Gene Simmons Whines About Hip-Hop in the Rock Hall of Fame: “I Don’t Come from the Ghetto”

Gene Simmons has once again criticized the inclusion of hip-hop artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, this time with the not-so-thinly-veiled racist commentary that he’s not “from the ghetto.”

The KISS singer-bassist spoke about the Rock Hall during an appearance on the Legends N Leaders podcast, saying “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.”

He continued, “I said in print many times: Hip-hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras… it’s called the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. But [Ice Cube] shot back and said, ‘No, it’s the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll.’ OK, fine … I just want to know when Led Zeppelin’s gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall of Fame.”

Simmons, who was inducted into the Rock Hall with KISS in 2014, concluded, “Music has labels because it describes an approach. By and large, rap, hip-hop is a spoken-word art. 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 — it’s rhyming and all that. And I know Eminem can go [raps quick gibberish]. I wish him more success. I really don’t give a fuck. It just doesn’t speak to me. With the genius of being able to put words and music and arrange it, [rock music is] much more complex.”

Back in 2014, Simmons told Radio.com, “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, Rock Hall CEO Joel Peresman erroneously accused KISS singer-guitarist Paul Stanley of being “borderline racist,” although it became apparent that he meant Simmons.

The new conversation on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame begins at the 37:50 mark below.