Body Count
“Murder 4 Hire”
(Escapi)

Man, I don’t know if I can handle this much BC in one year! I mean, we’ve just had the live DVD released so that Ice T and his crew can pay tribute to their dead homies (Mooseman, D-Roc, Beatmaster V) where the Troubadour showed a lotta love. But he seems to be still brooding over them in “Murder 4 Hire” cos there is a definite heavy air about this album from start to finish with two songs (‘The End Game’ and ‘Dirty Bombs’) dealing with terrorism and in particular suicide bombings which I kind’ve hoped to get away from. ‘Murder 4 Hire’ itself rages at our old friends the LA muthafuckin’ PD (eat a dick straight up!) and the album just becomes a total warzone after that with Ice raging at everyone - classic BC! I guess ‘Relationships’ where he starts trippin’ on bitches (with a female rapper providing a suitably vitriolic comeback - so much for marriage guidance in the ghetto!) is the only possible lighthearted part of this album but other than that its hardcore street rap metal all the way. Hope you’re packin’.

-Shan Siva

Body Count
“Live in LA” DVD
(Escapi Music)

Yo yo yo, Body Count is in the muthafuckin house! Fronted by rapper / actor / social activist Ice - T, BC play hardcore gangbanger speedmetal and this is a memorial concert filmed at the Troubadour paying tribute to fallen BC members (D Roc - lymphoma, Mooseman - drive by, and Beatmaster V - leukaemia) with 17 tracks including ‘KKK Bitch’, ‘Drive By’ and of course ‘Cop Killer’. Extra material includes a history of the band as told by (surviving) guitarist Ernie C and a lengthy interview with Ice T discussing music and politics and how BC's success was attributable to George Bush in so far as when you elect a crazy person, crazy shit happens and therefore people crave crazy music! Still, its not all attitude as the band fool around with their fans and Ice discusses his TV and movie roles. I guess the difference between BC and Public Enemy is that the latter are a political band whereas the former can still joke and talk about other things. The authorities may have a problem with Ice T but what they’re really scared about is the fact that BC’s audience is a mixture of white, black, asian and hispanic kids all having a good time together and united in one cause i.e. fuck authority (and party on). Music to be fearful indeed.