Lindsay Lohan isn’t the only star to give an extensive interview to The Sun this weekend. Jay-Z, arguably one of the biggest musical acts in the world, sat down for a long, highly political interview with The Sun. Sidenote: What gives? The Sun is a crappy rag. Why all the love? Back on topic: I think Jay’s point is that he wants to reach the British people and tell them they’ve got to stand up and be heard and have their votes counted. Which is a bit rich, because Britain consistently has a higher voter participation rate than America. In 2008, American voter participation barely cracked 60%. So… no American should ever give England a voting-rights lecture. Ever.

But Jay-Z isn’t just going with a Get Out the Vote message. Oh, no. He’s also trying to convince the British that they need “new blood” and that there’s a reason “People are calling it Broken Britain.” Um, once again, Jay – if Britain is “broken” than America has been smashed, pissed on and set on fire. Here’s more:

HE helped get the first black man into the White House – and now JAY-Z reckons he knows how to fix Broken Britain too. The power to bring change, he says, in in our own hands. The US rapper who picked up a Brit for Best International Male Solo Artist on Tuesday tells The Sun in an exclusive interview that change will only come if people use their vote at the next election.

However, he reckons neither GORDON BROWN nor DAVID CAMERON have the charisma of PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA. Jay-Z said: “Everyone needs new blood once in a while. And Britain needs it to shake up the country. People are calling it Broken Britain, so there’s obviously a problem.”

“Someone needs to reinvigorate and galvanise the country and give it something to believe in. That means a leader with charisma to get the youth out to vote. The rise of the BNP is also a problem. Power is dangerous in the hands of the wrong person and it’s up to the people to get them out of there – which goes back to voting.”

“We have to use that power. We can’t just sit back and not vote – that’s dangerous. I’ve never met Brown or Cameron but Britain needs to look at America and Obama to see how he did it. He connected with the young and gave them something to believe in. He made references to rap and let the kids know they were accepted. Before Obama, people in my neighbourhood were disillusioned. They thought nothing would happen no matter who was in office. But Obama changed that and really connected with people. He heard us and so we voted. Britain needs a leader who can do the same, who understands the youth and deals with their needs and what they have to say.”

Jay-Z – real name Shawn Carter – is a close friend of the President and worked on his election campaign, holding several free concerts to help his campaign register voters.

Despite a recent backlash against Obama, the 40-year-old music mogul believes his first year as President has been successful, stressing the importance of his healthcare plans.

He says: “Obama’s meeting a lot of resistance but I think he’s doing fine. We all knew the job he was taking on. He may have been dealt the worst hand ever in American politics. What I admire about him is he’s taken it on head-on. Who can say no to healthcare with a clear conscience?”

“Britain has a National Health Service to be proud of but in America, people have lost people in their lives because they didn’t have the proper healthcare. A friend of mine who is 41 just went to the doctor for the first time to get a check-up. That was the first time in his life he could afford health insurance. It shouldn’t be happening.”

“Making music is my love. It’s not arduous, not a task, and it’s not a job. I’m making music, touring the world and playing in front of people. It’s unreal. Britain is like my second home. I have a real connection here with the place and the people. I like Britain’s honesty, and the sarcasm – my sense of humor is dry so it blends well.”

[From The Sun]

Ugh. Yeah. I usually like Jay a lot, but I found this interview very sanctimonious. Maybe he didn’t really say this stuff – it doesn’t really sound like him, you know? Beyond that, Jay also appeared on Jonathan Ross’s BBC show, and he told/joked with Ross that he (Jay) was the was the one to invent Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” dance. EW raved about this interview clip, but I thought it was terribly dull: