Earlier this year when it was announced that seminal group Hip Hop group N.W.A. would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, KISS frontman Gene Simmons was a bit perturbed by the news, telling Rolling Stone: I am looking forward to the death of hip-hop. Talib Kweli and others fired back at Simmons, namely Ice Cube, who told the New York Times:

I respect Gene Simmons, but I think he’s wrong on this because rock ‘n’ roll is not an instrument and it’s not singing. Rock ‘n’ roll is a spirit. N.W.A is probably more rock ‘n’ roll than a lot of the people that he thinks belong there over hip-hop. We had the same spirit as punk rock, the same as the blues.


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Last Friday (April 8) Kendrick Lamar took the podium at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony to introduce N.W.A. Upon taking the stage, founding member MC Ren had a message for Simmons.

MC Ren:

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I want to say to Mr. Gene Simmons that hip-hop is here forever. We’re supposed to be here.

Less than a day later, Simmons went on twitter and offered his own rebuttal. Surely, this joist between Gene Simmons and Hip Hop is nowhere near over.

Respect: Billboard