Kanye West canceled a November 26th performance on the “Today” show Friday, after expressing frustration at being “set up” during an interview with host Matt Lauer earlier this week.
Writing on his Twitter account from Dubai, where he is scheduled to give a concert, the moody superstar rapper said, ” I’m not performing on the ‘Today’ show for obvious reasons.”
“I’m so happy the world got to see a small piece of the ‘set up,'” West continued. “I blatantly said I’m not performing on a tweet and to everyone around me and the next day they still announced a performance.”
“Do you guys see what I’m saying now?” he continued. “This is just a small slice of the day to day b*llsh*t that goes on that helps to precipitate the idea that [I’m] such an *ssh*le…. cause when I don’t perform oh nooow I’m the one that’s crazy or a jerk.’”
In Lauer’s taped interview with West, which aired Thursday, West apologized for saying on national television that former President George W. Bush did not “care about black people” in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
Bush called the incident one of the most “disgusting” moments of his presidency in an interview with Lauer that aired Monday.
“I would tell George Bush, in my moment of frustration, that I didn’t have the grounds to call him a racist,” West told Lauer in his interview.
But the rapper grew visibly upset as Lauer aired footage of his interview with Bush, before prompting West to make his apology.
“I didn’t need you guys to show me the tape to prompt my emotions,” he told Lauer. “I came up here because I wanted to say something right after the fact. This is the reality, this is the real thing going on. I don’t need all the jazz.”
Later in the interview, West again grew distraught when Lauer replayed footage from the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when West upstaged country singer Taylor Swift with a rant that became an internet sensation.
“How am I supposed to talk when you’re running this thing when I’m talking?” West asked Lauer during the interview. “It’s ridiculous.”
West did try to end his Twitter outburst on a positive note, however, by saying there was no bad blood with Lauer.
“And I don’t hate Matt Lauer, he tweeted. ” We don’t promote hate. That’s the whole point!!! I promote love and truth!”