Overview
- Simmons argued on the Legends N Leaders podcast that hip-hop should not be in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, repeating a stance he has voiced for years.
- He said hip-hop “doesn’t speak” to him because he “doesn’t come from the ghetto,” a phrase widely highlighted in reports on the interview.
- He contrasted Iron Maiden’s continued exclusion with Grandmaster Flash’s induction, questioning the Hall’s criteria.
- He recalled Ice Cube’s rebuttal that the Hall honors the “spirit of rock,” a view cited when N.W.A. entered the Hall in 2016.
- He also disparaged EDM as easier to make, claimed there are “no tribute bands to Skrillex,” and warned that weaker industry economics hinder the rise of future superstars.