cognac
Then the cops roll up, I don't know why he ran
Maybe traffic warrants I still don't understand
That motherfucker's crazy, the homies laughed
He might've got a block and then we heard shots
The fucking cop shot him, yo, a nigga's dead!
They hit him twice in the back, once in the head and leg
We all went crazy on that pig shit
They aimed at us, they meant business
They didn't have to shoot him, he didn't have a gun
What they're gonna say is "Why the fuck he run?"
We can't be seeing this, I'm like "What the fuck?"
My man's laying dead, they still cuffing him up
[Interlude]
You motherfuckers, call the fucking paramedics man
My man's not breathing, man
What the fuck's the matter wit' you, man?
Aw shit
[Hook]
Get on a black hoodie, its hood up on my head
I didn't have a gun, so why am I dead?
You didn't have to shoot me and that's a known fact
And now I'm laying face down with bullets in my back
Get on a black hoodie, its hood up on my head
I didn't have a gun, so why am I dead?
You didn't have to shoot me and that's a known fact
And now I'm laying face down with bullets in my back
[Refrain]
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
[Verse 2]
Now it's our day in court, we gotta have hope
Maybe some justice, someone got it on video
They say do something, he used to gang bang
They made my homie look like fucking shit on everything
Had on a black hoodie, that's all it took
The DA portrayed him as a dirty fucking street crook
They let the cops off, nobody fucking marched
Nobody had a clue, it's never made the news
[Refrain]
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
Woop woop, that's the sound of the police
That's the sound on the streets
[Outro]
Get on my black hoodie
Get on my black hoodie
Get on my black hoodie