Kiss legend Gene Simmons has never been one to shy away from controversy — and that certainly held true when he dropped his second solo album in 2004 with a title that turned heads: A**hole. During a recent appearance on Mike Rowe’s podcast “The Way I Heard It,” Simmons opened up about the bold decision, shedding light on the motivation and mindset behind the provocative name.
Gene explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): “It’s supposed to be an insult and all that. I don’t have a problem with it. I don’t have a problem with anybody calling me anything. I really don’t. I know that I do good. I know that my mom’s okay with me, and that’s all the validation I need.
“There was a song on [the album] called ‘A**hole’,” he continued. “It goes, ‘You’re an a**hole. You’re an a**hole. Maybe I’m an **shole too,’ is the punchline of the chorus. And I thought, ‘Yeah!’”
Sharing what led to the album being titled A**hole, Gene said: “When I walked into Interscope Records… I was co-managing a band with Paul [Stanley] called CROWN OF THORNS. I came up with that name and created the band. So we got them a deal. And [Interscope co-founder] Jimmy Iovine walks in and says, ‘I want you to listen to a thing. It’s by a new artist I just signed. His name is Tupac.’ And I’m saying, ‘Is he African or something?’ ‘No, no. He is from L.A. or New York.’ ‘Oh, great.’ And it’s just a black cover and it says, ‘4 My’ N-word. [Strictly 4 My N****Z] And I thought it was a joke. ‘Oh, what are you gonna call the album?’ He goes, ‘No, it’s gonna be called that.’ I’m saying, ‘You’re using the N-word?’ He goes, ‘Yeah.’ And I’m going, ‘Why are you doing that?’ He says, ‘Well, ’cause he’s comfortable with that.’
“So the most vile thing you could call an African American is the N-word. They take possession of it and use it themselves. So what’s one of the worst things you can say I am? A**hole. Great. Let’s call the album A**hole.”
Writer and extreme metal devotee, Ialdagorth has spent over a decade covering the darkest corners of heavy music. A black metal lifer, he spends his free time wandering the Carpathian Mountains, likely humming blast beats to the trees.
