The Goo 1
Scene News ORAN O'BEIRNE RED, WHITE AND RUTHLESS
Legendary frontman, Ice-T Speaks to Oran O’Beirne on America’s Political Turmoil Legendary frontman, Ice-T Speaks to Oran O’Beirne on America’s Political Turmoil With over three decades of unapologetic storytelling, Ice-T has mastered the art of blending fury, resilience, and social commentary, bridging the worlds of hip-hop and heavy metal with visceral honesty. Now, with the release of Body Count’s latest album, Merciless, the rapper-turned-metal frontman raises his voice once more against injustice, violence, and the divisive landscape of American politics. For a man who rose from the rough streets of Los Angeles to become an icon of both music and screen, Ice-T’s perspective on American life carries a weight that few can match. Here, he breaks down why Body Count's latest release holds a mirror to society's darkest corners, revealing hard truths about power, race, and resilience in the face of opposition. Unfiltered and unafraid, Ice-T is once again the voice of the voiceless, and with ‘Merciless’, he’s ready to make America listen. One such example is the aptly titled, ‘Fuck what you Heard’ track that tackles the hot topic of the US election and the painful back and forth between the Democrats and Republican parties. I ask him what makes him so fearless with his opinions, and why he thinks others are too afraid to voice their opinions in this business…. With a glint in his eye and a soft smile, he responds; “Well you see, I come from the gang culture. I understand “Gang-Banging”. Which is basically, you pick a side and you just roll with it. If you’re a republican, you gotta’ just agree with everything the Republicans stand for, and if you’re a Democrat, you rock with PAGE 42 everything they say. You getting me?”, he says leaning forward. “Now, here’s the problem. If I meet you for the first time, and discover you’re a Republican, I can tell you right now, I’m not gonna like you! That’s that gang shit right there! They are trying to stop all of that shit in my neighbourhood, you know, kids not liking each other because they are from another part of the hood. So, bearing that in mind, it was just funny to me that the Democrats wear blue and the Republicans wear red, just like the L.A. gangs. This is basically the same shit!”, he says with a serious tone. “At the end of the day, it’s all fucking gangbanging. When you go to federal prison, you don’t go to a Republican prison or a Democrat prison, you pay taxes to the Federal Government”. He continues; “I don’t agree with everything the Republicans are saying, or the Democrats, I”m an independent thinker. I know bullshit when I hear it and these people are forcing us all to jump into a set. Me being from it, I ain't’ jumping into any more fucking gangs, I’ve been involved with gangs and I know where that gets you”, he says firmly. “You end up doing some shit that you don’t wanna do, because you’re in the gang now. Politics rhymes with crime to me, and I just don’t trust any of them. American is in such a fucked-up situation right now. I hate Donald Trump. I think he’s a fucking piece of shit”, he exclaims. “This is not politics, this is me expressing my opinion, and I think he’s a liar, a piece of shit. I judge a devil by his deeds and it does’t take me too long to figure out that I don’t want to be his fucking friend”, he says with contempt. At the end of the day, people vote with their wallets and they look at how much money they are gonna make. Well, let me ask you this” he says with a fixed stare. “When Bush, or Obama or Trump or Biden was in power, did you make more money? The answer is, “NO”! It doesn’t change. Inflation continually goes up, taxes continually go up, and they have done so every year since I’ve been alive. The scary thing is that we’re on the brink of thermonuclear war and I don’t want some hothead in the Oval Office with trigger-happy fingers, if you know what I’m saying”. Body Count’s new album ‘Merciless’ is available from November 22nd via Century Media. © Oran O’Beirne 2024