Album of the Day

“If you took a kid and you put him in jail with a microphone and asked him how he feels, you'd get BODY COUNT,” noted Ice-T of his thrash metal group's self-titled debut. The Sire set became a magnet for controversy thanks to the inclusion of “Cop Killer” on initial pressings, but the raw anger of that song seethes throughout these tracks, co-written and co-produced by guitarist Ernie C (like much of the band, a classmate of Ice-T's from Crenshaw High School). Along with police abuse, this collection targets racism (“There Goes the Neighborhood”), drug addiction (“The Winner Loses”) and other social ills with hard-hitting performances and a touch of humor. A rap metal landmark, BODY COUNT was certified Gold 30 years ago today.