Am I the biggest Jay-Z fan in the world? No. Do I like his music? Yeah, I like it, but I don't love it. But, that being said, I didn't see what all the fuss was when he was booked for Glastonbury. Music is music is music and all music played today basically comes from the same source. Just because you don't happen to like a certain kind of music doesn't mean it shouldn't be on a bill.
So, when the Noel Gallagher started spouting off about how Jay-Z (read black people) don't belong at Glastonbury it kind of pissed me off. To me, the best music festivals are the ones that have something for everyone and introduce people to music they otherwise wouldn't have listened to. Plus, with the advent of ipods, everyone has some seriously eclectic crap they listen to and I wouldn't be surprised if people who listened to Oasis also listen to Jay-Z and Kanye. So, Noel as much as you hate the thought of a black person playing at Glastonbury, it happened, and will probably happen again.
The organizers at Glastonbury took a chance on Jay-Z and I think it paid off. The part that I liked best though is in the video below. Sure, Noel will get a little bit of coin for the song performance, but also knows that Jay-Z could buy and sell Noel 50 times and that in the music industry, Noel is Jay-Z's bitch.
I saw this earlier and laughed my ass off. Noel got OWNED. (Although Jay-Z's rendition wasn't the greatest. :) )
ReplyDeleteword ent
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome. Jay-Z just went up in my estimation.
ReplyDeleteUgh....Reminds me of the losers who "boo'ed" Orbital when they opened for TOOL. Like no one wants to hear something new. Drunks.
ReplyDeleteI didnt read into it that it had anything to do with colour, I just thought that people were confused by the choice of act since The Killers had been a perfect choice the previous year and were such a hard act to follow. Having said that I do agree that 'Just because you don't happen to like a certain kind of music doesn't mean it shouldn't be on a bill.'
ReplyDeletewow Ive had one hell of a rant day today!
oh it totally had to do with race and 'black music'.
ReplyDeletenoel is a moody, crabby fuck who needs to remember where the Beatles got their sound from b4 Oasis so blatantly ripped them off....brilliant JayZ.
You know, I've really cared for hip hop and especially the trend of glamorizing excess, but Jay-Z earned 20 respect points for this.
ReplyDeleteOh you all know so much about Glastonbury. Ever been there? I have. Had black (and arabic and asian)performers on since the beginning, when most of you were unborn. Ritchie Havens was top of the bill in about 1975, and gave a performance many people remember to this day.
ReplyDeleteIt's hip hop that's the problem. Not been known as 'festival' music in the UK, so it was a brave move for Emily Eavis to give the best spot of the weekend to Jay-Z. He stormed it, so hopefully that barrier has gone and hip hop will join the bill on future festivals.
Noel Gallagher is a twat, and deserves any insult you care to throw at him.
Jay-Z is a goddamn genius. I honestly think so. Just in terms of, you know, sheer WRITING ability. He's clever and super imaginative, and his rhymes and beats and whatnot (*waves* -- hey, I'm a white chick, everybody!) -- emerge in a fun, seamless way. He's just a good old-fashioned wordsmith. NOT a singer -- I'll definitely grant you that, but I'd rather hear Jay's version of "Wonderwall" than the ubernasal, monotoned one we're all used to.
ReplyDeleteOh my God, and his Unplugged album with The Roots is SO freaking good.
I pity the Gallagher brothers. They are unibrowed choadmongers with Prince Valiant hairdos, and they aspire to reach some manner of Beatledom - though neither man is nearly as hot as Ringo, even.
The whole blatantly-ripping-off-John Lennon-schtick got old in NINETEEN NINETY-EFFING-SEVEN, and that particular parody isn't even that original to begin with!
I love Jay-Z, and I sort of tragically love Beyonce, too. She's my generation's cross between Tina Turner and Cher, and I cannot refuse her magic.
ms-wonderland has this sussed.
ReplyDeleteNothing to do with COLOUR.
Glastonbury is generally perceived to be a rock/pop festival, however the number of black artists who've appeared over the years playing many varied genres on the other stages shows that it is a pure music festival through and through.
I could not personally tell you the name of any of Jay-Z's songs, but I'm sure he's sampled more than a few that I can remember from waaaay back in the day.
It's the genre that prat Gallagher is fussin' about, and he's probably never heard any of Jay-Z's tracks either!! And a 'hip-hop' act on the main Pyramid stage as the main attraction! Shocking!! From what I've read, Jay-Z more than easily filled the headline act and more.
No Ent, you got this wrong. Nothing to do with colour, but the genre and I'm sure, lack of knowledge thereof by a certain Mancunian git called Noel. (no offence to any other nice Mancs, BTW!)
LOL. 20 years from now when they feature Jay Z on a "I love the 2000's" series, this will be one of the things they mention.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry I listened to this video and my god it sounded bad. He seems to not even know the words to the song....Is this just me??
ReplyDelete"Oh you all know so much about Glastonbury. Ever been there? I have." "the beginning, when most of you were unborn."
ReplyDeleteThank you, ms_wonderland, for making me laugh ! That was classic.
I hope I know you in real life. Perhaps we've met....maybe at Glastonbury. ;)
JZ's fine. Gallaghers, however, can't even get along with each other. They're slags and no one cares about them.
ReplyDeleteOnly thing is, with this JZ really does look like a dude who can't perform music, performing at a music festival. I do agree Noel G is a whinging ass though.
ReplyDeleteJay-Z wasn't attempting to sing a lovely cover of "Wonderwall," so I'm not sure why anyone is expecting to hear a pitch-perfect rendition. He was only using the track to mock Noel and other like-minded people. Which, is why it segued into "99 Problems;" with some key lyrics being directed towards those critical of his presence at the festival.
ReplyDeleteThere has been a lot of murmuring about hip-hop being at the festival, and racist comments (masked or blatant) have been made along side with that expressed displeasure. So, I have to disagree with those that say there's no connection between racism and hip-hop in this case.
Yes - what k and ms-wonderland said. Jay-Z was a controversial choice because of his genre of music (which doesn't normally headline music festivals in the UK), and NOT the colour of his skin!!
ReplyDeleteI thought it was a great performance, and totally silenced all the critics. However when 50 Cent headlined Reading and Leeds fest he got bottles thrown at him. This is why people were querying the choice - because in the past rap acts had proved unpopular at festivals.
Had to vent as I hate it when everything is turned around to be about race, when it wasn't even an issue to start with.
I have thought long and hard about this.
ReplyDeleteNoel isn't a twat; if anything, he's a funny fucker too.
However, the Glastonbury he's thinking of is one that happened over ten years ago... and that makes me sad because that means I'm fucking old.