Gene Simmons on Rock Hall “Ghetto” Comment: “I Stand By My Words”

Gene Simmons is sticking by his recent “I don’t come from the ghetto” comment while criticizing the inclusion of hip-hop in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. In a new statement to People, the KISS singer-bassist said, “I stand by my words.”

As previously reported, Simmons told the Legends N Leaders podcast, “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… 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. I said in print many times: Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.”

With many perceiving Simmons’ words to have racist overtones, People reached out to the veteran musician, who defended his comments:

“I stand by my words. Let’s cut to the chase. The word ‘ghetto,’ it originated with Jews. It was borrowed by African Americans in particular and respectfully, not in a bad way. Ghetto is a Jewish term… How could you be [racist] when rock is Black music? It’s just a different Black music than hip-hop, which is also Black music. 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.”

Simmons, who is Jewish, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a member of KISS in 2014. He has been speaking out against hip-hop in the Rock Hall for more than a decade, once saying, “You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? You’re killing me! That doesn’t mean those aren’t good artists. But they don’t play guitar. They sample and they talk. Not even sing… They can run their organization any way they’d like, but it ain’t rock!”

At the time of those comments, Rock Hall CEO Joel Peresman mistakenly accused KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley of being “borderline racist,” although it became apparent that he meant Simmons.

Gene Simmons’ recent comments on hip-hop in the Rock Hall can be seen below, beginning at the 37:50 mark.