Hi, just thought I would share my general thoughts on Jayzs performance.

[Brainaddict]

I've never been to Glastonbury before. How did I find it? I ain't gonna front. Since I've arrived I came down in a cab, had the windows up, the doors locked, came backstage, enjoyed some exclusive VIP hospitality, ate some free food and then went backstage to see Jay-Z in a luxury backstage area. I've been running in box-fresh sneakers and they are still mud free. I haven't really experienced it. When I came in I was a bit shook. I hadn't seen anything like it in my life. It was a culture shock, but cats seem to be having fun. Camping for four days, though? I need a shower dog!

Does this man really exist? How does he not get arrested in the street for being an exposed cock?

 

[Lisarocket]

Does Westwood REALLY think the Jay-Z gig was on Friday?

He is made of fool. Perhaps yer radioman was watching Kings of Leon and got mixed up ...

Missed the gig myself, I was working, but everyone who mentioned him said he put on a superb show. Respect to him for drawing a big crowd, a lot of whom would have gone just out of curiosity and then maybe stayed to listen properly and take it all in.

gave us a quiet shift too, what with Massive also on at the Other Stage

I noticed it. Was going to mention it, but you beat me to it

 

[littlebabyjesus]

NWA?!? Sought to awaken consciousness and stimulate thought?

Suck this, bitch!

I've just looked up some of their words, and I stand corrected. Just shows my ignorance of the genre really. The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy are more my bag.

 

[pk]

I've just looked up some of their words, and I stand corrected. Just shows my ignorance of the genre really. The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy are more my bag.

Whatever happened to them?

They had inspired and clever verses, and were IIRC involved with the Beatniks and that William Burroughs project.

They were deeply funky too.

As opposed to Jay Z and his moronic pastiche that would have sounded dated 15 years ago.

Oh and an ABBA reunion would be amazing! And I'm not even gay!

 

[tarannau]

Ach, Jay Z put on a damn good show, respecting the audience and tailoring a crowd pleasing set. He had a hefty chunk of the crowd in the palm of his hand.

Not my cup of tea - I nipped off after about half the set - but as high profile, bombastic rappers go, he's about as good as they get. Commercially and critically he's got respect, even amongst old crusty hip hop and electro veterans. Can't really fault his performance, even if the basic material leaves me a little cold.

Love the idea that Glastonbury should all be about the non-commercial and ethically responsible dream, just like all the rawk and pop headliners have been at Glasto in the past eh. And of course Glasto should be seeming catering to largely white middle-class tap tastes, putting on inoffensive and anodyne acts like retro-dreg revivalists Jurassic 5, Disposable Heroes and no doubt a few Daisy Agers and heritage political rappers like PE and Franti.

Hate to point it out, but a lot of those Glasto headliners are as American and in love with the commercial dream as any hip hop crew. The idea that rap acts should somehow be more divorced from common US ideals and commercial tastes, setting out higher standards and different perspectives seems unrealistic and, frankly, more than a little reductive.

Gawd, at least you could take the view that Jay Z's lyrics are more witty, deliberately boastful and tongue in cheek than the average coke-snorting rawker. Razorlight have played there repeatedly for fuck's sake...

 

[kained&able]

I really don't get why the didnt get kanye west to headline.

How many jay-z songs do people actually know in this country?

Hard knock life and 99 problems and possibly big pimpin and thats about it.

Kanye would have had the same showmanship, more recognisaible tunes AND in some songs actuully had something to say.

Im all for a lot more hip-hop at glastonbury but jigga was the wrong choice(socio-political raps my fucking arse emily evis).

Cypress hill, wu-tang clan & kanye would be able to hold down the headline slot in the future i reckon.

I really hate jay-z but recognise he is very good at what he does. Just never really saw at working at glastonbury, whoch to be fair it almost did. As for people not turning up cos of jay-z who gives a sht massive attack were playing at the same time!

dave

 

[littlebabyjesus]

And of course Glasto should be seeming catering to largely white middle-class tap tastes, putting on inoffensive and anodyne acts like retro-dreg revivalists Jurassic 5, Disposable Heroes and no doubt a few Daisy Agers and heritage political rappers like PE and Franti.

I don't understand that comment. I prefer the likes of Franti to JayZ and this is somehow linked to my skin colour? At very best, that is a lazy comment.

Hey, let's not address the actual question at hand, let's throw race and class around instead.

 

[tarannau]

That's a bit rich from someone who saw fit to pronounce:

It seems to me little more than an opiate for the black masses.

And you're accusing me of lazy comments you pontificating goon?!?!

Why Jay Z, and indeed any fans of hip hop (regardless of race) should be expected to adhere to higher standards on their choice of headliners is beyond me

Is anyone seriously suggesting that we should bring PE and Franti to the Pyramid on Saturday night. Pish. And I'll stick by the Jurassic 5 and Franti comment as well - you'd be hard pressed to find any youth, of whatever colour, that likes them around here. Beloved by more aged, more monied retro types in the main. See also Beastie Boys, who are shit by any measure.

 

[Thora]

I enjoyed Jay Z, my brother didn't so much but I forced him to come with me in retaliation for making me see what was basically a prog band. Big crowd who all seemed really into it too, even though the vast majority were probably not Jay Z fans or that familiar with his stuff - the biggest crowd response was for the Linkin Park one, the bit of Rihanna's Umbrella he played and Wonderwall at the beginning I think it's nice to have something a bit different from the usual - still, maybe next year we'll have Radiohead or Coldplay headlining...

I overheard much moaning from hippy student girls in the showers in the stewards camping about how there were sooooooo many more chavs this year because of Jay Z

 

[littlebabyjesus]

And you're accusing me of lazy comments you pontificating goon?!?!

Yes I am. And as I explained before, the celebration of conspicuous consumption that comes across in a lot of hip hop does seem to me to fit perfectly with the capitalist 'American Dream' idea of how to define success. The importance of the latest branded clothing, made by some poor bugger in southeast Asia, the complete absence of any wider context. I find it spirit-sapping in the extreme.

 

[Iam]

So listen to something else, there's plenty of hip hop that doesn't do that, if you can only be bothered to go find it...

 

[tarannau]

Yes I am. And as I explained before, the celebration of conspicuous consumption that comes across in a lot of hip hop does seem to me to fit perfectly with the capitalist 'American Dream' idea of how to define success. The importance of the latest branded clothing, made by some poor bugger in southeast Asia, the complete absence of any wider context. I find it spirit-sapping in the extreme.

No shit sherlock. So in fact the 'black' in your ' It seems to me little more than an opiate for the black masses' phrase was entirely surplus wasn't it?

Still, it's great that us silly black and mixed up masses have the likes of finger-waggling you to guide our thoughts.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

No shit sherlock. So in fact the 'black' in your ' It seems to me little more than an opiate for the black masses' phrase was entirely surplus wasn't it?

No. Because a great deal of it is a direct reaction, conscious or otherwise, to a history of the oppression specifically, of black people since the South reluctantly emancipated their slaves.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Still, it's great that us silly black and mixed up masses have the likes of finger-waggling you to guide our thoughts.

My comments are aimed at the specific US context within which the genre developed.

 

[tarannau]

Fuck me, what a load of high falluting testicular speak (bollocks). I was thinking that in the early days, when I was waving my hand in the air ('like I just didn't care')

Or maybe, just maybe, because mc'ing - from Jamaica to Brazil to NY centres around necessarily narcissitic personalities and boastfulness. And there's far more tongue and cheek and variety in hip hop than you're giving it credit for.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

And what is the wider context of this kind of boastful, look at me I'm rich, culture that originated in the US?

Does it have anything to do with the way that the presence of the ex-slaves in the US was resented by the white majority, many of whom did their level best for the century following emancipation to deny the descendants of slaves education, work, healthcare and decent housing, creating an underclass that still exists today? Is it in part a reaction to these unresolved issues, which created the concept of the 'n*gger' that still finds a resonance today nearly 150 years later?

It is an understandable reaction to me, given the materialism of the society. It is also quite possibly internalising the prejudice in a way that I find depressing. Most importantly, I think, it lets the society off the hook - hence my 'opiate' comment.

 

[tarannau]

Well thanks for that largely irrelevant bibble. Just so vastly oversimplified and largely nonsensical that it doesn't merit comment, particularly in relation to this thread and Jay Z fucking headlining Glasto.

Thanks for your understanding though you pompous gibbon.

Next week we look at the subtext of Aerosmith's "Love in An Elevator' and its relationship to the American pysche.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Well thanks for that largely irrelevant bibble. Just so vastly oversimplified and largely nonsensical that it doesn't merit comment, particularly in relation to this thread and Jay Z fucking headlining Glasto.

Thanks for your understanding though you pompous gibbon.

I'm not quite sure why you've personalised this. Living in the Deep South and working cash-in-hand jobs in various locations, I was given something of an insight into the situation of poor people there. But you are not willing to engage with the ideas, so I shall leave this thread.

 

[Sadken]

Ach, Jay Z put on a damn good show, respecting the audience and tailoring a crowd pleasing set. He had a hefty chunk of the crowd in the palm of his hand.

Not my cup of tea - I nipped off after about half the set - but as high profile, bombastic rappers go, he's about as good as they get. Commercially and critically he's got respect, even amongst old crusty hip hop and electro veterans. Can't really fault his performance, even if the basic material leaves me a little cold.

Love the idea that Glastonbury should all be about the non-commercial and ethically responsible dream, just like all the rawk and pop headliners have been at Glasto in the past eh. And of course Glasto should be seeming catering to largely white middle-class tap tastes, putting on inoffensive and anodyne acts like retro-dreg revivalists Jurassic 5, Disposable Heroes and no doubt a few Daisy Agers and heritage political rappers like PE and Franti.

Hate to point it out, but a lot of those Glasto headliners are as American and in love with the commercial dream as any hip hop crew. The idea that rap acts should somehow be more divorced from common US ideals and commercial tastes, setting out higher standards and different perspectives seems unrealistic and, frankly, more than a little reductive.

Gawd, at least you could take the view that Jay Z's lyrics are more witty, deliberately boastful and tongue in cheek than the average coke-snorting rawker. Razorlight have played there repeatedly for fuck's sake...

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat post.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hate to point it out, but a lot of those Glasto headliners are as American and in love with the commercial dream as any hip hop crew.

For the record, I don't disagree with this, and I generally couldn't give a fuck about who plays at Glastonbury, a festival that saw fit to put Joan Armatrading on the 'World' stage.

Having said that, 'others do it as well' is a weak defence.

 

[Sadken]

Having said that, 'others do it as well' is a weak defence.

Not when fans of those others are slating Jay-z for doing it though.