KISS bassist Gene Simmons made the ridiculous declaration that rap music will die someday in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine. The rock vet’s comments were in response to the Rock and Roll Hall fame inducting hip-hop artists. Simmons felt that rap has an expiration date.

“Rap will die,” he states. “Next year, 10 years from now, at some point, and then something else will come along.”

Though Simmons added that several genres have faded from prominence--including rock, many took exception to him singling out hip-hop. Soon-to-be Rock Hall inductee Ice Cube disagrees with Simmons and believes that rap music is more rock and roll than some of the rock artists Simmons respects.

"I respect Gene Simmons, but I think he’s wrong on this, because rock & roll is not an instrument and it’s not singing," he told The New York Times. "Rock & roll is a spirit. N.W.A is probably more rock & 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."

We can't argue with that.

Cube's group, N.W.A, is set to be enshrined into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tonight (April 8) at the official ceremony in Brooklyn, N.Y. Fellow Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar will formally induct the "World's Most Dangerous Group." They are the fifth hip-hop act ever voted in (after Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run-DMC, the Beastie Boys and Public Enemy), and the first not from New York.

Although the surviving N.W.A members are scheduled to appear, they will not be performing at the event because of logistics.

"But we’re totally honored, humbled and appreciative to the Hall for even just considering us, inducting us and inviting us," he added.

HBO will air the 31st annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony on April 30.

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