Glastonbury, theΒ come-rain-come-shine festival is no stranger to musician feuds. Circa 2009, Jay-Z took on the all and mighty Noel Gallagher of Oasis, and did well.
The petition to get rid of Kanye West as Glastonbury headliner is not Glastonbury’s first brush with major backlash to a hip-hop headliner. Back in 2009, when quite literally, one of the most successful rapper of this generation was chosen as the Glastonbury headliner, disagreement poured in from some expected and some unexpected quarters!
(image source: lists.co.uk)
Not only is Jay-Z a record breaking rap recorder, but also one of the more successful producers of contemporary music. But when he was chosen as the headliner for Glastonbury in 2009, severe backlash came from some quarters, basically the quarter of the pseudo hippie-music lover.
Glastonbury is one of the biggest music festivals of the year, that brings in crowds by the thousands, featuring more than 20o brilliant musicians in its line-up every year. Except a few of its discerning pretend-hippie members feel hip-hop to not be a viable genre at a festival as such. This leads them to constantly dis the presence of critically acclaimed and loved artists like Kanye this year, and Jay-Z back in 2009.
While Glastonbury handles such misinformed criticism rather well, by ignoring it and proceeding with the said artists, it was comment by Oasis frontman Noel Gallagher that changed everything about the 2009 headliner announcement.
Anyone remotely associated with music would know that Noel Gallagher suffers an incredible foot-in-the-mouth syndrome, having legitimately pissed off several music geniuses, including but not only, the inimitable Thom Yorke. Gallagher added his two cents to the then on-going debate by terming Jay-Z’s selection ‘wrong’ for a gathering like Glasto.
So Jay-Z got back in the manner, one does best. He covered Wonderwall, or so much as mock sang it, before mashing it with his 99 Problems…
…and quite easily delivered one of Glastonbury’s most memorable headliner performances!
And this is how you take down detractors!
Do you see Kanye West pulling off something similarly awesome?