A longtime Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee is once again weighing in on who he believes belongs in the institution — and his latest comments are raising eyebrows.
Speaking on the LegendsNLeaders podcast, Gene Simmons argued that hip-hop artists should not be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“[H]ip-hop does not belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame,” Simmons said.
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He continued, “Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I just want to know when Led Zeppelin’s going to be in the Hip Hop Hall of Fame.”
At another point in the conversation, Simmons added, “Ice Cube and I had a back and forth. And, you know, he’s a bright guy. Respect what he’s done. It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.”
In the comments, one fan observed, “Rock n roll started thru black influence of the blues. That’s why they are in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame,” and another added, “He sounds like an old bozo 😂.”
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Simmons framed his argument around genre boundaries, saying music categories exist “because it describes an approach.” He described hip-hop as “a spoken word art,” contrasting it with what he considers melody-driven rock songwriting.
This is not the first time the KISS co-founder has targeted rap or hip-hop in interviews. In a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons said, “I am looking forward to the death of rap,” later adding, “Rap will die. Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along.”
The Rock Hall has long embraced a broader definition of rock and roll. Over the years, artists from hip-hop, R&B, pop and beyond have been inducted alongside traditional rock acts. Supporters of that approach often argue that “rock and roll” represents an evolving cultural spirit rather than a strictly guitar-based genre.
Simmons and KISS were inducted into the Rock Hall in 2014.
This story was originally published by Parade on Feb 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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