Jay-Z's British humour

Jul 1, 2008, 10:15 GMT

US rapper Jay-Z performs at the Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, UK on 28 June 2008. The Glastonbury Festival, a festival of contemporary performing arts, runs from 27 to 29 June 2008. EPA/FRANTZESCO KANGARIS

US rapper Jay-Z's British sense of humour inspired his Glastonbury cover of Oasis song 'Wonderwall'.

The hip-hop star, who opened his controversial headline slot at the music festival with the band's 1995 hit, says he was just poking fun at one of his "biggest detractors" Noel Gallagher.

Jay-Z said: "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."

Jay-Z also confessed he is a fan of the ballad and often plays the song at his restaurant.

He added to MTV: "I play '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."

Jay-Z's set - which featured his hits '99 Problems' and 'Girls, Girls, Girls', 'Big Pimpin' and 'Hard Knock Life' as well as a cover of Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' - went down a storm and has been universally praised.

Summing up the performance, Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis said: "It's up to Noel if he wants to criticise the Jay-Z thing. Jay-Z triumphed in the end. Everyone knew all the words, as far back as I could see they knew them, it's incredible. Absolutely amazing."

Noel Gallagher sparked a huge debate over the rapper's performance, after he said: "Glastonbury has the tradition of guitar music. I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It's wrong."

Jay-Z is currently touring the UK, and will play a host of European festivals this summer.