Beatmaster V
{{short description|American drummer (1959-1996)}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Beatmaster V
| image =
| caption =
| image_size =
| birth_name = Victor Ray Wilson
| birth_place = Los Angeles, California, U.S.
| birth_date = February 20, 1959
| death_place =
| death_date = April 30, 1996 (aged 37)
| instrument = Drums
| genre = Rap metal, crossover thrash, hardcore punk, groove metal
| occupation = Musician
| years_active = 1990–1996
| past_member_of = Body Count
}}
Victor Ray Wilson (February 20, 1959 – April 30, 1996), better known as Beatmaster V, was an American musician and drummer of metal band Body Count.
Early life
Wilson grew up in South Central, Los Angeles, and attended Crenshaw High School with Ice-T and Ernie C.{{cite book|last1=Marrow|first1=Tracy|last2=Century|first2=Douglas|title=Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood|year=2011|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-345-52328-0|pages=[https://archive.org/details/icememoirofgangs00icet/page/127 127–140]|chapter=Freedom of Speech|chapter-url-access=registration|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/icememoirofgangs00icet/page/127}} As a musician he participated in music wherever he could, including church music with his local church.{{cite web|last=Futura |first=Joeh |title=Musical continuation, Effort In South Los Angeles |url=http://www.LostNewsDept.9f.com |publisher=Lost (and Found) News |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150120134423/http://www.lostnewsdept.9f.com/ |archive-date=2015-01-20 }}
In his community and church, as a youth, Beatmaster V practiced drums and other instruments. He excelled in his musical ability at an early age. By the time he was 11 years old he played with the blues musician Lou Rawls, as a drummer. He continued on and took drum classes, and built more musical skill playing with various musicians like Ernie C.{{cite book |last1=Marrow |first1=Tracy |last2=Century |first2=Douglas |title=Ice: A Memoir of Gangster Life and Redemption—from South Central to Hollywood |year=2011 |publisher=Random House |isbn=978-0-345-52328-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/icememoirofgangs00icet/page/70 70–77] |chapter=Nightmare Walking |chapter-url-access=registration |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/icememoirofgangs00icet/page/70 }}
Music career
Along with guitarist Ernie C, vocalist Ice-T, bassist Mooseman and rhythm guitarist D-Roc, Wilson formed the heavy metal band Body Count during the recording of Ice-T's fourth hip hop album, O.G. Original Gangster. Musically, later, after their many days of rehearsing and performing, Beatmaster V and Ernie C. ended up in the same L.A. band, Body Count. The band was founded by Ice T. & the other bandmates. After initially presenting the Body Count band sounds in L.A. clubs and venues Body Count went on to perform in the original Lollapalooza), & many other events and places across America & around the world.
Death
Wilson died of leukemia in 1996.{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/icet/articles/story/6436921/body_count_guitarist_dead|title=Body Count Guitarist Dead|access-date=2007-10-09|last=Devenish|first=Colin|date=August 19, 2004|publisher=Rolling Stone|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013111109/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/icet/articles/story/6436921/body_count_guitarist_dead|archive-date=October 13, 2007|url-status=dead}}
Jonathon James, a family member, played with Body Count as a backup drummer on the album Violent Demise: The Last Days in place of Wilson.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Body Count}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Drummers from Los Angeles
Category:African-American drummers
Category:African-American rock musicians
Category:Place of death missing
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:American heavy metal drummers
Category:Body Count (band) members
Category:American rock drummers
Category:20th-century American drummers
Category:American male drummers
Category:Deaths from leukemia in the United States
Category:Crenshaw High School alumni
Category:20th-century American male musicians
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