Talib Kweli has responded to statements Gene Simmons made in Rolling Stone that were published Thursday (March 17) in which the Kiss singer said he is “looking forward to the death of Rap.”
“Would it be unfair of me to say I’m looking forward to the death @genesimmons or nah? Chuck Berry shits on Kiss,” Talib Kweli wrote on Twitter yesterday (March 18).
Prior to the Brooklyn, New York rapper’s comment, Simmons responded to the overall backlash he was receiving for his Rolling Stone comments, which included him bashing several other genres of music, including Rock and Roll.
“Apparently pointing out that everything is cyclical – even music – is “controversial”. People are very easily offended,” Simmons wrote on Twitter.
Talib Kweli didn’t buy Simmons’ response.
“Pointing out everything is ‘cyclical’ is different than ‘looking forward’ to things dying. Do better Gene,” Kweli wrote on Twitter.
Kweli then posted lyrics from “Hip Hop Lives,”the title track from KRS-One & Marley Marl’s 2007 album: “Hip means to know / It’s a form of intelligence / To be hip is to be up-date and relevant / Hop is a form of movement / You can’t just observe a hop / You got to hop up and do it / Hip and hop is more than music / Hip is the knowledge, hop is the movement / Hip and hop is intelligent movement.”
(The original post in this thread was published March 17, 2016. It is as follows.)
Gene Simmons, who has long been critical of Rap, has again dissed the genre.
“I am looking forward to the death of Rap,” the Kiss singer says during an interview with Rolling Stone. “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.”
In 2014, Simmons complained about the induction of Rap acts into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?” the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member said at the time of 2007 inductees Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five. “Run-DMC 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.”
In the new interview with Rolling Stone, Simmons also predicts the end of Rap.
“Rap will die,” he says. “Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along. And all that is good and healthy.
“I don’t have the cultural background to appreciate being a gangster,” Simmons adds elsewhere in the interview. “Of course that’s not what it’s all about, but that’s where it comes from. That’s the heart and soul of it. It came from the streets.”
Typical guitar lover.
I love both genre’s.
Wasn’t Rap Just Deemed To Be The Most Listened To Genre IN THE WORLD According To Various Streaming Services WorldWide?
Pure ignorance
The irony is I thought gene Simmons was dead.
im gonna jack off in this fools bedroom if he keeps talking reckless about hip-hop.
WTF is this guy talking about? I love rock as much as the next person, but how can he not appreciate the genre after hearing lyricists like Kendrick, Hopsin, Tech N9ne, J. Cole, and TI? This guy apparently doesn’t know much about hip hop if he denies the talent of those I just mentioned plus several others that I didn’t name.
Hopsin? C’mon white boy. You corny.
Who gives a f*ck about this fool?
Canibus would like to have a word with you… and that alone would be more lyrical content than the entire Kiss discography.
With all due respect, nothing more than a man with an obsolete vision on things.
And I’m not even protecting rap music as at least half of it does suck, but that also goes for a lot of rock acts.
Like Rock&Roll wasn’t labeled as just off beat screaming done by the people who couldn’t dance or sing lol the ‘gangster’ line is a lil disrespectful but it’s common hate from outsiders. I don’t know why the Rock&Roll Hall of Fame isn’t just called the Pop Music Hall of Fame to just kill that whole perception. -Rock&Roll died when bands became more concerned about the length of their hair and amount of face paint that will go well with their on stage pyrotechnics more than hit music-
Hopefully he dies first lipstick make up wearin weird dressin cornball he dont like rap and rap dont like him
Well he kind right, I think rap will turn more towards rhythm & singing like drake & go away from lyrics. Honestly most the hits in hip-hop hold a melody.
“rhythm & singing like drake & go away from lyrics.” Then it’s not rap, is it. rap is all about lyrics. rap is in the middle of transition right now, because people are tired of hearing the same song about dollars & pussy & guns. drake is rap-lite & shifting to all-out mainstream pop. the praise kendrick is getting is proof that rap in its pure lyrical form is nowhere near dead, and his indie style characterizes the transition the genre is in.
while Drake incorporates more melody, hiphop has always had melody – thats part of flow. Drake is just called “rap-lite” cuz he is canadian and his appearance. If you listen objectively to his music, he’s inline with Jay-Z and LL Cool J. He has good quotable bars whereas Kendrick Lamar is like a Black Thought – good but sort of pseudo-intellectual. Kendrick’s bars come out overthought and like he is trying too hard. Its ver digestable by mainstream as the sound is old and derivative. Its fine but aint in line with the style of traditional NY hiphop type-lyrcism. Drake is more that mold, tbh. sorry
he’s not wrong. for the past 7 years rappers have ben moving towards EDM and signing and R&B, all the top dudes this site and everyone gushes about are basically edgy singers from the 50s. It’s kinda-sort of rapping but all your favorite rappers are trying to get into other genres and mix it up. That true, 90s actual rap is seen as corny. You all know it’s true.
Not before you die gene .you gonna die way way before buddy
the underground artist is going to take over the mainstream untalented one…its not gonna die it is coming back with a differents way to do with better lyrics and real subjet killing the superficial money and women things …you can’t see it if you only listen to those lame rapper who make rap/hip-hop look bad….take a look at the underground independent its where you need to dig
This comes from a guy who made millions making shitty songs while dressed in drag and make up. Wow.
Haha too bad your old ancient ass will die before rap music ever does
What a cu_nt
Fu
and a lot of us dont come from a culture to appreciate men wearing platforms and makeup making corny af music, do watever makes u happy bro im not wishing death on nothing, but we like weed and chillin
Ok Gene Simmons I get it you hate rap because of its watered down lyrical content and music quality. But let’s be real here what the fuck did kiss contribute to music that was that influential? You guys wear paint on your face and WWE costumes. In the 70s your Fanbase actually turned on you because they thought you guys were watering down commercially which ironically is the same problem in rap music. You sold bad little figurines and everything and completely sold out. Yes I know my rock ‘n’ roll history like I know my rap history you are the pot calling the kettle black
Whats funny is when you look at the content of Kiss’s music and then the content rap’s biggest artists like Jay, Nas, Kendrick, J.Cole, Tribe Called Quest, Rakim (the list obviously goes on and on). Gene Simmon’s own lyrics are so incredibly shallow compared to what hip hop has brought to music. Not to mention that this comes from a man who LITERALLY wore make up every day of his life. Fuck this dude.
Rap has lyrics and melody so your arguement is flawed from jump…you can tell this dude is old and out of touch hip hop will be here when were all gone
Gene Simmons will die way before Rap does
This guy is so close minded. Hip Hop will never die he thinks its going to die like disco. Hip Hop is about freedom and expressing yourself. Hip Hop is the face of the youth. Artists like Drake sell to high schoolers and young college students. Nas and Jay-Z are more for a mature audience. And thats my 2 cents
Yes….rap would die in 1985, then it was supposed to die in 1995…then it was supposed to die in 2006
Now Gene Simmons says its going to die again…..
Well to be honest…in its current form…I hope it does die. Just like Lyor Cohen said…he’s going to Bury Young Thugs
Slime Season 3.
All that Dirty South Trap music needs to die. Its been almost 20 years of that nonsense.
Someone needs to come up with something new. Kendrick musically is on the right path….tho his lyrics are a throwback to
1988. Nothing new really.
Current form? Hip hop is not confined to one singular form, hasn’t been for decades. Like any other genre, hip hop is composed of countless sub-genres. It just so happens that the so-called Dirty South Trap music or whatever (not all of which is bad) is the currently the most played on radio. Just like gangsta used to be. Though its not as popular as it used to be or as you make it out to be. Anyway, there are some, no, a lot of great hip-hop artists out there that are in fact making fantastic music that is both new and groundbreaking. It’s just that you’re totally oblivious of their existence. It’s just that people like you make the terrible mistake of judging the quality of hip hop music in its entirety almost purely based on what you hear on mainstream radio. Not a good idea. Oh, and when it comes to Kendrick, it’s actually the other way around. The music is a throwback, what with the whiny synths attributed to G-Funk. And because Kendrick simply a rapper, he not really musical to begin with. Other people produce his beats for him. But it doesn’t matter if his lyrics are old or new or whatever. All that matters is retaining good, relevant lyrics, and that’s exactly what he’s got.
Lol uneducated rock head.. Rap will never die… It’s an art form.. That’s like saying Poetry will die, Rap is a way of expressing yourself… And it ain’t “talking” that’s how I know he doesn’t know what he’s talking about.. Its the way you can flow over a beat and become one with it
Try to Flow over a beat and see how hard it is..
Gene Simmons your legacy will be long over before Rap is actually dead.
One love
Rap will never die. This guy is a clown…all they do is sample and talk?..tell that the the roots
Gene Simmons is 100% right but not why you thing. We have helped destroy it. It’s the artists pursuit of fame and money and a generation of fans who are allergic to depth. In a time where rappers should have more to say, everyone sold out to have a good time or turn up.” Like poster said below, no radio station are playing hip-hop right now.
NewsFlash: The chances that Gene Simmons dies in the next 10 years is higher than the chances that rap dies within that same time period. The truth is that HipHop/Rap has been co-opted and the culture no longer decides what’s cool and what should matter. The lack of “conscious,” “family friendly,” or even “love” rap on the radio should let everyone know what’s really at play. I mean, the struggle of the streets is REAL and needs to be heard, but after electing the first black president of the United States I expected that we as a culture would be asking for more diversity in the kind of music we’re being fed.
U gonna die in 10 years too simmons
Gene Simmons is a Dumbass Fuck him
I guess Mr. Simmons forgot blues and rock n roll music were born out of struggle and came from the ‘streets’ also? Have no idea why some of these older rock artists are so bitter and fail to acknowledge the fact that their respective genre’s were at one point viewed exactly the same way.
He is not making any sense because music never dies It may evolve a little or become less popular but it never DIES. IE: Classic Rock Is called CLASSIC because it’s not new or even at the height of it’s popularity but it’s STILL HERE. Rap has lasted 30+ years so I doubt if it will “DIE” or even fade out. It has def. evolved though.
this dude is completely ignorant no knowledge of this genre he’s mad that rock is dead gtfoh!
Run DMC > kiss
This is coming from guy who made millions from a genre that was stolen from African Americans? Yeah go die bitch
its like bruh u weren’t in the beatles u were in KISS. nobody gives a fuck about you.
“It came from the streets.”
He’s right.
That’s precisely the reason it’ll never “die”.
Damn. Is it 1985?
Commercial Rap is going downhill yes. Real rap will stay alive in the underground forever
Not very convincing.
When Jesus Christ comes back all of this foolish music will die rap rnb rock jazz country so called gospel etc. ….now who gonna check Jesus….some of yall go hard for evil IJS only the wise will understand
Fuck your Jesus! Real niggas don’t believe in bullshit!
I agree with him. Hip Hop isn’t Rock & Roll. It may have some origins in Rock & Roll, but it is melody, it is talent, but it isn’t Rock & Roll. It’s Beats & Rhymes. I wouldn’t compare these guys to Gene Simmons. I don’t care for his music. I don’t want to have to see my favorites in a category with some Rock & Roll guys. Hip Hop needs it’s own lane.
Rock and Roll is not an original genre much like rap. Rock and Roll was stolen from Blues and Soul. Elvis Presley is the Justin Bieber of his time who never wrote anything original or authentic.
Is this the same Kiss group that wore makeup on stage and breathed fire? That Kiss? The same group that screamed through most of their songs? That group? Take several seats sir. There may be some rap that is very hard to tolerate (like your music), but the genre as a whole is doing pretty good and there are some very good artist that are breaking boundaries and setting records. What is rock doing now?
I don’t disagree with him for the most part. Rap dying isn’t something he can predict. Also, it did not come from the streets. It came from slave times when the white men whipped the slaves. The slaves would sing and rap trying to get through that/cope with the harsh reality that they were in. It grew and eventually became popular through the “vehicle” of what we call the streets. Hip hop and rap have been around for centuries. Its just changed since slave times substantially, just like rock has changed. And kiss sucked anyways. Few hits if that. They were all about their shows (which were phenomenal) to cover their mediocre music. Glam rock genre wasn’t very good, minus a few bands such as motley crue- the genre died fairly quickly in the early 90s.
I sure hope so.
Though definitely a dickhead. He’s kinda right… Because white Mainstream caught wind of something dope and is now exploiting it for all of it’s essence. See: Folk, Jazz, Blues, Rock, Real Pop (Prince, MJ, Etc.). I kind of can’t wait for rap to die too so it’s not condoned that you get an easy paycheck off of all the bullshit coming out. Aside from a few artists the good shit is being bogged down by a lot of bullshit. But they already tried to commercialize genres after hiphop with EDM and dubstep and they died as far as mainstream goes. This Alternative R&B is going pretty strong. But if Gene Simmons think samplers won’t be in the next generation of music, nigga is dumber than he sounds. It’ll never be just instruments anymore it’s a rap for that.
dude still mad because rappers are the new rock stars of the day. you ain’t gotta like it but respect it! his kids probably listen to rap
Fuck Gene “Bitch” Simmons that ass wipe that dresses like a fucking checker board with lipstick tight ass outfit and a damn guitar go play that bull shit in a barn somewhere ass hole.
Interesting, music criticism coming from a guy who’s band were more known for their makeup rather than their music. How about that? Yeah, gangsta will forever be the first thing that pops into the close-minded heads of people like Simmons the very second that they hear the words hip-hop or rap.
Just two things:
1. Spoken word (i.e. talking) is widely regarded as a form of music. Two words: Saul Williams
2. As far as melody goes, I’m gonna go ahead and guess that Simmons has never heard of Kid Cudi
This actually reminds of another article I once read a few years ago written by a guy who claimed that hip-hop doesn’t qualify as music because, apparently, its completely and totally devoid of harmony. Perhaps he’s never heard of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.
Oh well, who knows hip-hop better than someone who doesn’t listen to it?
They have some good songs. Thank God for Kurt.
When he says “rap will die”, I think he means as a commercialized genre you hear in the “top 40” of pop music. He thinks the majority of 2016 top 40 artists are not real songwriters but karaoke singers and he is right on there. Like Keith Richards, he doesn’t like rap because he wants to hear an artist sing a melody to him – not someone “yelling over a drum machine”, as Keith says. Of course there is more to rap than someone yelling over a drum machine and his statements are inflammatory to those who are deeply into the genre. But I do get what he is saying about the lack of songwriters being promoted and assisted by record companies. Say what you will about Kiss but they wrote a lot of great songs (they could have used some help from rappers on some of the fromage lyrics but i enjoy melody over lyrics anyway) . For example, check out Gene’s song “A World Without Heroes”.
He’s mad because rock and roll died. And hip hop is ruling the planet right now! I bet this idiot is voting for Trump too!
I disagree, not to make it a racial/cultural thing, but it is. Rap/hip hop means so much to black people. For some reason, whitepeople like imitating black people(ahem Elvis), so until they get rid of us, rap is here to stay
Fuck your opinion bitch ass
Keith Richards snorted his fathers ashes, so I think his opinion on anything is irrelevant to me. Just as Gene Simmons. Gangsta rap hates you back, f@gs.
Here is someone with their finger on the pulse of America, Gene Simmons. Remember all those kiss songs that stood the test of time? Neither do we.
Rock and Roll came from folk, folk came from slaves. Now let’s just say black people created those sounds so you think that black people just going to stop?
OFF TOP WHO KNOWS ANY KISS SONGS OR LYRICS? THE ONLY SIMMONS WE ACKNOWLEDGE IS RUSSEL… GTFOH!!!! THE LAST THING U MADE RELEVANT IS OVER 35 YEARS AGO AND I HAD TO GOOGLE U TO LEARN THAT. SUCKER.
Your name gene simmons
Haven’t ever heard of you
Or your fucking crew
And what you said is true ?
Well you should stick your ass
On a fucking chair with glue
Cause no one give a damn of what you say
But if you point fingers at hip hop
Graveyard is aplace where you will lay
I’m letting you go
Cause Idont wanna end this with a diss
But you better shut your mouth
Or we will end your life’s Bliss
As a longtime fan of hip hop/rap’s old skool, I don’t think Simmons is off the mark. All genres have a lifetime cycle. Do you think that old be-boppers ever imagined that jazz would be usurped by rock n’ roll? Rock stars though rock would never die either but it too is now facing a regressive future.
Why would hip hop think it’s immune? It had its birth which was street level and exciting, then a decade long golden era where each successive innovation in sound and technique was reflected in ascendant popularity (from Run DMC to LL Cool J to Eric B & Rakim to PE to De La to Tribe to Ice-T to NWA to Wu-Tang to Nas to Biggie to Tupac – that’s quite an amazing run!) By the late 90’s we saw hip hop enter its most commercial phase and begin to degrade in quality (yes I’m talking about the Puffy years). The crossover with R&B began which, in the earlier era, would’ve totally been seen as a sell-out. It’s like hip hop’s “hair metal” era. Timbaland and Pharrell was the last blip of originality, taking hip hop into the space age, which was unbelievably successful.
The new stuff that abounds now sounds like a genre losing its way. Strip away the samples and a lot of the historical references are gone. The beats are scattered and the flow is so beyond off-rhythm as to sound amateur. The new batch of producers out there sound devoid of ideas and the songs meander pointlessly. And all the atmospheric production strips the genre of what made it fun in the first place. Trap, crunk and all the new transmorgifications just sound like retreading old territory. And while Kendrick Lamarr’s message is on point, his albums are exercises in tedium. I can’t listen to them all the way through.
So, in an inadvertent, off-hand way Simmons is right. It is the sound of a musical genre regressing and dying. None of the new artists are remotely as exciting or interesting as those of yore. Kanye is way overrated, Tyler the Creator is dull, Earl Sweatshirt is bland. none of this shit is setting the world on fire anymore. Rap is eating itself. It’s long slow decline has begun and it’ll implode like rock before it.
And who cares if dude hates hip hop? How many heads hate pop or rock or metal or whatever? Dissenting opinions are the American way.
Seems to me that a lot of people care, what with the fact that this post has accumulated well over 100 comments and all. Rock isn’t around? News to me. Kanye’s too hated to be overrated. God I hate that word. But hey, it rhymes. Who likes Tyler the Creator anyway? That whole group was a letdown. Anyway, its subgenres, which hip hop is not, that die out. Grunge for example, which got rid of said hair bands. I’ll be frank, you come off as yet another head proclaiming “Old school is and will forever be the best.” Just look at all the rappers you listed. It’s a game of “What do they all have in common?” We must invariably put Tupac and Biggie side by side don’t we? Give it time, in the future, our kids will be the one’s complaining how stagnant rap has become and state that it was the best when Chance the Rapper, Drake, Mac Miller, A$AP Rocky, J. Cole, Logic, Vince Staples, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick, Joey Bada$$, and ScHoolboy Q were doing their thing. Once again, what do they all have in common? It happens to every generation of every genre of popular music. People really do need to calm down about K-Dot though. While I will never, ever use the word overrated, I still can’t believe Billboard listed him as one of the ten best MCs of all time. He’s made fantastic albums, much like Kanye has whether you admit it or not, but the dude is three years old. Are you serious? Make note that this is all of course overlooking the vehemently talented underground rappers and producers who are making innovative, groundbreaking music but are being completely ignored because, unlike the rappers both of us listed, haven’t had a hit single. As a byproduct, they aren’t calculated whenever people like you make an attempt to engender an analyzation of the current state of hip-hop. Lastly, dissenting opinions are not just the American way, especially considering the advent of the internet and comment sections like this. Don’t know where you got that idea from. I will agree with you on one major thing though: What the hell is so wrong with sampling nowadays? Hip hop isn’t even the only music genre that does it anymore. Its been employed for genres ranging from electronic to pop. As far as I’m concerned, criticizing a DJ or a hip hop producer for sampling is akin to criticizing a rock band for using guitars. Just my take.
Very good comment. The rap/hiphop genre is long gone, like it or not. They need to think of a different name for the genre and soon. Its nothing but wack commercial queer shit now. The shit ain’t cool anymore like it once was. Real hiphop heads know this.
yea bro I feel you on the kendrick points. Me and my girl have this convo all this time she loves kendrick and im not all crazy bout dude any more unless I get section8.0 type kendrick im not rocking with this shea butter kendrick.. but i cant sit here and say he the best alive cause 1. The niggas he look up too are the niggas i been bumping my entire lifetime. his messages in his songs are remarkable but I got those same messages from Az, Nas, 2pac and Dead prez so it pretty much fallin on deaf ears with me most times. I kno he gets alot of flack but i still think Lupe is a great artist musically when he’s allowed to do his albums the way he wants to. I dont pay attention to the side shit he does but music wise lupe is my guy and i still put him over k.dot. I’ll take the messages in American Terrorist, the instrumental, Hurt me soul, The Cool concepts over anything on to pimp a butterfly just being honest. but to piggybank everything is in cycles you see with desiigner we got a baby future ( which i predict he would change his style just like young thug did ) we’ll will get new “drake” “kendrick”, “j cole” “migos” “nicki” “2chainz” etc etc. The other day i was listening to Kodak black and cant help to feel like he’s a baby gucci
disagree. u just got old. folks complained about Biggie changing hiphop. folks complained about NWA changing hiphop. They complained about Jay-Z changing hiphop. Now, its Drake. Folks dont get it. The innovators are actually loved by the new kids and hated by the older folks. Gene Simmons is just old and not open to innovation. Its that simple. Old Beatles fans hated on KISS and Black Sabbath back in the day and complained that they missed the old rock sound. Same shit, always. Music today is in good hands: Kendrick, J Cole, Drake, Odd Future, ASAP, Weeknd, Cudi, Future, Travis Scott – they are pushing music forward, New flows, new styles. You just got old and traditional is all
gotta agree with you on that….just like that nigga who was hating on Ace boogie in paid in full when he was playing rap in the dry cleaners and switched that shit to soul he was bitching hard at the rap music saying the same shit these old niggas be saying ” i cant understand that hippty hoppty theres so no soul no love etc etc” lol
Excellent comment! You hit it right on the ????! I thought I was the only one who felt like that….
J3wish people don’t seem to relate to anthems based on inner city struggle.
OMG! this dude needs to retire his mouth and nonexistent career… sure your shitty band sold some shitty albums.. but that doesn’t mean your playing good music. in fact every time i hear your bands songs i almost puke. did it occur to you that rap is a passion to some people. it’s not about bling and shit you own all the time. it’s all about the stories and the MASSIVE beats that gets me going. i come from a musical family so i listen to everything. i’m proud to say that i don’t listen to your shitty music. go figure!
Who cares what this guy say he clearly have no idea what rap really is lot of artists play instruments instead of a beat his knowledge is shallow and the true rap is now living in the indie scene stronger than ever and completely different to the classic steriotypes of “gangsta”.
Hiphop was indeed created from the marginalized black an brown youth from the streets but it provided an outlet for them to express themselves relieve stress an raise awareness of social conditions in urban areas thru the art of spoken word which is ancient tradition in many cultures. Though it has become commercialized dumb down an resorted to some gangsterism. Real Hiphop promotes Health Love Awareness an Wealth.. What Gene said was spoken like someone who does not know his history even of the so called music he claims to represent
lol. The ignorance of this man. People were saying this 30 years ago. Go and paint your face and stick your tongue out. That’s what music is about.
Clearly he’s ignorant on artists who are more melodic and play with rhythm and melodies within their raps such as Tech N9ne and Krizz Kaliko. Play their vocal tracks alone and it’s pure rhythm and flow.
its really a joke that someone who was mainly screaming around is talking about lyrics and melody. he prob believes that everybody forgot bout their own music by now. hes nothing but a backpacker whos trying to get free promo from our genre… another one… yawn
its really a joke that someone who was mainly screaming around is talking about lyrics and melody. he prob believes that everybody forgot bout their own music by now. hes nothing but a backpacker whos trying to get free promo from our genre… another one… yawn
russel simmons is racist!! I mean gene…actually, arent they the same person?!?!!?!??! so confused…….
Hip-Hop is already dead. The only “rapper” you have is garbage Drake lol. Fuck rap music.
Hip hop’s popularity has died out and no radio stations are playing it anymore. Shitty white music like Meghan Trainor, Adele, Justin Bieber and Shawn Mendes are reigning the charts. Y’all niggas need to get a record deal and try harder.
Right, because not one single radio station in existence played “Hotline Bling” last year. Because it didn’t chart in over 30 countries around the globe. Because it never was just one spot away from being a number one single. I must ask, I just have to. Do you live under a rock? And pop is perpetually ruling the charts. Has been that way for decades, since its very inception. Hence we call it pop, as in short for “popular.” Get it? Still with me? Good. Oh and judging the quality of music based almost entirely on its presence in mainstream radio, no thanks. Adele’s my girl.
Yep, this is what’s wrong with rap, we got all these crack babbies runnin’ around and only talkin’ about trappin’ and whatnot.
To outsiders this is what the music is all about.
White people must all die and get shot. Fuck them and their corny, garbage shitty music!!!
Wot is this long haired prehistoric clown chatting shit about the only time in the past 10 years he’s been mentioned is wene moaning about rap get a fuckin grip his music sounds like a playgroup let loose with a couple of instruments I CANT WAIT FOR U TO DIE
He dresses as a clown for a living and sings songs about his dick, guys always been a fuckin loser
Hip hop is trash. It promotes violence and promiscuousness. Hip-Hop is the reason for killings and murders and children being born from a hoe mother and growing without a father. If you like hip hop, kill yourself.
LOL – This guy doesn’t understand that Hip-hop has its roots in african praise poetry where the african king or chief was honored publicly by his poet and he would “rap” about the kings land, heritage and tribe…. Hiphop has its roots in Africa fam… Im from S.Africa and of the xhosa tribe – been to many of our customs and have heard first hand what our original poetry sounds like and its coming back – Example is Kendrick style on Blacker the berry is very much in the form of xhosa praise poetry
White people are scum. If you’re white, do the world a favor and kill yourself.
Don’t be a c*nt.
Cool and you’re a racist, so do the world a favor, kill yourself.
Im white n i listen rap since im 5 yr old…why should i kill myself…its fun to debate with high level consciensnous people…it really solve da question
Taylor swift ft kendrick lamar so whats dat?????
You do realize they’ve been “predicting” this for 35 years now?
hiphop been dead…as soon as someone signs a cheif keef or a young thug you know that genre is garbage….I mean comon!
Well you clearly don’t know the difference between hiphop and rap…. So your opinion automatically is garbage to me
J cole Kendrick Lamar enough said
Who is this old lipstick wearing motherfucker who came from a band with a gay ass name?
wisewhiteman wants gene simmons to tongue his butt hole…real talk.
Y’all keep saying hip hop there’s a difference between hip hop and rap music that’s what you hear on the radio with these sucker ass niggas REAL HIP HOP WILL NEVER DIE
there aint no rap music vs hip hop music foh rap is part of hip hop and hip hop is the culture of rap, dj, graffiti and b boy and that will never die, for that u r correct
Well, I agree. 90s Hip Hop is dead, 2000s Hip Hop is dead. Soon the 2010s Hip Hop will die. Hip Hop unlike most genres changes and morphs. So yeah he has a point, but it its the current hip hop that will die. Leave to the Kendrick Lamar types that make true music with melodies, singing, beats, lyrics, stories. Only those types, with substance, will last and change the genre.
His old ass will be dead and rap will still be here
I guess all that screaming that kiss did was good melodic music right?
This guy is a idiot, because they don’t play guitar they shouldnt be inducted lmao. Whites have been plotting on the downfall of rap and Hiphop culture since its inception, Rap artist are the highest selling artist year after year, he is made because his era is over. Silly old fool
And the fact that slaves needed a way to creatively communicate their distress – RAP – Rhythm and Poetry wont die… While Hip-hop as a culture might suffer as a result of commercialism contaminating it… RAO – Rhythm & Poetry will never die. As someone already said, we’ve been rapping since our days in Africa.
rap will not die for a long long time. Gene Simmons wants to talk about lyrics?? Kiss never said shit about shit.
sorry buddy but rap is the voice of the youth. we own the fucking world right now and we’re just getting started. we infuse all other genres and we are all inclusive – – which funny enough is why genres like yours died… because of your current *exclusive* mentality.
sorry buddy, u dont own no fucking world, get that shit out ur head…american music scene, currently, yes, for the most part…the world, hell mothafucking no kid…u aint seen the world, u need to open up ur eyes and stop living in a box, cause usa is not the world, its only 5% of the world 🙂 and rap is FAR from owning the fucking world, or black culture, dumbie…
I’m not from the US dickface. You name a genre of music that hiphop’s /rap’s influence doesn’t currently drive. hiphop is currently at the forefront of pop culture – – world wide. Any artistic form of expression that is youth driven will always be dominant one in cultural influence. you sound like someone with gene simmons’ mindset. scratching and clawing kicking and screaming for the good ole days to return
Rap/hiphop music/culture is already dead and buried. Its as simple as that. If you dont know, now you know. RIP hiphop.
That is total bullshit.. If you are talking from a radio perspective then yes it has been for a very long time.. with the acceptation of J Cole and Kendrick Lamar.. the underground is thriving and looking better than ever.. if anyone nows anything about hiphop they will backup exactly that.
Not really, like much of life as a whole, music and culture is anything but simple. It’s just that people like you lack the capacity to articulate your viewpoints in a insightful, intricate manner. Hence why your kind fall back on oversimplified, succinct stock phrases like “Nuff said” or “It is what it is” in place of actual detail and context. I truly don’t mean to come off as condescending. I’m just really, really tired of hearing words like that over and over again everywhere I go.
You haven’t been listening then
how i know kweli was going to come out crying.. kweli likes to use the phrase freedom of speech alot. which is what gene simmons used. not everyone has to like hiphop. and tbh i know real hiphop heads cant wait for this era of rap to DIE
And for some reason, people like you sure like to gratuitously use the word “real” a lot. Anyway, there’s a difference between saying “I don’t like ___” and “___ is complete shit, its not music and I hope it keels over and dies.” Not that he went that far but you get my point. And its not about everyone having to like hip hop. Even though I love it, I myself agree with you and strongly hold the belief that not everyone has to like hip hop. We would live in a very dull, listless world if we all liked the same thing. It’s simply that we should all respect each other’s differences. Its the thoughtful, mature thing to do. There’s no doubt in my mind that we’d all get along better if we did. That’s how I feel about genres I don’t care for such as heavy metal and country. I even have exceptions: Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica (the Jay-Z of metal), Cash, Dixie Chicks. Hell I’ve even come to like certain Kiss songs once I gave them a chance. “Do You Love Me” is my jam.
im a broke bum i dont know what to do i fucked my life and family up. help please
If these two dudes fought 1 on 1 then Gene Simmons would beat the absolute shit out of Talib
only disco dies soon there will be a hiphop hall of fame and the hiphop artists wont be next to some shitty kiss shine in the rock and roll hall of fame
even if its going to die or is dead already i feel like there is tons of new talent coming up and changing the game for the better … kendrick number cuz of leftover tracks (that are fire) forest hills drive went platinum …people want real lyrics …..and real hiphop will always be heard by real hiphop heads
SUPPORTMAXB.COM SIGN THE PETITION!
HipHop is global and rap us just one element of HipHoo culture.
Caucasians have been praying that rap would “die” for the last 30 year, they can’t kill our culture they can only dilute it and damage it just like they do every culture they encounter.
Wait…why does anyone care what 1 bitter person has to say about Hip Hop? Gene Simmons says it will die. Based on what? His own personal dismay? Is he some music scientist? A music historian? Fuck what Gene Simmons thinks! We have to stop being so insecure that as soon as someone says something about our music, we HAVE to respond. At the end of the day, everything has to end, including the music Gene made and even Gene himself will be dead. So why is it a concern when this guy talks shit because he doesn’t like something and just has the ability to speak on it? You know how many people hated KISS and their image and music? What did that hate do…ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! So, I say this with a smile, FUCK OFF GENE SIMMONS. Being mad doesn’t do anything but hurt you…
GET EM KWELI
Why you mad at a legendary rock god? He’s right. Hiphop will die if we continue to allow crap hiphop artists like kendrick, eminem, or j cole to dominate.
You do realize that people were saying the same thing about rappers from Tupac to Nas to Wu-Tang back in their day?
if you think kiss is metal you have alot of learning to do
More often then not, Kiss was a mixture of hard rock and heavy metal. Though the former was far more prevalent than the latter, hence why I could stand them. I really don’t care for metal. Also, you can still dislike something even if you occupy it. It’s called “self-hate.”
He doesn’t do “Rock” He does metal music. If you read the article correctly and comprehended what was going on, you will see that he also bashed Rock music.
God I get a kick out of how so many people save their anger for the very important discussions like Gene thinking rap will die soon…direct it somewhere where it will do some good. All guy does is say that music is cyclical and rap will eventually die and….wow. Now, he obviously has a distaste for rap as many have for other types of music but the truth is..like all other types of music..its popularity will eventually wane for a period of time but like every other type of music, it will make a resurgence again later. Even happens to rock music. Big deal. And no genre ever really dies anyway. The labels tell the mindless sheep whats popular and the masses follow…always been this way. There is no such thing anymore (rarely), as radio dj’s who play what they want or what the people actually want to hear. It’s what the big labels pay for you to hear. There are so many popular bands in all genres that have mass followings but because they aren’t signed to a major label, they rarely get played. There…I’m done ranting. And besides all that, it’s as I’ve taught my son…there is no such thing as bad music. Every persons ear is their own, what sounds good to you is all that matters. Music is a powerful thing and you should not be told what you should like and listen to.
I could possibly see the current trend of Auto-Tune trap jingles dying out commercially but hip-hop will continue to evolve and carry on
Into Daffy Drake type duck rhymes? That’s all that’s left. Everything else is fake butt twerking, white girls trying to be black and gay guys trying to run around a stage busting nonsensical Frank Ocean-type garbage that no one can understand.
Hilarious coming from a guy whose band had the most juvenile lyrics in the history of Rock. It’s funny hearing these middle aged to old white rock artists who have made whole careers ripping off black music to criticize another form of black music. The reason why Rock is dead is because black musical artists stopped making rock music, and the white rock artists didn’t have anybody to rip off of but themselves.
Rap itself is a ripoff of actual music and even each others’ beats.
It’s probably better than gay ass Russell Simmons who is the light skinned plantation owner running you dumb niggas into racket after racket. He’s like the epitome of homosexual guy with the fake test tube babies, letting Djimon walk around hold his test tube kids’ hands. Seriously a joke. He’s trying real hard with his “heroin story” now to legitimize how hood he is……. like Hollis was so damn hood. You guys are clowns, the X-clan type of afro-centric clowns………….with all the regalia but ain’t saying nothing important cause you really aren’t shit.
< It's funny hearing these middle aged to old > This can be said about all of rap’s older crowd. Plastic Lil Kim worrying about Plastic Nicki Minaj. 50 Cent trying to hate on damn near anyone who sounds close to what he’s tried and failed at. Kanye hate on anyone who is better than him, which is everyone come to think of it. Y’all try to hard to hate and it all sounds stupid at this point. I kinna see what Gene Simmons is saying. He sure right though. It’s evolving right out the backdoor into the garbage can.
Talib, another closet racist, is always quick to criticize white people but doesnt criticize black people for killing Hip Hop with their mumbling, stripping, and dope selling trap music. FOH. Nas said it long time ago, Hip Hop is Dead… what we have now is Imbecile Music.
Well you are dumb. He was not being critical. He was telling the facts. Hip Hop will NEVER DIE. Like PAC Said UNTIL THEY clean this mess we will still be here pointing it out. To the ignorant pApplespeaking cuz they have computers… Please log off unless you have some knowledge to spit. You sheep???? you!!!
i need NEMBUTAL! asap!
fuck white ppl. my life was destroyed by white ppl. and i hate them and curse them! my suffering will find you and my suffering will affect the lives of you and yours families.
yawn
Rap/hip hop will NEVER die. As long as there are gangsters, drug dealers, drug users,police brutality,corruption, inequality, RACISM so on and so forth…rap will live on. That’s wat we speak on and that’s who we speak for and speak to. Rap is how we speak. That’s how we get our voices heard. That’s how we get our messages/frustration out.
Real talk. Hip Hop is the struggle. As long as there is Struggle hip hop will LIVE!
Quite true, for the most part. It’s the reason why NWA is often compared to the Sex Pistols, one of the greatest, most influential bands that ever existed. Once you get past the outward aggression, rebelliousness, and seemingly nihilistic tendencies, you’ll discover razor-sharp social commentary. If given a chance, you’ll eventually come to comprehend their frustration with the fractured, unrelenting world that encompasses us that gave birth to all those aspects. That goes for both groups, mind you. Rap, at its best, is truly the punk rock of its day.
(gangsters, drug dealers, drug users,police brutality, corruption, inequality, RACISM so on and so forth)
These are African American issues for African Americans to figure out on their own. It isn’t anyone else’s fault that you’ve made them hate you to the point they no longer want to be around you or even support you. I’m not talking about the “guilty whites” or people of that sort. Everyone else is tired of you blaming all of your problems on them. You won’t take responsibility because you are too busy trying to scam others with your personal and community problems.
Eventually you will be screaming this stuff at each other and no one else will even care. You are doing it to your selves. But when anyone tells you anything about it, there is some “backlash” and off you go attacking them. 99% of the issues in the AA community have its solution within the AA community. Until you get that, no one but tokens will ever stand by you.
Well he as his opinion, but they said rap would die years ago but its still here. Music is about what you feel and it will always be what you feel. Who cares about what gene Simmons says..
LMAO all the nigs are upset!
On the contrary, I’m amused.
as soon as i seen the headline i knew thered be a bunch of sensitive cry babies on IG lol.. its only freedom of speech when ur talking about something white ppl started
Get off the nigs website lil dick
How could hip hop die when Game is still around. The nikka name drops so much to make sure ya’ll never forgot the legends.
He had one track, his first one. After that he resorted to I don’t know wtf and stuffing socks in his drawers for Instagram. Desperate measures: girls pull out their tit to get attention and guys stuff wads in their underwear when they can’t sell any records.
http://i.imgur.com/M3NlS7F.gif
In regards to the controversial line: We live in the internet comment section era, everything is controversial. Kanye telling people his favorite color on Twitter is controversial.
Hip hop is dying but it’s not dead yet cause it’s a lot of trashy rap out nowadays
I absolutely love how he contradicted himself. A cycle has no true end.
He was a gimmick . Some you posters are such homos.
Rap is also a “gimmick” and most of its rappers are homo themselves. They won’t tell you because they have no nerve to step from behind the surrogate thots they’ve hired to carry their gay sperm. Kanye being the first one and a whole bunch of other big-time liars I guess you can fool African Americans who seem to believe whatever other African Americans tell them. But everyone else is taking note and for that reason don’t really care to be around you anymore. this includes listening to your so called music.
Rap is part of the cycle
all gene had to say was “gimmick ass commercial rap”
I have absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about. Were you directing your comment at me or our good friend Yo momma likes nuts she a squrriel? Just asking. As for Yo momma likes nuts she a squrriel, once again, I have absolutely no idea of what you’re talking about. Perhaps it’s the grammar or the spelling. I don’t truly don’t know.
Ever notice whenever anyone talks about hip hop music and/or culture in a negative way its called “rap,” but if its talked about in a positive manner it’s referred to as “hip hop?” So if someone like oh say, Bill O’Reilly states that “rap is terrible,” the general response is “Hip hop is great.” Just an observation.
Hip Hop and Rap are both negative, misogynist, anti everything and everyone who isn’t a “gangster” or some fake butt plastic mess. Better?
Heh, you actually do remind of Bill O’Reilly and the like: I HATE AND DESPISE HIP-HOP/RAP AND DON’T ACTIVELY LISTEN TO IT! YET, FOR SOME STRANGE, INEXPLICABLE REASON, I’M COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY SURE THAT I KNOW ALL THERE IS TO IT!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously though, you lost me at the “some fake butt plastic mess” part. All I was doing was simply pointing out a recurrence. At no point did I ever ask why. But the best part is that even if did, which I did not, your response isn’t an actual answer to said question to being with. All you did was supply a list of subjective, unredeemeding connotations, much of which I admit that I found amusing. As for the gangster line, (hooray for gratuitous internet quotation marks) if that were even half true, guys like oh say, Kanye would not be where they are now. Case in point: Remember what happened to 50 Cent?
Kanye is gay anway. He seems to think everyone can’t read past his angry closet homo rants. Kardashians, Jenners, that ditzy basketball player/loser and Kangay are all stupid. Kangay can’t rap at all. HE can be broke for all I care. Kim will sell all her plastic to pay for the rest of what he owes. Tidal garbage, too.
While obviously don’t think that Kanye can’t rap at all, that’s going a bit too far, I will say he’s not exactly the greatest when it comes to rapping. He really, really stepped up his game for Late Registration, but his flow somewhat petered out afterwards. If I remember correctly, Kanye said that he abandoned it for that whole stadium objective of Graduation. But that has nothing to do with what I was talking about. I was referring to his status. Don’t give a damn about his sexuality by the way. All I was doing was simply disproving and illustrating that hip hop isn’t what people like Answer to your Question (who didn’t provide an answer to a question that I didn’t ask) make it out to be by taking into consideration the fact that the biggest hip-hop artist on the planet, currently anyway, is anything but gangster. And hey, let’s say Kanye really was gay, that actually would just further my point. So thanks. Yeah, I don’t care much for Tidal either. Nice that we can agree on something.
How old are you ten . Kangay and you obviously think that sounds so amusing and unique … Look ma, his name is Kanye but if I add gay to his name it sounds like Kangay . Bore off you corny cornball
Hold up Gene you forgetting Weezy F Baby that boy a beast on the guitar…….seriously tho I like nirvana, metallica and a load of other rock/grunge/metal bands but no one in any rock band has come close to writing lyrics half as good as someone like Nas. Playing guitar is dope and real hard to become good at it but so is writing real nice bars and staying consistent with it average rock lyrics are as basic as a yung thug verse
I used to love it way back in the day. I basically agree with Gene Simmons now. Tired of this ridiculous stuff that tries hard to pass for “music”. It’s all negative and is now filled with a bunch of fakeness.
Talib is so annoying
How is annoying ? he defended his genre. You are straight up booty fairy. Lame punk.
like the genre needs defending? hes not the crypt keeper someone can say they waiting for this ASS era of rap to end and it should be ok
Talib is on twitter all day being annoying all the time. If u feel like more of a man by disrespecting me online, u aint much of a man anyway. Good luck to u in ur manhood, u gonna need it.
No job. That’s why. they have to do this as no one cares except other no job having fake hip hop wannabes.
Valid opinion if we talk 2016 rap, I’m also looking forward to it’s death. Shit needs to take a step back to get back on the right track, we need that 90’s, early 2000’s vibe back when there was actual talent on the spotlight.
Suicide is da best way to end bad life choices, diseases, traumatic memories, etc. It’s very logic.
Fuck Talib… hip hop/rap is my favorite genre but people have acright to an opinion without mf crying. If I say I enjoy juice over soda Pepsi wont come out with a crybaby comment. Black ppl and their female traits. Hashtag #FatherlessAmerica# lol
Who the fuck is crying? If you say Gene Simmons has a right to voice his opinion Talib has a right to defend it. Your juice over soda comment is truly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever read and bares no comparison to this topic. And why the hell are you fueling this fire and making this a race thing? You are what’s wrong with America.
African Americans make EVERYTHING about race. They won’t police themselves, but want to complain to other ethnicities that it’s somehow their “privilege” that’s holding them back. No, you make your own choices. African Americans are so used to complaining and asking for things that they have no real sense of responsibility anymore. You’ve become minstrels and racists, the very thing African Americans of yesteryear fought against. The problem is not everyone else. Go to youtube and search around. It’s mostly YOU.
Talib has become annoying as fuck with age. Once one of my favorite mc’s who seemed very intelligent has been reduced to a race baiter and whinebag. Talib is taking an insult to today’s clearly weak generation of hiphop, as an insult to the black community. In 2001 Talib may have said the same type of shit, when backpack rap was at war with mainstream rap. Face it, hiphop has gone fully pop. It’s made up of hood boogers and fake hood boogers, making noises with nursery rhyme rhyme patterns. Glorifying all the ills of the black community and passing it off as “culture”. Back in the day Hiphop had an argument, not so much anymore. It was a lot easier to justify Nas as an artist than it is for Fetty Wap. Hiphop has been dead, all there is is the pop imposter that looks like hiphop on the surface. I know it’s easy to blame corporate america for killing hiphop (I used to feel that way myself), but let’s be honest, the black community sold their own culture out. The hiphop community fought hard for hiphop to be the same as the other genres based on the perception of inequality…well now hiphop is as equally shitty as the genres it fought so hard to be the same as. Hiphop is no longer special like it was
OK, You’re clearly dumb and stupid .America has been defined by race the one drop rule for example that wasn’t put into law by blacks
The Iran contra where the US government worked in partnership with Nicaraguan Contra fighters which led to a crack cocaine explosion in the predominantly African-American neighborhoods of South Los Angeles . Go to youtube and search for( Paz Vega) Kill The Messenger, or visit this link huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/gary-webb-dark-alliance_n_5961748.html …. PS, I’m white by the way . Let’s not pretend that it’s a level playing field …It never has been and I’m not sure it ever will be …
Blame the death of Hip-Hop on Drake and Adele and those corny ass Brits and Canadians. They are jealous of us Americans and want our crown.
Drake sucks balls. He sounds like a squeaky wheelchair wheel. Adele can sing. Are you upset that auto-tune can’t make a decent singer out of you? Stick your tit out. All the thots are doing it for attention now. It used to be just a big fake behind, but they’ve moved on to the next tactic: tit flashes and socks in their underwear to show off the dick they don’t even have.
Somebody murder and shoot that Canadian ass bitch Drake for killing Hip-Hop. Get a gun or knife and stab him. I got Drake’s address:
5841 Round Meadow Rd,
Hidden Hills, CA 91302
Kill and shoot all white people!!! They killed Hip-Hop by mocking it. Shoot every white trash in the mouth!!!
That’s probably Charles Manson still trying to ignite his race war
Clearly written by an old white dude race baiting . You’re not doing anything original . You need to up your game freak
go hang youself
Okay, look – I’m a middle-aged, straight white guy, and I realize I’m late to this discussion. I don’t listen to rap or hip-hop because, well, I just don’t like it. In my own defense, however, I want everyone to know that I don’t listen to Kiss, either, but that’s only because their music AND their lyrics both SUCK. When I was in high school and everyone around me was going nuts over this new band who played loud “music” in clown costumes, I had the good sense to realize the only reason they dressed that way was to disguise the fact that their “songs” all seemed to be inspired by some teenage girl’s private thoughts lifted from her diary (I still cringe when I hear “Beth” played on the oldies station). Let’s face it: Kiss just happened to be holding the winning quick-pick and won the musical lottery; they got lucky. Gene Simmons is a musician like Mark Cuban is a business man. I respect black people (yes, I said “black,” because I can’t find African-America anywhere on my globe), their culture and their history (which, incidentally, extends farther back than the Chinese). If rap and hip-hop is how they choose to be heard, then more power to them; I don’t have to like it because they’re not speaking to me, so it doesn’t require my approval nor my endorsement. And it doesn’t matter what I, or the clown Gene Simmons, or any other white people think of it. It might please you to know that I heard Gene is doing kids’ birthday parties now, whenever Bozo can’t make the gig.
Now, let’s move on to another, more important topic: When is COUNTRY music going to die? Can’t something be done to speed up the process? Rappers are always going on about their 9’s and Glocks and killin’ and illin’, so how hard would it be to find out where country lives and maybe, you know, do a drive-by …? I mean, seriously – who would care? Most trailer parks make you take the wheels off before you park ’em so, should be a smooth getaway. At least promise me you’ll think about it. Oh, all right, fine – at least promise me you’ll RAP about it.
You’re such a hypocrite, what if that’s how people int he country express themselves? I love both country and rap. Most mainstream country sucks ass, yeah. But so does most mainstream rap too, so don’t talk shit.