US rapper Jay-Z has responded to his controversial scheduled appearance at this years Glastonbury festival, calling the criticism “ridiculous”.

The rapper said it was time to embrace hip-hop and to step away from “old school thinking”.

As previously reported, Jay-Z will headline the Pyramid Stage on the second day of the event next Saturday (June 28th).

The rapper's appearance, which was announced in February, has been the subject of much debate, with Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher calling his booking “wrong” for Glastonbury.

Asked about Gallagher's comment, Jay-Z told the BBC that “if we don't embrace what is new, then how do we progress?”

"I've never actually experienced anything like that before. "It's 2008, what is that about? That's such old school thinking, that's not even how the world thinks anymore.

“So I was really taken aback (by the criticism)."

Jay-Z, who will headline Glastonbury along with Kings of Leon and The Verve, said the criticism was indicative of the “barriers” that separate different music genres.

"They are there so people have a way of filing the music but that's not the way kids today listen to music,” he said.

"I listen to all types of music and that's what should happen, that's what the world should be about, mixing culture.

"There's only good music and bad music."

(by Jason Gregory)