Rock legend and Kiss co-founder Gene Simmons ruffled more than a few feathers with his latest Rolling Stone interview. Discussing what he believes to be the impending end of rap music, Simmons’ take on the matter was that the diminishing of the art form would be a positive occurrence. “Rap will die,” he said. “Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along. And all that is good and healthy.”
Simmons drove his point home by stating his feelings about rap music flat-out.
“I am looking forward to the death of rap,” said “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.”
Along with a slew of social media backlash, Simmons also got a direct response from Talib Kweli. The Brooklyn rapper took to Twitter to openly declare his disdain for Simmons’ statements, by posing a rhetorical question about the rock legend’s own death:
Would it be unfair of me to say I’m looking forward to the death @genesimmons or nah? Chuck Berry shits on Kiss. pic.twitter.com/ZNGkeAjaGT
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) March 18, 2016
Simmons also took to Twitter to respond to the criticism he garnered, claiming that he was simply pointing out the “cyclical” nature of music. He also sarcastically alluded to receiving backlash, no matter what he says:
Apparently pointing out that everything is cyclical – even music – is “controversial”. People are very easily offended.
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 18, 2016
Me: Rock is dead
people: outrage!
Me: Rap will probably die eventually.
People: outrage!
Me: the sky is blue.
People: sometimes it’s orange!— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 18, 2016
Kweli, however, did not let up. Challenging Simmons on his “looking forward to” sentiments, the rapper also used an Instagram post featuring KRS One lyrics to give the Kiss bandmate a little hip-hop history lesson:
Pointing out everything is “cyclical” is different than “looking forward” to things dying. Do better Gene. https://t.co/7OJHZLHPdf
— Talib Kweli Greene (@TalibKweli) March 18, 2016