Ice-T is a man of many talents: rapper, actor, author, and now, an unexpected peacemaker. On The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon on Wednesday (Dec. 4), the gangsta rap pioneer shared the remarkable story of how he united two feuding rock legends, Roger Waters and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd, to secure a rare collaboration on Body Count’s cover of their iconic song “Comfortably Numb.”
Breaking the Pink Floyd Impasse
Pink Floyd’s publishers initially rejected Ice-T’s request to sample and cover the 1979 classic, citing the band’s longstanding refusal to approve such uses. Waters and Gilmour, famously divided for decades, had not agreed on anything in 20 years.
“So it was dead in the water, I was ready to trash the song,” Ice-T admitted. But his manager found a way to send the track to Gilmour’s manager, who passed it along to the legendary guitarist. Gilmour was “blown away” by the new lyrics, which reimagined the song to address the modern world’s fears of perpetual war and societal collapse. Gilmour approved the track, but they still needed Waters’ blessing.
After listening to the track and learning Ice-T was behind the vocals, Waters gave his approval as well. “Now you’ve got two people on opposite sides that approved the song, which made me feel really good, ’cause that means the song is honest and real,” Ice-T told Fallon.
The story didn’t stop there. Gilmour was so impressed by the reimagining that he volunteered to play guitar on the track and appear in its music video, a rare gesture that Ice-T said was the “cherry on top.”
A Bold New Take
Body Count’s rendition of “Comfortably Numb” is a metal-infused reinterpretation featuring Ice-T’s signature blend of spoken-word storytelling and rap. The song is included on the band’s eighth studio album, Merciless, which also features collaborations with death metal vocalist Corpsegrinder, Light the Torch singer Howard Jones, and Soulfly’s Max Cavalera.
“Body Count’s version of ‘Comfortably Numb’ is quite radical, but the words really struck me,” Gilmour, 78, said in a statement upon the song’s September release. “They’ve made it relevant again. The initial contact from Ice-T was for permission to use the song, but I thought I might offer to play on it as well. I like the new lyrics; they’re talking about the world we’re living in now, which is quite scary.”
Ice-T on The Tonight Show
During his chat with Fallon, Ice-T recounted the triumph with humor and humility. He also discussed celebrating his daughter Chanel’s ninth birthday and how his wife Coco takes charge of holiday planning. “If it wasn’t for her there wouldn’t be no holidays as far as Ice-T is concerned,” he joked.
Ice-T also took a playful jab at his Grammy win in 2021 for Best Metal Performance with Body Count’s “Bum-Rush.” “It didn’t come with no money, right? It’s just a Grammy,” he said, laughing about how he had to make duplicate trophies for his friends, unsure if that’s allowed.
A Live Performance to Remember
Ice-T returned to the Tonight Show stage for a performance of Body Count’s heavy, ominous cover of “Comfortably Numb.” Bathed in green light and donning black wrap-around shades, Ice-T delivered the haunting lyrics against the backdrop of distorted guitars and rumbling bass.
Body Count’s Merciless is a bold exploration of modern struggles, and its Pink Floyd cover underscores the band’s ability to bring timeless songs into today’s chaotic world. Ice-T’s story of bridging a decades-long divide between rock titans is as inspiring as the music itself.
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