Gene Simmons got under the skin of a lot of rap fans this week with his hot take on hip-hop being in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. One of the genre's longest tenured MCs, Public Enemy's Chuck D, is now stepping in to add more discourse by challenging the KISS member's opinion.
As caught by Complex, he shared his respectful retort to his X (formerly Twitter) page early yesterday morning. "Gene definitely has his opinion and it carries major weight. However, it is The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," Chuck begins.
"Not considering it 'ROCK' may hold a debatable point but clearly RAP and some other genres of movement are the 'ROLL.'" Public Enemy's frontman concludes "Rock and Roll clearly splintered all over the place in the 1960s and big banged ever since."
While some folks are in an agreement with Chuck D's view, some just feel this could all be solved in a very simple way. "The problem is they call it “Rock n Roll” then add people of other genres. So it creates a bit of confusion. Just rename it “Music Hall of Fame” at this point with separate wings for different genres."
Another somewhat echoes that sentiment while slamming Gene in the process. "If he actually visited the museum (which is questionable at this point), he’d know that they very clearly define Rock n’ Roll as a way of life, not of a particular genre of music. It’s meant to highlight performers who have left an impact on multiple cultures through their music."
What Did Gene Simmons Say About Hip-Hop?
The KISS bassist's comments surfaced during an interview with Legends N Leaders. In the sit-down he said, "The fact, for instance, that Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is... Ice Cube and I had a back and forth. He's a bright guy and I respect what he's done. It's not my music. I don't come from the ghetto. It doesn't speak my language."
Getting more technical with his opinion, Gene added, "Music has labels because it describes an approach. 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."
