Gene Simmons sparked backlash after sharing blunt opinions about hip hop and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame during a recent appearance on the Legends N Leaders podcast.
The KISS cofounder questioned why rap artists have been inducted while some rock acts remain outside.
“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, I don’t get it,” Simmons said. He added that hip hop does not connect with him personally. “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.”
Simmons recalled a past debate with Ice Cube about the issue, saying Cube argued that the Hall represents the spirit of rock and roll. Simmons pushed back with a comparison of his own.
“I just wanna know when Led Zeppelin’s gonna be in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame,” he said.
He went on to describe rap as primarily verbal, saying, “By and large, it’s a spoken word art,” while acknowledging artists like Eminem. “I wish him more success. It just doesn’t speak to me.”
Simmons also reflected on the music business today, expressing concern about how artists get paid. “The saddest thing of all is the business,” he said. “The next Beatles won’t get a chance.”
