Warning: Explicit language
Kanye West blasted Taylor Swift as a “fake ass” and called NBC staffers “white m———–s” during his epic meltdown backstage at “Saturday Night Live.”
In an audio clip exclusively obtained by Page Six, Kanye can be heard repeatedly yelling at “SNL” production staff, “Don’t f–k with me,” before branding Swift — whom he claims on his new album he made famous — a “fake ass.”
Then the hotheaded rapper went on to proclaim that he is “50 percent more influential” than legendary filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, Pablo Picasso, St. Paul the Apostle — who was handpicked by Christ to deliver the gospel — and even the notorious drug runner Pablo Escobar.
Kanye can be heard ranting, “Are they f—–g crazy? Whoa by 50 percent [I am more influential than] Stanley Kubrick, Picasso, Apostle Paul, f—–g Picasso and Escobar. By 50 percent more influential than any other human being. Don’t f–k with me. Don’t f–k with me. Don’t f–k with me. By 50 percent dead or alive, by 50 percent for the next 1,000 years. Stanley Kubrick, ‘Ye.”
The rapper went on a bizarre tirade just minutes before last Saturday’s live show hosted by Melissa McCarthy. We’re told Kanye was upset that staffers ripped up some shiny flooring from his set because it was reflecting the stage lights, creating a confusing effect with the video wall behind him.
He can also be heard yelling, “Look at that s–t they took my f—–g stage off’a ‘SNL’ without asking me. I am bummed … If I am going to do this, we are breaking the m———–g Internet.”
Page Six exclusively reported that Kanye had the epic meltdown behind the scenes last Saturday and petulantly threatened to walk off the show during its live broadcast.
Sources told us that “SNL” boss Lorne Michaels had to reason with the “Runaway” rapper to keep him from bolting from the show. Finally the rapper deigned to stay and perform.
A source told us, “It was like he was having an emotional breakdown. He was calling the crew ‘white m———–s’ and then said he was going to walk out. The only thing that stopped him from actually leaving right then was that nobody had access to the freight elevator. If he’d walked out on the live show, it would have been a disaster. And the whole meltdown was just because of the floor. ” (Kanye cannot be heard calling the crew “white m———–s” on the audio clip.)
A source close to Kanye told us, “Right before he was about to go on live television, they took his stage apart. Like any artist, he’s a perfectionist, and wanted his performance to be right. Of course he was upset.”
It’s been a busy week for Kanye, who has been letting rip on Twitter, and publicly battling with Swift after his track from his new album about having sex with her, plus his claim that he “made the bitch famous,” infuriated the 26-year-old pop superstar.
She hit back at the Grammys by saying, “There are going to be people along the way who will try to undercut your success or take credit for your accomplishments or your fame … But if you just focus on the work and you don’t let those people sidetrack you … you will know that it was you and the people who love you who put you there.”
A rep for Kanye denied that he called the crew “white m———–s,” but declined to comment further on the audio.