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Ice-T has a simple message for people who are concerned about causing controversy with their work: “I don’t really f*** around with people that are worried about getting cancelled.”
The rapper and actor, who has fanned the flames of controversy many times in his career, was speaking in a new interview about making work that pushes boundaries.
His comments came after he was asked in a Guardian Q&A about how he used to perform Sly & the Family Stone’s “Don’t Call Me N*****, Whitey” on stage with Jane’s Addiction, and whether he thinks Black and white artists can duet on such a culturally weighted song.
“Somebody once said: ‘Ice-T is the only person who does things that totally jeopardise his career just to stay awake,’” the 66-year-old said. “But if we’re not going to push the line, then why even make the song? It should rub some people wrong.”
In the interview, he also spoke about his band Body Count’s 1992 police brutality protest record “Cop Killer”, which was criticised by then-US president George Bush and many others, with numerous shops pulling the album.
“I never really questioned myself, but the heat came when they started sending bomb threats to Warner Bros,” Ice-T said. “I threw the rock, that’s my heat. But when other people could get hurt, that’s nerve-racking.
“But I got news for people: anybody that thinks controversy is a way to make money, it’s not. You get a lot of buzz, but now you need lawyers. So don’t just say something stupid and then back-pedal – if you’re going to say something, stand on it.”
After the furore, Ice-T felt that the controversy had overshadowed the music and chose to remove the song from the album.
In the summer, Ice-T shut down a fan’s claim that Law & Order: Special Victims has gone “woke.”
He has played Detective Odafin “Fin” Tutuola on the NBC series for over two decades, having joined in its second season in 2001.
Ice-T returned for the police produral’s 26th season this month.
Celebrating being back on set in early August, he had posted a behind-the-scenes production photo on X, with the caption: “Seems like everyone is at the OLYMPICS…. I’m at Work. SVU on location. Season26.”
Weeks later, on Tuesday (August 27), a fan reacted to his tweet, writing: “Did they write SVU back to normal yet? It started to go woke.”
Ice-T responded tersely, saying: “What the F is Woke? lol Like I give a F***.”
He is also preparing to release a new Body Count album, Merciless, which will be released on 22 November.
