Audio Leaks of Kanye's Backstage Rant at SNL

The New York Post is out with leaked audio of Kanye West backstage before last week's Saturday Night Live, unhappy about changes to his set and threatening to bail on his performance. The newspaper calls it an "epic meltdown" as West talks about being "50%" more important than anyone living or dead—he mentions Stanley Kubrick and Picasso—and even manages to fit in another Taylor Swift slam ("fake ass"). But "epic meltdown" might be overstated, observes Vulture: "It's really more self-declarations of importance and a musical artist upset about how things aren't going according to plan."

At one point, West complains, " Look at that s--t, they took my f--kin' stage off SNL without asking me and now I'm bummed. Now I ain't gonna do this, we're breaking the mother f--king Internet." An anonymous insider explains to E! Online: "He did not yell at SNL staff. This audio was secretly recorded while he was venting his frustration in a private moment with his team." The source says the show's lighting director vetoed his stage design at the last minute, apparently because the original "shiny flooring" would have been too distracting, adds the Post. (Read more tweets from Kanye, this time on furs and houses.)