Ice-T: The metal records that changed my life

Rage Against The Machine and Faith No More may be among those credited with inventing and popularising rap-metal, but Ice-T also played his part when Body Count formed back in 1990.

Since then, the band has released five albums of thrash, dark sludge and, of course, rap. But Ice's history with metal goes back even further than that - his solo work is littered with nods to his love for the genre.

The very first track on his debut album, Rhyme Pays, samples Black Sabbath classic War Pigs, while Midnight borrows John Bonham's monstrous When The Levee Breaks drums and the iconic riff from Black Sabbath, by Black Sabbath (from the album Black Sabbath, natch).

Still doubting T's metal credentials? When we speak to the 57-year-old gangster-rap pioneer, he's about to dash to Download Festival's second stage to catch his pal Marilyn Manson's set. Nonetheless, he found time to run us through the five metal records that changed his life.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Are You Experienced

"I want to kick off with a pre-metal album. I got into metal, interestingly, because my cousin who I lived with for a little while thought he was Jimi Hendrix. He really believed he was Jimi Hendrix.

"He couldn't play anything, but he would hang around the house playing air guitar, and that got me into rock music and from there I found metal. So, pre-metal, let's start off with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, Are You Experienced album."

Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath

"I moved from Jimi Hendrix on to Black Sabbath. I love the first Black Sabbath album. I have actually used parts of that album on a lot of my records [like in the track below, Midnight].

"I think people will call that album the invention of heavy metal. Those heavy riffs are incredible."

Slayer - Reign In Blood

"I would have to say Reign In Blood by Slayer. That was an introduction to speed-metal and thrash to me. It showed me more of the heavy shit, more of the aggressive stuff with more of the faster licks and shit.

"When we made Body Count, we were trying to make a cross between Black Sabbath and Slayer with a little bit of Anthrax's humour."

Cannibal Corpse - Tomb Of The Mutilated

"I was listening to all kinds of albums and groups. I'd listen to everything, all kinds of weird shit like Edgar Winter, I'd listen to him and his album Frankenstein and even groups like Mott The Hoople. [sings] 'All the young dudes.'

"I was also listening to Cannibal Corpse. They got in trouble at the same time as us. People were mad at us for doing Body Count, and they were doing Hammer Smashed Face and worse shit than we ever did!

"I mean, things like I Cum Blood. Of course, Cannibal Corpse had a lot to do with my introduction to metal. I was into Cannibal Corpse when my man from Six Feet Under was playing with them, Chris Barnes. I met [current Cannibal Corpse frontman] Corpsegrinder, we toured with them recently and they're crazy. I think we're going to play with them again."

Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies

"I'd have to say Suicidal Tendencies, as well. I know they're more punk than straight-up metal, but they are the guys that really moulded that whole West Coast Gang Banger look into metal. When we came out, Pantera was wearing spandex - somebody had to change the look of rock and they [Suicidal Tendencies] did that.

"We were like, 'We can play rock, but our job is to take the sound and bring the lyrics to the urban ears and to the people.' Instead of me singing about the devil, I'd sing about a .357 magnum."

Rich is a teacher, one time Rhythm staff writer and experienced freelance journalist who has interviewed countless revered musicians, engineers, producers and stars for the our world-leading music making portfolio, including such titles as Rhythm, Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, and MusicRadar. His victims include such luminaries as Ice T, Mark Guilani and Jamie Oliver (the drumming one).