Gene Simmons is not impressed that hip-hop acts have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ahead of bands such as Iron Maiden.
The KISS musician, who was inducted into the famed institution with his band in 2014, has come under fire for airing his grievances with rap and hip-hop’s inclusion on the LegendsNLeaders podcast last week.
“It’s not my music,” he declared. “I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language. 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.”
Simmons complained that heavy metal rockers Iron Maiden were still not in the Rock Hall while hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash is.
“The fact that, for instance, Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is…” he pointed out, noting that he has had a “back and forth” with rapper Ice Cube on the topic.
Addressing the uproar in an interview with People on Wednesday, the Rock and Roll All Nite singer insisted that he “stands by” his comments.
“You can agree to disagree and still respect and admire each other. That’s fine,” the 76-year-old continued. “I have a sense of humour, and you don’t have to agree with my opinion, but I stand by my words. That’s what I believe.
“One, I admire and respect hip-hop. Two, it is not rock ‘n’ roll. And three, when are Led Zeppelin and AC/DC going to be inducted into the Hip Hop Hall of Fame?”
Responding to the claim that his use of the word “ghetto” was racist, the guitarist insisted that “ghetto is a Jewish term”.
“How could you be (racist), when rock is Black music?” he added. “Rock ‘n’ roll owes everything to Black music, statement of fact, period. All the major forms of American music owe their roots to Black music.”
