Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Actor Ice-T has signed a deal with Sumerian Recordings, who will issue an album by his band, Body Count in 2013. “BodyCount Fans: BodyCount is signing a new record deal and will start production of new LP in January! Get a vest…,” a post on Ice’s Twitter read. He followed that later with another post: “FYI. The BodyCount deal is with ‘Sumerian Record.’ We’re going in! 2013 BodyCount “Rise!”

Actually, Body Count has been around for a while now. In 1991, rapper Ice-T released his fourth album, O.G. Original Gangster. One of the songs on the album differed drastically from the rest. “Body Count,” a metal, song  turned out to be the blueprint for a new band featuring Ice-T along with guitarist Ernie C., the only original member still in the band. The band’s self-titled album, which came out the following year, was the band’s most successful. It contained a song called “Cop Killer,” which caused enough controversy for the band decided to release an alternate version of the album with the song taken off. While there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about the music, the band’s enthusiasm, combined with the spectacle of a rapper fronting an all-black band, was entertaining. The band released three more albums, each more forgettable than the last, with2006’s Murder 4 Hire on Escapi Records the last album they released. It will be interesting to see what they’ll do on the Sumerian roster. Check out “Body Count’s in the House” from the first album after the jump.