By Ismael AbduSalaam
A member of the rock group Oasis still has critical comments for Jay-Z, the rapper/mogul whom the group engaged in a brief war of words with over the summer.
In June, the band’s frontman Noel Gallagher threw the first verbal salvo, criticizing the rapper’s artistic merit and choice to headline the high-profile, traditionally rock-centered UK Glastonbury festival.
Jay responded by calling Gallagher’s comments “ignorant” and indicative of the old guard mindset of wanting to keep obsolete, traditional music barriers in place.
In light-hearted acknowledgment of his detractors, Jay interpolated the group’s hit single “Wonderwall” to start his memorable Glastonbury closing set.
Although Gallagher has since backed away from his inflammatory comments, Oasis bassist Gem Archer has dubbed the Brooklyn native immature for what he feels was a cheap shot on Jay’s new single “Jockin Jay-Z.”
“It’s like eight year old girls in the schoolyard, running off and writing ditties like that,” Archer fumed to The Sun newspaper. “Grow up!”
Archer also disparaged the battle tradition in Hip-Hop culture, characterizing all rappers as overly aggressive and lovers of controversy.
“But rappers love a ruck,” he reasoned. “It’s what they do. They set out to have a fight and it's there in their lyrics. They love biffo.”
This past week Jay-Z announced a label partnership with producer team Stargate, and is putting the finishes touches on his highly anticipated Blueprint 3 album.
At press time, Jay could not be reached for comment.