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.
Last Breath
Body Count Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh am I dreamin' ?
Am I alone ?
Oh am I dreamin' ?
Am I alone ?
Yeah
I like to wait 'til late night, 'til you
I crawl in through your window and I
Muthafuckin' creep
I catch you little punk ass kids asleep in your beds,
And I take out my knife and I cut off your
Muthafuckin' heads
I want your last breath
I want your last breath
[Chorus]
You're not dreamin'
You're not alone
Oh I want your last breath, your
Last breath, your last breath
I want your last breath
So you go downstairs to see if everything is alright
You're afraid you're alone and it's late on a rainy night
Are you asleep or awake you don't know
As you turn around,
And my rusty blade cuts you open and you hit the ground
I want your last breath
I want your last breath
[Chorus]
You're no dreamin'
"Last breath" by Body Count is a song about a serial killer who enjoys killing children while they sleep. The song opens with the lyrics "Oh am I dreamin'? Am I alone?" which reflects the twisted mind of the murderer. The killer enjoys waiting until late at night to break into his victim's house, crawl in through their window and cut off their heads with a knife. The chorus of the song is a chilling reminder that the listener is not dreaming and is not alone.
The second verse of the song is about the killer lying in wait for his next victim. The victim goes downstairs to check if everything is okay and is then attacked by the killer. The lyrics "As you turn around, And my rusty blade cuts you open and you hit the ground" paints a vivid picture of the brutal attack. The murderer seems to get pleasure from taking the last breath of his victims. The lyrics, "I want your last breath, your last breath, your last breath. I want your last breath" demonstrates this.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh am I dreamin' ?
Questioning whether this violent act is just a dream or not, showing how surreal and twisted the thoughts are
Oh am I dreamin' ?
Repeating the same question of the previous line, emphasizing on the surreal nature
Am I alone ?
Questioning if there is anyone else who would dare to do what the artist is doing, expressing the loneliness of the violent act
Oh am I dreamin' ?
Once again repeating the question, suggesting a lack of clarity in the artist's own mind about the act
Am I alone ?
Repeating the same question again to emphasize the sense of isolation and madness
Yeah
Affirming the twisted thoughts and actions the artist is describing
I like to wait 'til late night, 'til you Muthafuckas sleep
Describing the artist's preference of attacking unsuspecting people while they are asleep, highlighting their vulnerability
I crawl in through your window and I Muthafuckin' creep
Describing the artist's sneaky approach towards the victims, portraying a sense of voyeurism
I catch you little punk ass kids asleep in your beds, And I take out my knife and I cut off your Muthafuckin' heads
Describing the artist's gruesome and violent action of taking lives, showing a complete disregard for human life
I want your last breath
Expressing the artist's perverse desire to witness the last moments of a person's life
I want your last breath
Repeating the desire to hear the last breath, underscoring the disturbing aspect of the artist's mindset
[Chorus]
Stating that what is happening is not a nightmare, but a real-life horror
You're not dreamin'
Asserting once again that what is happening to the victims is a horrific reality
You're not alone
Addressing the victims directly and telling them that they are not alone in their last moments, adding to the terror
Oh I want your last breath, your Last breath, your last breath
Repeating the desire to hear the last breath of the victims, suggesting a twisted fascination with death
I want your last breath
Repeating the desire to hear the last breath, emphasizing its importance to the artist
So you go downstairs to see if everything is alright
Describing the scenario where the victim wakes up and goes to check for any danger, highlighting their vulnerability
You're afraid you're alone and it's late on a rainy night
Describing the victim's sense of fear and loneliness during an isolated night-time when the weather is bad
Are you asleep or awake you don't know
Describing the confusion and disorientation of the victim regarding the situation, adding to their helplessness
As you turn around, And my rusty blade cuts you open and you hit the ground
Describing the sudden and violent attack on the victim, using vivid imagery to add intensity
I want your last breath
Once again asserting the desire to witness the last breath of the victim, displaying the twisted fascination of the artist with death
I want your last breath
Repeating the same desire as before, underscoring its importance to the artist
[Chorus]
Restating the fact that what is happening is a horrifying reality and not a dream
You're no dreamin'
Reiterating that the victim's ordeal is a terrible reality
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: TRACY LAUREN MARROW, ERNEST T CUNNINGAN
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