Jay Kay thinks Britain is “the poor man of Europe”.
The 40-year-old Jamiroquai singer thinks the UK has “dumbed down” because of popular culture and believes other nations mock his home country because it is inhabited by “chatterers and shoppers”.
He said: “The nation is being dumbed down by popular culture and we are turning into a country of gossips, this isn’t Great Britain anymore. We keep talking about 1966 when we won the world cup and winning WWII which is nice to talk about, but it isn’t great now.
“Britain is the poor man of Europe, Italy laughs at us – they call us the nation of chatterers and shoppers, and that’s what we are. All we talk about is the Beckhams and Jordan. It really is Little Britain. All we get fed from television and magazines is rubbish.”
The Canned Heat singer believes National Service – where people undergo a compulsory stint in the armed forces – should be brought back to the UK to make young people “learn a trade”.
He told Recognise magazine: “If a kid gets caught with a knife, send them to work in the army. There they can learn a trade and earn some respect for themselves.”
Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay has taken aim at pop phenomenon Lady Gaga, dismissing her as a “money-making freak”.
The Space Cowboy hitmaker is well known for his outspoken views, and recently launched a tirade against British pop star Cheryl Cole and Australian singer Dannii Minogue just hours before he performed on U.K. talent show The X Factor – on which they are both judges.
And the star didn’t hold back when he was asked for his opinion on pop’s current first lady Gaga, insisting she is nothing more than a music industry marketing tool.
He says, “Lady Gaga is a money-making freak for her label. We (Jamiroquai) are not like that. We do music, not marketing. Lady Gaga is obviously a phenomenon. The world loves a freak. If the record companies see that they can make money with them, they will do anything.
“Don’t worry, next time we’ll come dressed in asparagus. And with tomatoes too.”
Jay Kay – real name Jason Kay – called the two judges ‘f***ing useless’ in an ill-judged interview that appeared in The Sun newspaper.
He said: ‘What the f***. When have you ever done anything? You’re useless. The pair of you.
‘I mean you look great and I’d like to f****** s**g you but that’s all.’
He added: ‘I just don’t like the w**** stuff I have to do. F****** X Factor and that.
‘I’m going to have to sing in front of f****** amateurs. Do you know what I mean?’