Gene Simmons continues his crusade against the inclusion of rap artists in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, saying he will approve of NWA’s induction only “when Led Zep gets into Rap Hall of Fame”.

His comment follows an ongoing exchange on the definition of rock, between the Kiss guitarist and NWA’s Ice Cube and MC Ren. In his induction speech on 8 April, Ren said: “I want to say to Mr Gene Simmons, hip-hop is here for ever. Get used to it.”

Ren’s comments were triggered after Simmons told Rolling Stone, he was “looking forward to the death of rap”. In response, Ice Cube posted a definition of rock’n’roll:

@genesimmons I repeat. And say this with a Kiss. pic.twitter.com/ILKaRWrvxX — Ice Cube (@icecube) April 11, 2016

Ice Cube also raised the issue of rock’s ancestry in a tweet toward Simmons, asking: “Who stole the soul? Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Chubby Checker help invent rock & roll. We invent it. Y’all reprint it.”



Simmons has since replied with his comments regarding Led Zeppelin, stating on 11 April: “I stand by my words. Respect NWA, but when Led Zep gets into Rap Hall of Fame, I will agree with your point.”

Simmons has long denied rap’s place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “A few people decide what’s in and what’s not,” he told Radio.com in 2014. “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.”

NWA became the fifth hip-hop act to join the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on 8 April, joining Run-DMC, Beastie Boys, Public Enemy and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. “The question is: are we rock’n’roll?” Ice Cube asked at the ceremony. “I say, you goddamn right we are. It’s not an instrument or a style of music, it’s a spirit. It’s been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, heavy metal, punk rock and yes, hip-hop. What connects us all is that spirit.

“Rock’n’roll is not conforming to the people who came before but creating your own path in life. That is rock’n’roll and that is us. Rock’n’roll is NWA.”