Talib Kweli Fires Back at Gene Simmons Over Rap Death Wish
Talib Kweli struck back at Gene Simmons over Twitter on Friday, responding to the Kiss singer’s dour pronouncements on the future of rap. “Would it be unfair of me to say I’m looking forward to the death @genesimmons or nah?” Kweli asked his followers, posting a clip of Simmons’ recent interview with Rolling Stone.
“Chuck Berry shits on Kiss,” he concluded.
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
In that interview, published Thursday, Simmons said that he was, “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.”
Simmons, who has previously railed against the inclusion of hip-hop artists in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, went on to predict an end to the genre in the near future.
“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.”
After Kweli’s initial response to the article, Simmons tweeted, “Apparently pointing out that everything is cyclical – even music – is ‘controversial.’ People are very easily offended.”
Apparently pointing out that everything is cyclical – even music – is “controversial”. People are very easily offended.
— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) March 18, 2016
But the rapper was not appeased. “Pointing out everything is ‘cyclical’ is different that ‘looking forward’ to things dying,” Kweli wrote. “Do better Gene.” As a parting coup de grace, he linked to an Instagram posting of the lyrics from KRS-One’s 2007 single “Hip Hop Lives.”