Gene Simmons is once again defending his stance on hip-hop’s place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
In a Wednesday interview with People, the 76-year-old KISS bassist reaffirmed comments he made days earlier on the Legends N Leaders podcast, which sparked widespread criticism. “I stand by my words,” Simmons said, referencing remarks in which he stated, “It’s not my music. I don’t come from the ghetto. It doesn’t speak my language.”
On the podcast, Simmons questioned the Hall’s selection standards, arguing that commercially successful rock acts such as Iron Maiden remain excluded while hip-hop pioneers like Grandmaster Flash have been inducted. He also referenced a past debate with Ice Cube, whom he described as intelligent and accomplished, but maintained his broader point that rap—along with genres such as opera or symphonic music—does not belong in an institution dedicated to rock and roll.
Addressing backlash over his use of the word “ghetto,” Simmons rejected claims that the term carried racist intent. He argued that the word originated in Jewish communities before being adopted more widely. Simmons further emphasized that rock music itself is rooted in Black artistry, calling both rock and hip-hop forms of Black music, though distinct from one another.
"Let's cut to the chase. The word 'ghetto,' it originated with Jews," he said. “It was borrowed by African Americans in particular and respectfully, not in a bad way.”
In response to questions about whether his use of the word carried any racist undertones, he 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," he added.
At the same time, Simmons acknowledged the foundational role Black musicians have played in shaping American music. He described rock ’n’ roll’s debt to Black artists as undeniable and said multiple major U.S. genres trace their origins to Black culture.
The renewed controversy echoes comments Simmons made in 2016, when he said he was “looking forward to the death of rap,” prompting pushback from Ice Cube. The rapper responded publicly at the time, highlighting the shared lineage between early rock pioneers such as Chuck Berry and Little Richard and the evolution of hip-hop.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five became the first hip-hop act hip-hop act inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2007. Since then, artists including LL Cool J, Eminem, Jay-Z, Public Enemy and A Tribe Called Quest have also been honored.