Ice Cube and Gene Simmons feud over N.W.A's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction

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gene simmons and ice cube

Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images, Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Gene Simmons doesn't think rap is rock and roll, but Ice Cube begs to differ.

Simmons, the Kiss bassist and singer, has said that rap artists don't belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in an interview with Rolling Stone earlier this year, Simmons said he was "looking forward to the death of rap." 

N.W.A was recently inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and both M.C. Ren and Ice Cube referenced Simmons in their acceptance speeches.

"I want to say to Mr. Gene Simmons, hip-hop is here forever," M.C. Ren said. "Get used to it!"

Ice Cube reiterated a point he had made in an interview with the New York Times.

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"The question is, are we rock and roll?" Ice Cube said. "And I say you godd--- right we rock and roll. Rock and roll is not an instrument; rock and roll is not even a style of music. Rock and roll is a spirit ... And what connects us all is that spirit... Rock and roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life."

Simmons responded to the comments on Twitter, telling Ice Cube, "Let me know when Jimi Hendrix gets into the hip hop hall of fame. Then you'll have a point." 

Ice Cube wasn't going to let that slide and wrote, "Who stole the soul? Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Chubby Checkers help [sic] invent Rock 'n' Roll. We invent it. Y'all reprint it."

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He also sent an excerpt from his speech "with a Kiss." 

Simmons responded with "respect," but still doesn't agree.