Warning: The following story includes references to police brutality, violence, and murder. Reader discretion is advised.
More than six months after controversially changing the lyrics of his song “Cop Killer” to “ICE Killer,” rapper and actor Ice-T is defending both his decision and his right to protest.
During an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” on Wednesday, the 67-year-old explained that he did not plan to alter the lyrics during a performance at the Warped Tour last July. However, the show came amid heightened tensions and anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles, and Ice-T — who was born in New Jersey but grew up in South Los Angeles — said the moment influenced his decision.
“When I was there, ICE was active out there,” he explained. “So it’s like, I’m in the midst of ICE raids and stuff like that, and I’m in front of an L.A. audience, and it just came out. I didn’t know I was gonna do it.”
He added, “You know, ‘ICE Killer,’ ‘Cop Killer,’ it’s really protest. I’m just protesting.”
🚨 @icet, @treachtribe, and @iambigcourt came through to promote The OG Network and dive into why Ice T changed his record from “Cop Killer” to “Ice Killer.” pic.twitter.com/eN11D0H6Gn
— The Breakfast Club (@breakfastclubam) January 28, 2026
First released in 1992 by Ice-T’s band Body Count, “Cop Killer” addresses police brutality and includes violent imagery directed at law enforcement. The song references then-Los Angeles Police Department Chief Daryl Gates and the beating of Rodney King. Ice-T has long defended the track, saying it was written from the perspective of someone pushed to the breaking point by police violence.
Then-President George H.W. Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, and actor Charlton Heston were among the public figures who condemned the song at the time, with Heston criticizing it during a Time Warner annual shareholders’ meeting. Ice-T later removed the song from the “Body Count” album, though he has continued performing it live.
While speaking with “The Breakfast Club,” Ice-T — whose real name is Tracy Marrow — said he is increasingly concerned about the direction of the country.
“I think we’re headed to some really ugly terrain,” he said. “And Black people really ain’t got nothing to do with it. It’s bad. I think the moment somebody shoots an ICE agent, it’s gonna get bad.”
‘AMERICA VOTED FOR THIS’: A tense exchange between two men with flags and a group of others amid the anti-ICE unrest in Minneapolis. pic.twitter.com/r0E7Yvw9YF
— Fox News (@FoxNews) January 16, 2026
Ice-T also said he does not believe artists are obligated to comment on political or social issues. Singer Billie Eilish offered a contrasting view earlier this week, writing on Instagram that celebrities should use their platforms to speak out against injustice.
The comments come as anti-ICE protests continue nationwide, particularly in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Two people — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — were killed in separate law enforcement-involved shootings this month. An ICE agent shot Good in her vehicle on Jan. 7. The Department of Homeland Security has said the shooting was an act of self-defense after Good put her vehicle into drive while one agent was directly in front of it and another had an arm inside the vehicle.
Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent on Jan. 24 during an altercation. Federal officials have alleged that Pretti was armed with a 9 mm pistol and “violently resisted” efforts to disarm him. Although a gun was recovered, video footage shows Pretti holding a phone in his hand.
