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
Hip Hop is not intelligent music. It’s not all bad but it is background music at sporting events and any place teenagers work. Simmons talks about the demise of a musical genre and this dope threatens Gene’s life in a round about way. Let me guess? Kweli hates cops and Donald Trump? Very boring. Does Kweli think that he is an activist? I got news for you. Al Sharpton is above all a wealthy man. This nonsense is a business first and foremost. People make big bucks calling everybody a racist. I’m gonna live my life to YOU GOTTA HOP UP AND DO IT. So you can’t comment on Pimp Juice, O.J.Simpson or Obama’s policies and sexist, violent music.
I have no idea who Tweli is, and he’s not worth googling to find out. The way the Grammys and the RRHOF operates only goes to show that who decides what is “hip … up to date and relevant” is a cultural elite.
Talib dodges the main argument by Simmons by attacking him personally. Wishing for the “death” of a certain style of genre of music is just an idiom for wanting something new to take its place. Rap and Hip Hop has dominated and evolved over the years and has replaced rock as the promoted music on popular radio. It is time for something different because despite its evolution, rap is boring. Its lyrics and beats lack originality now. The rappers are less articulate. It is time for something else to take its place. And, I’m sure Gene would agree with Talib that Chuck Berry is the father of rock and roll, so that insult fell flat. To see rappers suffer the fate that many of our rock brethren of the 80’s have suffered by having their whole music lifestyle replaced over night by a new music revolution would be nice.
I don’t know who this bozo rap guy is but I like to hear good music hard rock and heavy metal and to me rap has no talent, hey rappers ever here of randy Rhodes, bon scott, cozy powell, that’s what I thought thank you
Rap won’t die because of it’s audience. Take a look at who the music mostly targets. Seems more and more people are turned away from rock music and heading down the road of rap or country. People don’t take the time to read music or take the time to learn an instrument. Now people lip sync in concert, jump around on stage like a Richard Simmons workout, or use pre programmed drum triggers and keyboard samples to produce what they call music. The pop culture is more interested in the newest iphone on the market then taking the time to understand music history and where it’s headed. Low mentality processed “music” unfortunately will continue to exist.