Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
Chuck D, the frontman for the rap giants Public Enemy, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, has commented on Gene Simmons, the bassist and vocalist for KISS, who has once again questioned the legitimacy of rap and hip-hop artists being admitted into the Hall of Fame, as per theprp. Simmons rekindled the debate earlier this week after fresh remarks about his views on the subject surfaced. Simmons had previously been at odds with members of gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A. back in 2016, around the time of their induction into the hall. Chuck D, who has also dabbled with metal and rock with Prophets Of Rage and other endeavors, offered his thoughts on the subject in a statement provided to TMZ.
Gene Simmons seems to say this about three years anyway, and I guess when the latest group of hip-hop artists and rap music artists come in [to the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame], you know, he’s gonna issue his point. He’s a rock god. But what he fails to realize is that it’s the Rock and RollHall of Fame.
And everything else other than rock — when rock ‘n’ roll splintered in the ’60s, is the roll. And soul music, reggae, hip-hop — which is rap music, because hip-hop is a culture, so it embodies sight, sound, story and style — but music, the vocal on top of the music has already been determined. That’s the roll, that’s the flow, that’s the soul in it. KISS are rock gods, but they don’t have a lot of roll to them.
[Gene‘s] never really going to get off of that point. So, we’re in a time where everybody is saying everything at the same time. Nobody’s really listening, so Gene is gonna probably scream out that probably for the rest of his life, and he’s entitled to his opinion.
Funk rock legend and fellow Rock & Roll Hall of Famers drummer Chad Smith of Red Hot Chili Peppers has also expressed their opinion on the subject. Smith was recently questioned by TMZ while traveling to the airport on whether he thought rap should be included in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
Yeah, of course.
But Gene Simmons disagrees!
Gene Simmons has got a lot of opinions about a lot of things.
