Bruce Willis’s Surprising Musical Grudge: The Genre He Can’t Tolerate
Bruce Willis, once a Motown recording artist, made no secret of his strong aversion to rap music. Stories from Yo! MTV Raps hosts shed light on Willis’s outspoken dislike for hip-hop, revealing a side of the actor many fans never knew.
Bruce Willis is best known for his action- packed roles on the big screen, but his foray into music was just as memorable—if not more so. In the late 1980s, Willis released two albums under the Motown label, a move that left many fans scratching their heads. His debut, The Return of Bruno, was tied to an HBO mockumentary and featured an impressive lineup of musicians, including Booker T Jones, the Temptations, and the Pointer Sisters. Despite lukewarm reviews, the album went gold in the United States. Willis followed up with If It Don’t Kill You, It Just Makes You Stronger in 1989, but after that, he stepped away from recording for good.
Willis’s Musical Tastes and On-Screen Jabs
Willis’s musical output reflected his love for blues, soul, and rock, but there was one genre he simply couldn’t stomach. In the film The Last Boy Scout, his character, Joe Hallenbeck, is captured and threatened with torture. When his captors say they want to hear him scream, he quips, “Play some rap music.” The line, meant as a joke, actually mirrored Willis’s real-life feelings about hip-hop.
It’s not shocking that someone with a passion for classic American genres might not be drawn to rap, but Willis’s dislike ran deep. He never tried to hide it, and his opinions became the stuff of industry legend.
Behind the Scenes: Yo! MTV Raps Encounter
In the book Naked Under Our Clothes, Ed Lover and Doctor Dré—hosts of the iconic TV show Yo! MTV Raps—shared stories about their brushes with celebrities. Ed Lover recalled an encounter with Willis that left no doubt about the actor ’s stance.
“I did one thing with Bruce Willis,” Lover remembered. “I had heard he didn’t want to work with me because I was hosting Yo! MTV Raps. We were all right because we both understood each other. I did something with him for Planet Hollywood. I was interviewing him, and I said, ‘I heard you hate rap music’. He said, ‘Yeah, I can’t stand it.’”
Lover didn’t miss a beat, firing back with his own jab.
“I said, ‘Well, I hate that harmonica bullshit you be playing, too,’”
he shot back.
“So now we understand each other, so let’s get the interview going on.’ He was cool after that.”
Unlikely to Change His Tune
This exchange likely took place in the early 1990s, around the time the first Planet Hollywood restaurants opened. While it’s possible Willis’s views on hip-hop could have shifted over the years, his blunt admission—“I can’t stand it”—suggests he probably never warmed up to the genre.