It was Tupac Shakur who broke the news every Kiss fan wanted to hear. The gangsta rap superstar was one of the high-profile presenters at the 38th Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles on February 28, 1996. Taking the stage in a Versace suit and Death Row Records medallion, Shakur quietened the audience to make an announcement.
“You all down with this?” he said. “We’re gonna try to liven it up. You know how the Grammys used to be all straight-lookin’ folks with suits, everybody lookin’ tired, no surprises. We tired of that. We need different; something new. So let’s shock the people.”
“I got into a big argument with Gene about the direction of the album. He said he wanted to sound like ‘the bald guy.’ He meant Billy Corgan.”
Producer Toby Wright