Ice-T Carries on the Charlton Heston Tradition

By James Hirsen

Ice-T initially secured fame by being one of the early practitioners of a form of rap music known as gangsta’ rap. After co-founding the band Body Count, the urban music artist became even more famous for a public controversy that eventually ensued over his “Cop Killer” track, which glamorized the murder of police officers.

The storm surrounding “Cop Killer” reached its zenith in July of 1992, at an annual shareholders’ meeting for Time-Warner, the parent company of Ice-T’s record label. It would be here that Hollywood giant Charlton Heston would take to a stage of a different sort.

Heston had been given the opportunity to address the Time-Warner group because he himself owned shares in the media company. During his presentation, the legendary actor recited in dramatic fashion the lyrics from the “Cop Killer” tune, leaving the owners of the company in a stupefied state. The publicity that would follow would ultimately cause Time Warner Music to cancel the release of Ice-T’s then-upcoming album.

Ice-T, the very same rap artist that Heston had so vociferously opposed, would undergo a professional conversion of his own that would transform him into the current TV and film A-list star that he is today. He, like his former adversary, has become a persuasive voice for the Second Amendment in helping to move forward Heston’s legacy issue. [more...]