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Gene Simmons, the legendary Kiss frontman, is once again sparking a familiar debate with rapper Ice Cube regarding the inclusion of hip-hop in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Simmons has consistently argued that the Hall should focus solely on rock music, while Ice Cube believes hip-hop deserves recognition. Their ongoing dialogue has reemerged as Simmons recently revisited the contentious topic.
The Kiss singer criticized the inclusion of hip-hop in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Since Kiss’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, Simmons has been outspoken about his views on the genre’s place within the institution. He has repeatedly expressed skepticism about hip-hop’s fit in the Hall.
During an appearance on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, Simmons shared his perspective, saying, “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.” He emphasized that his stance extends to other non-rock genres.
Furthermore, Simmons has often questioned the inclusion of diverse musical styles in the Hall of Fame. “As I’ve stated in various publications, hip-hop doesn’t belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, just like opera or symphony orchestras,” he remarked. “Why isn’t the New York Philharmonic in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? It’s because it’s explicitly called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
“And as I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera or symphony orchestras.… How come the New York Philharmonic doesn’t get into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?” he asked. “Because it’s called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Ice Cube once criticized Gene Simmons’ point of view
Simmons has been dredging this argument up for a decade. Ice Cube, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame with N.W.A. in 2015, vehemently disagrees with Simmons.
“Everybody’s got their own opinions and Gene, he’s an OG in the game, but he’s just wrong on this,” he said on The Howard Stern Show.
In a separate conversation, he explained why he thought hip-hop artists deserved recognition by the organization.
“I think that just like any new music, it borrows from the music that’s already there,” he told Rolling Stone. “Rap is a piece of rock & roll, but there’s also a piece of soul, a piece of R&B, a piece of blues — all of that music that comes before it. I think rap captures the spirit of rock & roll just like rappers and guys who do rock & roll capture the same spirit, but they might go in different directions with it. But it’s the same spirit.”
Gene Simmons said he spoke to Ice Cube about the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Simmons and Ice Cube have openly discussed their differing opinions on the matter.
“Ice Cube and I had a back and forth,” he said. “He’s a bright guy, and I respect what he’s done … He shot back that it’s the ‘spirit’ of rock and roll … So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”
Simmons argued that rap focused more on spoken word and shouldn’t be considered to be the same genre as rock bands.
“I just want to know when Led Zeppelin’s going to be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame? Music has labels because it describes an approach,” he said. “By and large, rap, hip-hop is a spoken-word art. Then you put beats in back of it and somebody comes up with a musical phrase, but it’s verbal. There are some melodies, but by and large, it’s a verbal thing.”
For years, however, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has accepted non-rock inductees, including Dolly Parton, Aretha Franklin, Hank Williams, and ABBA.