Jay-Z has said his headlining performance at the Glastonbury festival two years ago “felt like we were invading a country”.

The rapper's booking at the Somerset event initially attracted scepticism from fans and musicians, including former Oasis star Noel Gallagher.

But his headline set on the Pyramid stage confounded doubters, and was widely regarded as one of the highlights of the festival.

"It felt like we were invading a country," Jay-Z told the Los Angeles Times.

"'Whoa. There's a lot of people out there'. I had never played before that many people in my life. 'What did we just do? This had better work'. "

The rapper said Gallagher's opposition was an example of “the old guard standing in the way” because of Glastonbury's rock traditions.

"It was one of those hurdles we had to break down,” he added.

Jay-Z, who also said the event had forced him to improve his live show, will return to the UK this summer for a brief tour.

The rapper's dates include headline appearances at the Isle of Wight festival in June and Wireless in London on July 4.

(by Jason Gregory)