Ice Cube hits back at Gene Simmons in NWA Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame feud

Rapper points out black influence on the genre of rock and roll

Ice Cube has fired back at Kiss frontman Gene Simmons over the recent objection he made about NWA‘s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame.

The hip-hop group were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame last Friday (April 8) alongside Cheap Trick, Deep Purple, Chicago, Steve Miller and songwriter/producer Bert Berns during a ceremony at the Barclay’s Centre in Brooklyn, New York.

After Gene Simmons tweeted saying “let me know when Jimi Hendrix gets into the Hip Hop Hall Of Fame”, Ice Cube has now responded by pointing out the black influence on the genre of rock and roll.

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“Who stole the soul? Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Chubby Checkers help invent Rock n Roll. We invent it. Y’all reprint it,” Ice Cube wrote on Twitter.

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In response to Cube’s tweets, Simmons repeated his original sentiment, adding: “I stand by my words. Respect NWA, but when [Led Zeppelin] gets into Rap Hall of Fame, I will agree with your point”. See that tweet beneath.

https://twitter.com/genesimmons/status/719602396167450624

The disagreement arose when NWA member MC Ren used the group’s Hall Of Fame speech to hit back at Simmons, who criticised rap as a genre recently.

Simmons had told Rolling Stone: “I am looking forward to the death of rap. 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… Rap will die. Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along. And all that is good and healthy.”

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At the ceremony, MC Ren responded by saying “I want to say to Mr. Gene Simmons that hip-hop is here forever. We’re supposed to be here.”

Ice Cube later added “The question is, ‘Are we rock and roll? And I say you goddamn right we rock ‘n’ roll. Rock and roll is not an instrument. It’s not even a style of music. It’s a spirit that’s been going on since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, heavy metal, punk rock, and yes, hip-hop.”

Simmons then responded by tweeting: “Respectfully let me know when @JimiHendrix gets into the Hip Hop Hall Of Fame. Then you’ll have a point.”

NWA declined to reform as a live outfit for the Hall Of Fame event, citing a “lack of support.”

Ice Cube recently spoke to The New York Times, confirming that the group won’t be performing, explaining: “I guess we really didn’t feel like we were supported enough to do the best show we could put on.”

Asked whether he perceived a lack of support from the organisers, Ice Cube replied: “Pretty much, yeah. We wanted to do it on a whole other level, and that just couldn’t happen.”

He went on to add: “But we’re totally honoured, humbled and appreciative to the Hall for even just considering us, inducting us and inviting us.”

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