So this weekend saw plaster-loving rap icon Jay-Z headline the main stage at Glastonbury amid something of a furore.

When this was initially announced in April, many were quietly dubious and some (particularly Mancunian gobshite Noel Gallagher)were so incensed they could no longer hold their guitar-loving tongues.

“Hip hop is wrong for Glastonbury,” the aged indie icon claimed, “I'm sorry, but Jay-Z?No chance.”

Instead of these comments, and others like them, sparking some vaguely interesting debate on the nature of popular and alternative cultures, and just exactly where Glastonbury fits in these days, there was the slightly predictable and very boring response of “Gallagher's a racist, then”. A badge which seems to have been pinned on anyone white who doesn't think Jay-Z is the best choice to headline Europe's biggest festival. Jay-Z even made this accusation himself, referring to his 'haters' as 'musical racists'.

I don't think it's anything to do with race, little to do with hip hop per se, but quite a lot to do with Jay-Z himself.

When the festival first began in 1970, entrance was £1.00, including free milk from everyone's favourite upside-down headed hippy-farmer, Michael Eavis. Headlining what was then called The Glastonbury Fayre, was Marc Bolan and T-Rex, who famously arrived in a velvet-clad car and of course, stayed the entire weekend, as opposed to flying in on a helicopter, doing their set, and getting the hell out again before the mud even had time to dry.

I think that's one of the reasons Noel et al got so upset about Mr Z heading up the Pyramid stage this year: From the first festival, Glastonbury was all about like-minded people having a place to enjoy 'their music'. The acts that on the bill were the kind of people that would have gone there anyway, and I seriously doubt that could be said about Jay-Z.

Glastonbury is timed to fit in with the summer solstice. The location of the Pyramid stage is as it is so that it can be as close as possible to a ley line: It's a hippy-fest.

It's about treating people how you'd like to be treated, being considerate and loving thy neighbour – partly because in a field of 150,000 people temporarily living in tents and crapping in communal toilets, an 'every man for himself' philosophy would not make for a pleasant four days. It's about creativity, community spirit and, is a perfect microcosm example of how looking out for each other (not just number one) genuinely makes life nicer, and everyone feel better.

From what I know of Jay-Z, he doesn't seem to subscribe to any form of socialism, not even Coldplay-esque Guardian reading, tofu-munching champagne socialism. He likes to buy expensive stuff, wear that expensive stuff to gain status, and then rap about how much better his life is now he has the stuff, and inform you how your miserable life could be better if you too acquire more stuff. Not very Glastonbury is it?

Noel claims that hip hop shouldn't be at Glastonbury at all, that it has no place and the line-up should be solely guitar-based. Perhaps, just perhaps he might be slightly biased on this front....

I don't think Glastonbury should be devoid of hip hop at all, and, it would seem, neither do the organisers or festival-goers: Happier, hippier rap outfits like De La Soul (who headlined in 1990) have been playing there for years.

The fundamental problem is not the booking of commercial acts – that's happened for ages. It has nothing to do with racism, or a vendetta against any form of music that isn't guitar-led. And it's something that's much larger than Jay-Z himself, he was just unfortunate enough to get caught up in it all. The problem is that Glastonbury is having an identity crisis.

Is it supposed to be a solstice celebration with undeniable hippy overtones? Is it supposed to be a celebration of alternative cultures and arts with undeniable socialist overtones? Or is it now an occasion where the highest grossing acts of the past year turn up and play so that people with a spare £150.00 can make Glastonbury the highest-grossing festival in Europe?

Jay-Z was really, really good on Saturday night, but should he have been there? I really don't know.

By Gemma Hughes/MOLI.