GENE SIMMONS Defends His 'I'm Not From The Ghetto' Comment While Saying Rap Doesn't 'Belong' In ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has defended his use of the word "ghetto" while saying rap "does not belong" in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

During an appearance on the "Legends N Leaders" podcast posted to YouTube last weekend, Simmons said he respected rap artists who have been inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame but he admitted that he didn't personally connect with their music.

"The fact that, for instance, IRON MAIDEN is not in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, when they can sell out stadiums, and Grandmaster Flash [one of hip-hop's original innovators] is," Gene said.

"[Legendary rapper] Ice Cube and I had a back-and-forth [on this subject], and he's a bright guy and I respect what he's done," he continued. "It's not my music. I don't come from the ghetto. It doesn't speak my language. And I said in print many times, hip-hop does not belong in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, nor does opera, symphony orchestras. How come the New York Philharmonic doesn't get [inducted into] the Rock And Roll [Hall Of Fame]? 'Cause it's called the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. But he shot back and said, No, it's the spirit of rock and roll.' Okay, fine. So Ice Cube and Grandmaster Flash and all these guys are in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I just wanna know when LED ZEPPELIN's gonna be in the Hip-Hop Hall Of Fame. 'Oh, you can't do that?' Oh, really?

"Music has labels because it describes an approach," Simmons explained. "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 [rapper] Eminem can [rap really quickly]. 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, it's much more complex."

On Wednesday (February 11),Simmons gave an exclusive statement to People magazine in which he didn't back down from the use of the word "ghetto" while making his point. "I stand by my words," he said. "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."

As to whether there was a racist undertone to his original comments, Simmons said: "Ghetto is a Jewish term ... How could you be, 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."

KISS was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2014. Ice Cube's rap group N.W.A. was inducted two years later. Other rap artists who have been inducted include Eminem and Jay-Z.

Simmons originally took issue with hip-hop acts — and other non-rock artists — being inducted into the Rock Hall Of Fame during a 2014 interview with Radio.com. He stated at the time: "It's really back-room politics, like Boss Tweed. 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 And Roll Hall Of Fame? RUN-D.M.C. in the Rock And 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!"

He continued: "If you asked Donna [Summer], 'What kind of artist are you?', do you think she would say 'rock?' 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 organization 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."

In a separate 2014 interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons predicted that rap would soon die out, and he'll be the first one to dance on its grave.

"Rap will die. Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along," he told the magazine at the time. "And all that is good and healthy. I am looking forward to the death of rap. I'm looking forward to music coming back to lyrics and melody, instead of just talking. A song, as far as I'm concerned, is by definition lyric and melody, or just melody."

Ice Cube's N.W.A. bandmate MC Ren responded to Simmons during his Rock Hall acceptance speech. He said: "Mr. Gene Simmons, hip-hop is here forever! Get used to it!"

Ice Cube himself commented on hip-hop artists being inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, explaining during his acceptance speech: "Rock 'n' roll is not an instrument. It's not even a style of music. It's a spirit that's been going on since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul, rock 'n' roll, R&B, heavy metal, punk rock and, yes, hip-hop. Rock 'n' roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and life."