Jay-Z is a clever chap

[AlexB]

I doubt whether this has even registered over the pond, but he headlined Glastonbury this year (with Kings of Leon & The Verve) - caused major controversy as Glasto has always been an English rock/indie festival.

Noel Gallagher in particular was very vocal in his opposition of a hip-hop act headlining a rock/indie festival, so what did Jay-Z do?

Opens with a cover of Wonderwall ;)

Whatever you think about the booking, you have to love Jay-Z's take on it.

[Cringer]

Covering Wonderwall is pretty damn funny.

[Karlifornia]

Noel Gallagher's reply will be:

a)Sod off, wanker
b)He's a bellend
c)bloody dreadful

[Young Drachma]

That's awesome.

[st.cronin]

That is pretty awesome.

[Young Drachma]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7479703.stm

here's an excerpt. He can't sing, but..point well taken. And he had a guitar to boot. I love it.

[AlexB]

Noel Gallagher's reply will be:

a)Sod off, wanker
b)He's a bellend
c)bloody dreadful

a or b maybe.

c if he decided to do a pastiche of the 1950's

[Flasch186]

wouldve been better had he learned the lyrics first.

[Lathum]

funny.

now go sign LeBron

[terpkristin]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7479703.stm

here's an excerpt. He can't sing, but..point well taken. And he had a guitar to boot. I love it.

Well he definitely can't sing, but a good point nonetheless.

I've always found Noel Gallagher to be kind of a tool, at least that's how he's come across in interviews and such.

/tk

[Flasch186]

thats putting it lightly

[JediKooter]

Good thing Noah Galagher isn't hyper sensitive about things.

[Draft Dodger]

Noel, how my ass taste?

[Izulde]

wouldve been better had he learned the lyrics first.

"

That said, I have to give him props for the concept.

[korme]

I'd love to see this on YouTube... I am a hip-hop fan (read: certain people I love, but being around my boys I hear it all), who loves all kinds of other music, including Oasis. One of the reasons I'm a huge Jay-Z supporter is because he seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

[korme]

ps didn't see the excerpt before I posted

[korme]

Longer clip:

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[Super Ugly]

I watched it on TV, and thought it was a pretty darned good set. His a capella rap playing on English slang was just awesome. :D Noel Gallagher is a Little Englander moron, but he was speaking up for many more people than we care to admit. There was something distasteful about some of the complaints made when the festival organisers booked Jay-Z. Lots of comments about how "this festival isn't for 'them'," whoever 'they' may be. Race maybe had something to do with it, but I think it was more a class issue. Glastonbury has long been a safe, white, middle-class affair dominated by anodyne guitar groups. Unfortunately, we're now conditioned to think that this is all that Glastonbury is, has always been, and should be, about. Jay-Z was a much needed shot in the arm, and I'm pleased that it was a clear success.

[Karlifornia]

I watched it on TV, and thought it was a pretty darned good set. His a capella rap playing on English slang was just awesome. :D Noel Gallagher is a Little Englander moron, but he was speaking up for many more people than we care to admit. There was something distasteful about some of the complaints made when the festival organisers booked Jay-Z. Lots of comments about how "this festival isn't for 'them'," whoever 'they' may be. Race maybe had something to do with it, but I think it was more a class issue. Glastonbury has long been a safe, white, middle-class affair dominated by anodyne guitar groups. Unfortunately, we're now conditioned to think that this is all that Glastonbury is, has always been, and should be, about. Jay-Z was a much needed shot in the arm, and I'm pleased that it was a clear success.

I can't speak for Glasto, or any other festival besides Coachella. One year that I attended Coachella featured Black Star, which was Mos Def and....oh...who the hell else was it? Wyclef, maybe? They were the first night headliners on the main stage. Everyone dug it. I don't think it was a race issue. It definitely wasn't a class issue. I don't see how that's possible at any rate. I think it had more to do with Jay-Z being an overrated star that really had no universal pedigree. If Outkast had been the headliner at Glasto, they would have been welcomed with open arms on account of their non-mainstream path, and their songs that indie kids actually didn't despise.

[Super Ugly]

Mos Def and Talib Kweli, I believe. And yes, you're probably right, if Outkast had been the headliners then there would've been little or no controversy. They're pretty inoffensive, safe for middle class consumption (and for the record, I'm a big Outkast fan). Jay-Z, on the other hand, is - unfairly, in my opinion - associated with the likes of 50 Cent, and supposedly attracts the kind of fans that you'd find on some sink estate in east London. That's the issue - people were worried about those types of fans heading down to Glastonbury, where they don't 'belong'. It's that kind of thinking that depresses me. Glastonbury is meant to be an inclusive festival that represents the best of every type of culture, not some exclusive event that belongs to the privileged section of society.

[Karlifornia]

Mos Def and Talib Kweli, I believe. And yes, you're probably right, if Outkast had been the headliners then there would've been little or no controversy. They're pretty inoffensive, safe for middle class consumption (and for the record, I'm a big Outkast fan). Jay-Z, on the other hand, is - unfairly, in my opinion - associated with the likes of 50 Cent, and supposedly attracts the kind of fans that you'd find on some sink estate in east London. That's the issue - people were worried about those types of fans heading down to Glastonbury, where they don't 'belong'. It's that kind of thinking that depresses me. Glastonbury is meant to be an inclusive festival that represents the best of every type of culture, not some exclusive event that belongs to the privileged section of society.

I disagree whole heartedly. Even if Wu Tang Clan had headlined, I don't think people would mind at all. These are festivals which attract many people from many "walks of life". I think people would be more open to Wu Tang fans that actually are interested in some sort of art intertwined with the music as opposed to Jay-Z who just panders to people who listen to twelve seconds of music on the radio in between office errands. Maybe I'm wrong. Does Jay-Z have a great flow? I've never heard anything transcendent from him. I've never heard a couplet from him that made me go "Awwwww shit he just did THAT?" Even his biggest hits with supposed inescapable hooks have bored me to tears. Big Pimpin' sucked. 99 Problems has a catchphrase that Stu Scott could have written. No thanks.

Glastonbury is meant to be cutting edge, I think. Maybe I'm wrong, and feel free to blast me, but I don't think Glastonbury is meant to showcase the top 40 charts.

[Karlifornia]

Dola, and Outkast isn't more safe and middle-class than Jay-Z. Jay-Z has sold circles around Outkast..and who do you think dictates sales? It isn't black people. Black people make up a rather limited percent of the population.

[Passacaglia]

wouldve been better had he learned the lyrics first.

-1

It's Wonderwall. No one cares what the lyrics are.

[AlexB]

And the point was stronger the fact that he didn't learn the words - kind of a finger to Noel's comments but at the same showing he thought so little of them he couldn't be bothered to put a whole lot of effort into the insult.

Works on both levels.

[Young Drachma]

And the point was stronger the fact that he didn't learn the words - kind of a finger to Noel's comments but at the same showing he thought so little of them he couldn't be bothered to put a whole lot of effort into the insult.

Works on both levels.

Here's what he had to say (http://www.showbizspy.com/news/06302008/jay-z-glastonbury-was-amazing) after the fact:

He says, "That's my sense of humour. I have a sense of humour like a Brit so I thought people would appreciate that. Noel Gallagher was one of the biggest detractors so I figured that was a cool way to start the show.

"I play that song (Wonderwall) a lot at my restaurant on Friday nights - after we've had a few drinks it works really well. That's how I knew it so well."

[st.cronin]

That's even funnier. "That's how I knew it so well."

[Pyser]

i dont think a feud works if neither side cares. noel hasnt said anything about it in a while...and hates everyone anyway, and jay-z laughed it off. its all over

though it might help oasis sell their new album later this year if they start a war with jay-z. and why not, it worked with blur and robbie williams.

[Super Ugly]

I disagree whole heartedly. Even if Wu Tang Clan had headlined, I don't think people would mind at all. These are festivals which attract many people from many "walks of life". I think people would be more open to Wu Tang fans that actually are interested in some sort of art intertwined with the music as opposed to Jay-Z who just panders to people who listen to twelve seconds of music on the radio in between office errands. Maybe I'm wrong. Does Jay-Z have a great flow? I've never heard anything transcendent from him. I've never heard a couplet from him that made me go "Awwwww shit he just did THAT?" Even his biggest hits with supposed inescapable hooks have bored me to tears. Big Pimpin' sucked. 99 Problems has a catchphrase that Stu Scott could have written. No thanks.

Glastonbury is meant to be cutting edge, I think. Maybe I'm wrong, and feel free to blast me, but I don't think Glastonbury is meant to showcase the top 40 charts.

I do believe the Wu Tang Clan would have received a similar sort of reception (and they would've been just as welcome!), but we'll never know. Michael Eavis (the promoter) has already said that next year's festival will see a return to guitar-based acts like Radiohead.

Glastonbury's got a reputation for being cutting edge, but it's also been known to book some overly commerical acts as headliners. Kylie Minogue headlined the other year. Verve closed the festival this year and they're hardly a cutting edge act. Same with Oasis (no strangers to Top 40 radio), or any number of the guitar bands that have headlined. So I don't think the commericalism argument holds a lot of water.

Jay-Z's done a lot of dross, yes, but I do believe he's one of the greats. His back catalogue is pretty extensive, and has rapped over some of the original, left-field music I've ever heard. Some of his rhymes are just jaw-droppingly good. I don't think his performance the other night would have converted you, but do try and seek some of the better stuff out.