Keith Richards: Rap is for 'Tone-Deaf People'

Keith Richards has declared that rap is for "tone-deaf people," during an interview with New York Daily News. The Rolling Stones guitarist also turned on heavy metal, calling Metallica and Black Sabbath a "good joke."

Richards made no attempt to hide his feelings, announcing: "Rapso many words, so little said." He continued, "What rap did that was impressive was to show there are so many tone-deaf people out there. All they need is a drum beat and somebody yelling over it and they're happy. There's an enormous market for people who can't tell one note from another." Despite Richard's pointed remarks, the reporter did note that the guitarist has followed every put-down with a wink.

This isn't the first instance of Richards showing disdain for different music genres. When he spoke to Rolling Stone magazine in 2007, Richards said, "Hip-hop leaves me cold. But there are some people out there who think it's the meaning of life...I don't wanna be yelled at; I wanna be sung to. I never really understood why somebody would want to have some gangster from L.A. poking his fingers in your face. As I say, it don't grab me. I mean, the rhythms are boring; they're all done on computers."

It wasn't just rap that was in Richards' firing line. "Millions are in love with Metallica and Black Sabbath," he said, "I just thought they were great jokes," speaking about two of the most well-known heavy metal bands in the world.

Last month Richards spoke of his disdain for the 1967 Beatles album,Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "Some people think it's a genius album," Richards told Esquire last month, "but I think it's a mishmash of rubbish."

Richards, 71, is well known for his narcotic consumption—he once admitted to sprinkling some of his father's ashes into a line of cocaine before snorting it. When questioned by the New York Daily News interviewer about his current drug habits, he replied, "Would you like some?"