Debbie Harry is a fan of rappers Jay-Z and Ludacris.

The Blondie singer has long been influenced by hip hop – with the band’s song ‘Rapture’ featuring her rapping and a break dancer in the video – and Debbie still keeps up with today’s rap scene.

She said: “I listen to the radio. I hear what’s being played. I like a lot of Jay-Z. I haven’t heard from Ludacris in a while but I really like him. I’m not hooked on what any single artist does. It’s piece by piece. I think most people are like that.”

While Debbie likes listening to Jay-Z, she is envious of the career his wife, Beyonce Knowles – who fronted Destiny’s Child before becoming one of the most recognisable solo singers on the planet – has had.

She told Suntimes.com: “I always felt I was more comfortable being a cult figure, but the temptation to be such a great entertainer and performer like Beyonce is so fantastic.

“I would adore doing some of that stuff. Her track record with songs is phenomenal; I wish we had as many hits.”

Although she never became a pop star as huge as Beyonce, Debbie has had a career spanning 40 years and Blondie released their ninth album ‘Panic of Girls’ earlier this year, and she is happy with the place they have won within popular culture.

She added: “We’ve always walked a sort of delicate line, between pop fodder and having an underground identity. But we’re definitely a rock band more than anything else.”