Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow has staunchly defended her rapper pal Jay-Z against criticism for his headlining spot at Britain's legendary Glastonbury festival this summer.

It has been alleged that Jay-Z's scheduled performance on the mainstage has been largely responsible for the decline in ticket sales for the event, but organizers have slammed the suggestion that festival-goers want to see rock bands perform instead of hip-hop stars.

Historically, all tickets have been snapped up within hours of their release. But Shakespeare In Love beauty Paltrow, who was a witness at Jay-Z's recent wedding to Beyonce Knowles, insists the "Big Pimpin'" hitmaker will be "brilliant for Glastonbury."

She adds, "He's the best rapper of all-time and I think he'll knock it out of the park."

Paltrow joined Jay-Z on stage at his Royal Albert Hall gig in London in 2006, providing backing vocals for one of his songs. Jay-Z has also collaborated with Paltrow's husband Chris Martin of Coldplay.

(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)