Gene Simmons rants about hip-hop’s inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: “It’s not my music”
Kiss’ Gene Simmons has condemned the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for including hip-hop acts.
While the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which began 40 years ago in 1986, initially celebrated exclusively rock-leaning acts, it has since opened up to a broader spectrum of music in recent years.
Grandmaster Flash was the first hip-hop act to be inducted in 2007. Since then, the likes of LL Cool J, Eminem, Jay-Z, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest have been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Additionally, Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, who would both be classified as country artists rather than rock ‘n’ roll, have also been inducted in recent years.
Now, during an episode of the Legends and Leaders podcast, Simmons ranted against the inclusion of hip-hop stars, stating (per Blabbermouth), “The fact that Iron Maiden is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is.”
He added of hip-hop on a whole, “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language. And I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras. How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get the Rock and Roll (induction)?”
Simmons also brought up a previous argument he had with Ice Cube, who he called a “bright guy”, on the subject, recalling, “It’s called the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. But (Ice Cube) shot back and said, ‘No, it’s the spirit of rock and roll.’ Okay, fine. So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The Kiss musician added, “I just wanna know when Led Zeppelin’s gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame. Oh, you can’t do that?”
Although Simmons said that hip-hop “doesn’t speak to me”, he did state that he views it to be “a spoken-word art”, before adding, “There are some melodies, but by and large it’s a verbal thing – it’s rhyming and all that.”
He was even less complimentary about EDM, adding, “Much easier is to do EDM. And by the way, I’m a fan of it. I love anything that makes people happy. But in terms of talent? There are no tribute bands to Skrillex. Nobody covers those songs.”
The latest Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class featured a broad number of artists from across the board, ranging from OutKast to Bad Company to The White Stripes. Simmons was previously inducted alongside Kiss in 2014.
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