During an appearance on The Breakfast Club on Wednesday, veteran rapper Ice-T explained why he changed the lyric of his 1992 controversial song from Cop Killer to ICE Killer.
Per Entertainment Weekly, Ice-T, whose real name is Tracy Lauren Marrow, disclosed that his decision to alter the lyric wasn’t something that he had thought of in advance before he took the stage to perform.
“I have political things I think about,” the 67-year-old rapper and actor stated. “Now when I did that, that didn’t happen just recently. It happened when we played in L.A. at the Warped Tour [in July]. When I was there, ICE was active out there. So it’s like I’m in the midst of ICE raids and stuff like that, and I’m in front of an L.A. audience, and it just came out. I didn’t know I was gonna do it.”
Ice-T and his Body Count band stirred controversy in 1992 when they released Cop Killer – an anti-police brutality song that drew criticism from several public figures.
Prior to taking the stage for his performance that saw him alter the lyric to the song, Ice-T said, “My brain just said, ‘Do ICE Killer,’ and it went over.”
The Colors rapper also highlighted that the song embodies the same theme, irrespective of how you label it.
“You know, ‘ICE Killer,’ ‘Cop Killer,’ it’s really protest,” Ice-T said. “I’m just protesting.”
READ ALSO: ‘You need lawyers’ – Ice T on why controversy is not a way to make money
For weeks, tensions have flared between anti-ICE protesters in Minneapolis and ICE agents after President Donald Trump deployed the federal agents to the city. The protests have spread to many other states, particularly after ICE agents fatally shot Minneapolis residents Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
Ice-T said that he felt the United States was threading on a dangerous path because of the current happenings.
“I think we’re headed to some really ugly terrain,” the rapper said, per Entertainment Weekly. “And Black people really ain’t got nothing to do with it. It’s bad. I think the moment somebody shoots an ICE agent, it’s gonna get bad.”
Ice-T was also asked about artists addressing current issues and if he felt that was mandatory for them to always do it.
“No, I think the only people that should speak on [issues] are the ones that really carry it with them daily,” Ice-T responded. “If that’s who you are. If it’s not, don’t do it for publicity. Don’t do it for hype. Don’t let your publicist tell you, ‘Speak on this topic.’ Because if you’re not educated enough to speak on it, you’re going to end up caught out there.”
READ ALSO: Trump responds after man sprays Rep. Ilhan Omar with foul-smelling liquid at event
