Music

KISS's Gene Simmons is 'looking forward to the death of rap'

by Jesse Locke

BREAKING: Gene Simmons has outdated opinions about modern music.

In a new interview with Rolling Stone, the KISS founder provides a few soundbites on various genres with the kinds of thoughts you might expect from the original dirty grandpa. The 66-year-old compares rap to novelty records from the 1960s, calls EDM “honest”, says rock is dead, then likens “disco divas” like Madonna and Lady Gaga to karaoke. We’ll let him speak for himself.

Gene Simmons on rap:

“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.”

“I’m all for anybody talking. ‘Wild Thing’ was talking: ‘Wild thing, she makes my heart sing / she makes everything … .’ There’s no melody there. That’s cool. Napoleon XIV, ‘They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!’ That’s a funny song, but those are novelty records. So was Dickie Goodman and ‘Mr. Jaws.’ These were all hits, by the way. But predominantly, music is about melody and lyric, whether it’s rap or doo-wop, or yeah, even rock.”

“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. 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.”

Gene Simmons on EDM:

“EDM is honest. EDM says, ‘Here’s a guy onstage who does fuck-all, he does nothing. He presses a button and puts his hands up in the air. He doesn’t pretend to be lip-syncing to a track.’ He has a light show and it’s an honest relationship.”

Gene Simmons on rock:

“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.”

Gene Simmons on ‘disco divas’:

“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.”

“My thing about the disco divas who get up onstage — and I love Jennifer Lopez and Ciara and Shakira and Madonna and all the girls with names that end in ‘a,’ they’re very talented in their own way — but it’s dishonest. They have a backing track. It’s really a karaoke bar. Karaoke is more honest, because you know it’s karaoke.”