The organizers of the Glastonbury Festival have defended their decision to have Jay-Z headline the event after Noel Gallagher of the rock group Oasis blamed the rapper for low ticket sales.

The Glastonbury Festival is one of Britain's most popular outdoor music events and is well known for showcasing a majority of rock acts.

In February, when the festival’s organizers announced that Jay-Z would headline the summer event, they revealed that they chose him to draw in a younger crowd and move away from their traditional format.

In past years, the event's tickets have sold out quickly but this year sales for the summer festival have been slow.

In an interview with BBC on Monday (April 14), Gallagher blamed Jay-Z for the festival’s low ticket sales.

“If it ain't broke, don't fix it,” Gallagher said. “If you break it, people ain't gonna go.  I'm sorry, but Jay-Z?  No chance.”

“Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go 'Kylie Minogue?” he continued.  “I don’t know about it.  I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury.  No way.  No.  It's wrong.”

Emily Eav is, a co-organizer for the Glastonbury Festival, responded yesterday (April 15) to Gallagher’s comments saying that the festival has showcased various rap acts in the past including The Roots and Cypress Hill.  She also said they would not be changing their line up over “innate conservatism”.

“[Jay-Z] has not only become one of the world's greatest hip-hop stars, he is also an artist who has an amazing live act,” Eavis said. “In truth, we felt honored to have him on board, and believe that he is absolutely the right act for our festival.”

“There is also an interesting undercurrent in the suggestion that a black, U.S. hip-hop artist shouldn't be playing in front of what many perceive to be a white, middle-class audience,” she continued.  “I'm not sure what to call it, at least not in public, but this is something that causes me some disquiet.”