Band: Body Count

Some would argue this band's inclusion here somewhat dubious, but whereas later so-called "rap-metal" bands were and are merely all-white hip-hop bands with mildly heavy guitars, Body Count was an all-black metal band with a rapper as a vocalist. Indeed, Ice T's delivery on the albums is more hard rhyming and spoken word than true rapping. As it is though, Body Count's material is actually pretty amateurish and the playing is rudimentary, and while a few songs do stand out, the band probably would have sunk without trace very quickly but for the shock value of the lyrics, which are often clever but just as often utterly juvenile. After the first album it was clear they'd run out of ideas and the band pulled the plug after the third release. The band reformed in 2004. Only two of the band's original members are still alive: Beatmaster V died of leukaemia in 1996, Mooseman was murdered in 2001 and D-Roc died of lymphoma on August 7, 2004 as the group was preparing to record a new album. The album was completed and released in mid-2006.