Ice-T and David Gilmour Team Up for New Version of Pink Floyd's 'Comfortably Numb'

Ice-T has put a fresh twist on a Pink Floyd classic.

On Friday, Sept. 20, the rapper and his heavy metal band Body Count teamed up with David Gilmour to release a new version of the rock group's 1979 track "Comfortably Numb" from their seminal album The Wall.

The new rendition of the track adds haunting instrumentation from the former Pink Floyd guitarist, 78, which creates a fascinating dichotomy with Body Count's intensity. Also featured on the track are new lyrics from the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star, 66. 

"For me “Comfortably Numb" is an introspective song—it's me acknowledging that I'm older now," Ice-T said in a statement. "I'm telling the younger generation, you've got two choices: you can keep the fire burning or you can give up."

He added: "It's me trying to make sense of what's happening, but also pointing out that we're all in a place where we don’t have to face reality. We've got flat-screen TVs and popcorn, and we can just sit back and watch the chaos of the world like it’s a TV show. It doesn’t feel real until it shows up at your door. I’m a little numb, too—we all are."

In a statement, Gilmour called Body Count's rendition of "Comfortably Numb" "quite radical."

"The words really struck me," he said. "It astonishes me that a tune I wrote almost 50 years ago is back with this great new approach. They've made it relevant again."

In an interview with Rolling Stone on Friday, Sept. 20, Ice-T revealed that Pink Floyd initially didn't permit him to make his own version of the track.

“When we originally contacted their publisher, they said ‘no,'” he told the publication. “It was not a diss, but kind of like ‘Pink Floyd doesn’t do samples. They don’t do ads, either.’ We were f---ed. I wasn’t going to take the lyrics and put it on another track. I was just going to burn it.”

After the "Mind Over Matter" artist decided to ask Gilmour and Roger Waters directly, things changed.

“Once we got to David, he was like, ‘F---, yeah. I love this song. I approve it,'” Ice-T said. “And then Roger listened to it and his only comment was, ‘Who’s singing?’ When he heard it was Ice-T, he approved it.’ To have two people who sit on two opposite sides of the fence agree on a song, that means it must be good.”

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Body Count also announced the release date for their new album, Merciless, which is set to drop on Nov. 22.

The band's last release, Carnivore, came out in 2020.