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Chuck D is stepping in to defend Hip-Hop’s place in music history.
Following comments from Gene Simmons suggesting that Hip-Hop does not belong in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Public Enemy frontman shared a thoughtful response on X.
“Gene definitely has his opinion and it carries major weight… however it is The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … not considering it ‘ROCK’ may hold a debatable point but clearly RAP and some other genres of movement are the ‘ROLL’,” Chuck D wrote. “Rock and Roll clearly splintered all over the place in the 1960s and big banged ever since.”
Chuck D’s response highlights a long-standing argument that Rock and Roll is less about a specific sound and more about a cultural movement that has influenced multiple genres — including Hip-Hop.
The debate over Hip-Hop’s place in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has been ongoing for years, even as rap legends like Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur, Run-D.M.C., and Jay-Z have already been inducted, reflecting the genre’s undeniable impact on global music and culture.
Gene definitely has his opinion and it carries major weight… however it is The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame … not considering it ‘ROCK’ may hold a debatable point but clearly RAP and some other genres of movement are the ‘ROLL’ .. Rock and Roll clearly splintered all over the…
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) February 12, 2026
