KISS frontman/bassist Gene Simmons recently told Kory Grow of Rolling Stone, that he was looking forward to the death of Rap.
In response to his comment, rapper Talib Kweli fired back on Twitter, “Would it be unfair of me to say I’m looking forward to the death @genesimmons or nah?,” he wrote, alongside a screenshot of his Rolling Stone interview. “Chuck Berry s–ts on KISS,” he added.
Simmons tweeted back, “Apparently pointing out that everything is cyclical — even music — is ‘controversial.’ People are very easily offended.”
Kweli directly responded to the tweet on his own Twitter account, writing, “Pointing out everything is ‘cyclical’ is different than ‘looking forward’ to things dying. Do better Gene.” The Brooklyn-born rapper also offered him rap legend KRS-One’s lyrics on Instagram, which state:
“Hip means to know, it’s a form of intelligence
To be hip is to be up to date and relevant
Hop is form of movement You just can’t observe a hop,
you gotta hop up and do it
Hip and hop is more than music
Hip is knowledge, hop is the movement
Hip and hop is intelligent movement”
Thus far Simmons has not replied directly to Kweli, but did post a quote from actor Sir Anthony Hopkins that reads:
“My philosophy is:
It’s none of my business what people say of me and think of me.
I am what I am and do what I do.
I expect nothing and accept everything.
And it makes life so much easier.”
Simmons wrote above the quote, “Good one, Mr. Hopkins.”
additional source: billboard.com
10 Responses
Simmons make a valid point about rap (thankfully) having peaked and now in decline, and this individual responds with a half-wish for Gene to die. That pretty much sums up the entire rap ethic. Listen to the Roots Crew (rap derivitive) on Jimmy Fallon; they haven’t played a musical riff since the show premiered. It’s all ugly voices and fractured noise. Related: the fact is, all the vintage metal and hard rock acts out there touring are part of a bygone era. The main reason they don’t resonate for me is because I was around when it all was new, and I’ve just heard the songs and the style too many times. I can’t get too excited about bands who recall the golden eras of hard rock.
I guess you could say I’m jaded, and I need a special kind of rock fix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28vnPtJUqEg
I don’t know when rap will decline, but I hope I live long enough to see it. The thing that I can’t stand is that it’s saturated seemingly every facet of American media. It’s all over TV commercials, radio, movies, Disney TV shows – my elementary school kids are starting to do it and “yo-yo-yo talkin’ to dere daddy like DIS!” while doing those stupid “rappy” hand movements and I HATE IT. It’s like people, especially younger kids, think that’s what we’re supposed to aspire to and the sheep just keep flocking to it. Um, no. Why exactly is it supposed to be cool to be “gangsta”? Isn’t it when what used to be “edgy” becomes complete mainstream it fizzles out and gets replaced with something else? Why hasn’t that happened to rap yet…
Rappers are idiots. Money, drugs, ho’s, guns, the hood. Nothing positive. Ever. The only rap I dig is stuff like Digital Underground and the Slim Shady song by Eminem. Why? Because they are hilarious. And rap is a joke, so, therefore, it should be hilarious. So, Taliban KY Jelly or whatever the hell your name is, you sir are a buffoon of the highest order.
Once upon a time, there was a wrestler named Double J, Jeff Jarrett who wrote a song called “Rap is Crap.” Great tune! I guess I’m a racist now lol
wow KISS has been going strong for 40+ years that rap clown will last as long as a kleenex