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

Mar. 15, 2025

Ice-T, David Gilmour.Photo:Cindy Ord/NBC via Getty; Ernesto Ruscio/Getty

Cindy Ord/NBC via Getty; Ernesto Ruscio/Getty

Ice-Thas put a fresh twist on aPink Floydclassic.

On Friday, Sept. 20, the rapper and his heavy metal band Body Count teamed up withDavid Gilmourto release a new version of the rock group’s 1979 track “Comfortably Numb” from their seminal albumThe 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 theLaw & Order: Special Victims Unitstar, 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.”

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 withRolling Stoneon Friday, Sept. 20, Ice-T revealed that Pink Floyd initially didn’t permit him to make his own version of the track.

Ice-T in June 2018.Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty

Katja Ogrin/Redferns/Getty

“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 andRoger Watersdirectly, 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.”

Body Count.Alessandro Solca

Alessandro Solca

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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.

source: people.com