Comments on: Jigga Should Just Say “F*ck Glastonbury”

By: The Rap Up » Jay-Z Goes in on Oasis at Glastonbury

The Rap Up » Jay-Z Goes in on Oasis at Glastonbury — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 23:12:16 +0000

[...] play-by-play of the show. One of the dudes from Oasis was talking greasy about Jay and people were blaming him for poor ticket sales, so Jay seized the opportunity at Glastonbury and dissed the sh*t out of Oasis. He then freestyled [...]

By: Rizoh

Rizoh — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 07:16:21 +0000

That’s a fair argument, but it doesn’t give hip-hop credit as the cultural force it’s been in the last 10 years or so.

Either way, this should be a true test of Jay’s crossover appeal.

By: Clyde Smith

Clyde Smith — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:45:35 +0000

Looking at the lineup and based on the response to date, I’d say Jay-Z was a poor choice for Glastonbury:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glastonbury_Festival_line-ups

There are barely any of the alternative hip hop acts that you see first showing up at such festivals. I only see one name I recognize for sure and that’s K’naan from a few years back.

Those act are what bridge the gap for a big rap act to get booked in following years at such festivals and that hasn’t happened at Glastonbury.

Rock Werchter is a good example of a rock/etc. festival that has had previous major rap bookings so it’s not directly comparative. Though it appears to counter my claim that you need the alternative acts coming through first, though Beastie Boys do have a serious rock fan base and are considered alternative.

Also, Jay-Z isn’t the crowning act of that festival.

It’s always a mistake to assume that anybody, no matter how much you dig them or how much they’ve accomplished, is of universal interest and can be just plopped down in a program without some consideration of the subcultural context.

By: Dan Love

Dan Love — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:42:18 +0000

2 key things:

1. Glastonbury usually sells out before the line-up is even released. People go for the festival experience, very few people would be put off by one act in amongst 100s.

2. Hasn’t a white, middle class audience been one of the core demographic for rap sales over the the last 2 decades?

By: J to the AAP

J to the AAP — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 07:23:01 +0000

Co-signing thedoctor here.
Jay-Z is also one of the headline artists on Rock Werchter, a major festival in Belgium that attracts people from all over Belgium and The Netherlands, just as big as Glastonbury in the UK. Far as I know, ticket sales for that one are going strong.