Gene Simmons Criticizes Rock Hall Hip-Hop Inductions

Gene Simmons, the co-founder and bassist of the rock band KISS, reignited his long-standing criticism of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during a recent appearance on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, arguing that hip-hop artists do not belong in the institution dedicated to rock music.

The 76-year-old musician, whose band was inducted into the Cleveland-based hall in 2014, expressed frustration over the inclusion of hip-hop pioneers such as Grandmaster Flash, who was enshrined in 2007, while heavy metal band Iron Maiden remains ineligible despite selling out stadiums worldwide. "The fact that Iron Maiden is not in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash is," Simmons said on the podcast hosted by Ben Weiss. He described hip-hop as "not my music," adding, "I don't come from the ghetto. It doesn't speak my language."

Simmons characterized the genre primarily as a "spoken-word art," noting that it involves beats and occasional musical phrases but is fundamentally verbal and rhythmic rather than melodic. He questioned the hall's criteria, asking rhetorically why opera or symphony orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, are not inducted if...