Having solemnly declared in 2014 that rock is dead, Kiss bassist Gene Simmons has now announced he is looking forward with undisguised relish to dancing on the grave of hip hop.
In an interview with Rolling Stone , Gene professes his disapproval with the current state of the pop charts and snarls that rap music has basically degraded the art form of the song.
“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.”
As someone who has made his millions by dressing in towering heels, wearing makeup, and having a freakishly long tongue, Simmons knows all about gimmicks and is keen to identify hip hop as being one such gimmick that will eventually die a death.
“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.”
Simmons then goes on to dismiss hip hop as having its roots in crime and being all about “gangsters.”
“I don’t have the cultural background to appreciate being a gangster. 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.”
After casually dismissing one of the most powerful cultural movements in history as a petty criminal, Simmons turns his attention to another modern-age phenomenon that has empowered millions and barks how he hates that too, because it stops people who can strum three chords and hum a tune with inane lyrics that mean next to nothing, from becoming obscenely rich.
“I hate the Internet. I make a living, but to be a new band now and just give out your music for free, it’s the crime of the century.”
Regarding a subject closer to his heart, Simmons then holds forth on rock music and slams the lack of originality amongst today’s contenders for the crown.
“As far as I’m concerned, rock is dead. There ain’t no new bands. Foo Fighters, I love ’em, but they’re a 20-year-old band. These are long-in-the-tooth bands: Nirvana, Pearl Jam. They’re old bands.”
Well, no one is disagreeing with that, Mr. Simmons, but there are an awful lot of bands that have released music since the grunge explosion of the early 1990s, in case you haven’t noticed.
Gene appears to concede the point before explaining that rock’s only real salvation lies with Lady Gaga.
“That doesn’t mean there’s not new bands out there. As far as I’m concerned, if Lady Gaga dropped the disco and the pole dancing and all that stuff and put together a rock band, that would be legitimate, because she’s got the musical goods. She can write songs, play instruments and can actually sing. And she understands the fearless quality of spectacle. I’d love to see her do Queen-style music. She can do it. Madonna cannot.”
Of course, aging rockers with nothing new to contribute have long been bitter about a younger generation’s taste in music. When Aerosmith teamed up with Run D.M.C. for a version of “Walk This Way” in the late 1980s, and Public Enemy did the same thing with Anthrax for “Bring The Noise,” it generated a lot of hate from anal types who regard the guitar as a substitute for their penis.
Even when Kiss were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2014, Simmons couldn’t resist having a dig at what he obviously regards as a lower art form.
“You’ve got Grandmaster Flash in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame? Run-D.M.C. 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.”
Yes, but Gene, one would argue they’re more creative, more innovative, and produce far more relevant and meaningful lyrics than a bunch of guys working on a tired old Beatles blueprint and singing about a god of thunder.
[Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for The Children Matter.NGO]