Jay-Z's 99 Problems

Wow! This has been an amazing week.

The Victoria and Albert Museum is exhibiting a retrospective on Mary Wilson and the Supremes.

The Wimbledon final was between Venus and Serena Williams. Last time they payed each other in the final, I was SO emotional. They are both champions. Each has won Wimbledon more than once. And we knew that, whoever took home the trophy, it would be a Williams.

And Jay-Z was the headliner at the Glastonbury Festival.

This was very controversial because one of the Gallagher brothers stated publicly that Jay-Z should not be the headliner. Glastonbury is for indies, not for rappers.

I am not a fan of rap. For one thing, I can’t even understand what they are saying most of the time. Must be my age. And nobody forces me to listen to it. Nor am I a fan of indie music, for that matter.

Got home last night and switched on the box. “Glastonbury, the Best Bits” was on. When Jay-Z stepped out on that stage, his band was playing and he was strumming his guitar. Not even singing. But the crowd recognised the chords, and they were singing,

“Today is gonna be the day
That they're gonna throw it back to you”.

The Oasis hit, “Wonderwall”.

Jay-Z can’t sing to save his life, but he went out on that stage and he gave it his best shot. He did it to make a point. And he made it. And it was GOOD.

Then he went into “99 Problems” and the crowd just chanted right along with him. This is as it should be. Music is music. It’s not meant to be cordoned off into ghettos.

But I can’t see the Gallaghers being able to perform one of Jay-Z’s numbers.

Apparently, the crowd were chanting “hoes, hoes, hoes”. I do not approve of women being referred to as “bitches” and “hoes”. It is disrespectful and demeaning. (Mind you, having read the lyrics, he says that that is not what he means.)

Jay-Z, I don’t know if you are irreplaceable. That’s not my call. But when you stepped out on that stage, you were bloody brilliant.

So what’s next? A Black man in the White House? And if Obama is elected, what effect will this have on your day-to-day life? I want to hear your views. Join my Obama phone-in on Tuesday 8^th Click here for details.