In the early ’90s, well-known rapper Ice-T made a foray into hard-driving rock music with his band Body Count. While this move never overshadowed his rap career (though arguably his stab at acting sort of has) it did stir up a lot of controversy that nobody's ever really forgotten. "Cop Killer" was originally part of the band's self-titled debut album but rapidly became the target of many a protest for its violent sentiments, the "Mortal Kombat" of the music industry.
The lyrics are a first-person account of a character enraged by police brutality who's hellbent on getting even, though some thought it incriminated Ice-T as homicidal. People were offended by lines such as "Tonight'll be your night/ I got this long-ass knife/ and your neck looks just right," and boycotted the song for being hostile towards law enforcment. As referenced on Wikipedia, T defended the track with the statement, "If you believe that I'm a cop killer, you believe David Bowie is an astronaut."
He was so upset by the attacks, that the song was later removed from the album in its 1992 re-release. But if history tells us anything, it's those things that cause controversy that stand the test of time. Haters and supporters alike give it more attention to counter one another and it can grow legs that surpass entire bodies of work. Even people who don't care to know the song know the song.
Well, the words are still the same, but Netherfriends (namely Shawn Rosenblatt) softens the blow with its own rendition of the much-malaised tune. For The Glorification of Gangster, a "compilation of remixes, mash-ups, and cover songs that exemplify the media's celebration of organized crime throughout history," Rosenblatt provides a shoegazey psych-pop version that is almost hypnotic.
With a Marc Bianchi sweetness to his voice, Rosenblatt sings "Die, Die, Die Pig, Die," and throws in a chipper whistle after the first chorus that almost makes you forget you're listening to a song about vengeful murder.
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Posted by: dr dre studio black | 12/13/2011 at 01:05 AM