ICE-T 'Had No Problem' With METALLICA's Collaboration With LADY GAGA

BODY COUNT frontman, hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T says that he "had no problem" with METALLICA's collaboration with pop superstar Lady Gaga at this year's Grammy Awards.

METALLICA's appearance with Gaga at the 59th annual event in Los Angeles on February 12 turned into something of a disaster when the Grammy sound crew did not turn frontman James Hetfield's mic on, forcing him to share the mic with Gaga after the first verse and chorus.

As a further humiliation, presenter Laverne Cox did not even introduce METALLICA by name. At the end of the song, a visibly angry Hetfield hurled his guitar at a road crew member while kicking over his mic stand.

During an interview on the "The Countdown" show on SiriusXM Rush, Ice-T offered his opinion of METALLICA's performance on the Grammys, saying (hear audio below): "I had no problem with it. I had a problem with the person that announced them saying, 'The winner of this many Grammys…' and then they just forgot to say their name and then they said, 'Lady Gaga.' I'm, like, 'METALLICA. You forgot…' So I was, like, already, 'Oh-oh…' And then when James's mic wasn't on, I was, like, 'Okay.' But they're professionals; they just played it through."

He continued: "As far as Lady Gaga, she's the business. You know, I think entertainers respect real entertainers, and I think she's proved herself. Of course, when she hit the first scene, everybody was, like, 'Okay, this is all gimmick,' but she's a lot more than that. She's the business. I've been fortunate to meet her a few times. She's a nice girl, she's a nice lady. So God bless Lady Gaga. I think it was fly. And I think METALLICA was fly for saying, 'Let's do it.' You know what I'm saying? You know, what's the problem? What's the problem?"

BODY COUNT's new album, "Bloodlust", will be released on March 31 via Century Media. The disc was recorded with producer Will Putney (MISS MAY I, UPON A BURNING BODY),who also helmed 2014's "Manslaughter".

The new CD will feature guest appearances by Max Cavalera (SOULFLY, SEPULTURA),MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine and LAMB OF GOD frontman Randy Blythe. The effort will also contain BODY COUNT's medley of the SLAYER songs "Postmortem" and "Raining Blood".