Organizers of the Glastonbury Festival, one of Britain's biggest and best-known annual concert events, continue to stand behind their decision to feature headliner Jay-Z despite criticism from fans, critics and at least one other act on the bill.

The festival has yet to sell out this year, a dramatic departure from previous years when the event unloaded all of its tickets within hours. Oasis songwriter Noel Gallagher blames Jigga for the sluggish sales, claiming a hip hop act goes against the festival's tradition of guitar music.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it," Gallagher said in an interview, an audio of which was posted to the British Broadcasting Corp.'s Web site Monday. "If you break it, people ain't gonna go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? ... No chance. I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. No way. No. It's wrong."

Glastonbury Festival co-organizer Emily Eavis said Jay-Z isn't the first rapper to grace the stage in its 38-year history. The Roots and Cypress Hill have both been a part of the event. She said the media uproar over Gallagher's comments revealed an "innate conservatism" in some parts of British society.      

"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. I'm not sure what to call it, at least not in public, but this is something that causes me some disquiet," Eavis said in an article published Tuesday in The Independent newspaper.