Gene Simmons: Rappers don’t belong in Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

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KISS star Gene Simmons has taken aim at Rock & Roll Hall of Fame bosses for inducting rappers into their Ohio museum.

The bass player and his band will be added to the Hall of Fame in April after a series of near misses in recent years, but the rockers aren't exactly thrilled about the honour.

Simmons and bandmate Paul Stanley feel they should have been inducted years ago - and they're annoyed that rap acts like Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash and Public Enemy got in before them.

Speaking to Radio.com, Simmons says, "A long time ago it was diluted. It's really backroom politics... A few people decide what's in and what's not. And the masses just scratch their heads. You've got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame? Run-DMC 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!

"If you asked Madonna, 'What kind of artist are you?' do you think she would say, 'Oh, rock!' So what they hell are they doing in the Hall of Fame? They can run their organisation any way they'd like, but it ain't rock! It just isn't! If you don't play guitar and you don't write your own songs, you don't belong there."

Earlier this month, singer Stanley revealed KISS would not be performing at the induction ceremony.

[Carol]

I fail to see where Rap belongs in the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame....when Rap first came out in the late 80's I didn't think it would last that long...but somehow it has.
A lot of people didn't care for Disco music but to me this was and is music where as Rap...and still not sure how this is even classified as music let alone belongs in the Rock Hall of Fame....
I grew up with the good old Rock 'n Roll...there are many who deserve to be in the Hall of Fame who for what ever reasons are not there yet these come" Johnny come lately rappers" who are now there who have never as the saying goes...."paid their dues".....keep the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame for Rock 'n Roll music only.....let the rappers have their own Hall of Fame one day.....

[Hippy]