Rapper and actor Ice-T says he deliberately altered one of the most controversial protest songs of the early 1990s to address what he called “ICE violence” in the United States. The long-debated track “Cop Killer,” first released in 1992 by his heavy metal band Body Count, was recast during a 2025 live show with a pointed new line, “ICE Killer,” in response to rising tensions over federal immigration enforcement.
Ice-T, 67, explained the lyric change Wednesday on the radio program The Breakfast Club. The decision was “totally unplanned,” he said, but rooted in what he saw around him.
“When I did that, that didn’t happen just recently; that happened in L.A. when we played the Warped Tour,” Ice-T said. “When I was there, ICE was active out there. I’m in the midst of ICE raids. I’m in front of an L.A. audience and it just came up.”
Ice-T said the substitution was a form of protest and not a call to violence. “You know, ‘ICE Killer,’ ‘Cop Killer’ — it’s really protest,” he said. “I’m just protesting.”
He warned that escalating conflict could deepen divisions, particularly after recent deadly encounters involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. “I think we’re headed in some very ugly terrain,” Ice-T said. “Black people really ain’t got nothing to do with it.”
Ice-T also weighed in on the role artists should play in political discussions. “No, I think the only people that should speak on issues are the ones that really carry it with them daily,” he said. “If you’re not educated enough to speak on it, you’re going to end up caught out there.”
Historical Controversy Reignited
“Cop Killer” originally appeared on Body Count’s debut album in 1992 and instantly sparked national debate, drawing accusations from politicians and law enforcement groups that it promoted violence against police officers. Ice-T described the song then as a character’s response to repeated brutality, not an endorsement of violence.
The altered line first surfaced during a July 2025 live performance in Los Angeles amid active ICE raids. Video clips shared online have since drawn public scrutiny as protests against federal immigration enforcement have grown.
The context for that outrage includes two deaths in January tied to ICE operations in Minneapolis, according to news reports. These incidents prompted protests, contradictory official statements, and intense public debate over enforcement practices.
Ice-T emphasized that he was not glorifying violence. “Like I said, I think the moment somebody shoots an ICE agent, it’s gon’ get bad,” he said, warning of the broader trouble he fears could unfold.
Ice-T is among several public figures weighing in on the actions of ICE and the nation’s political climate. Actor John Leguizamo this week issued a direct message to fans supporting ICE, urging them to reconsider their allegiance. “If you follow ICE, unfollow me,” he said.