West apologised to the crowd for his tardiness, explaining that he wanted to make sure that his performance was nothing short of fabulous.
Britain's The Sun reports that West had spent the afternoon arguing with event organisers backstage over preparations for his performance.
"All the moaning left him hoarse and apologising to fans when he had to take to the stage a few hours later," reports the tabloid.
Griped West during the gig: "This is my most important gig of the summer, but I'm really frustrated.
"I only have half of my voice. I just want things to be right. This is the reason we started half an hour late."
West's self-pity party continued as he defended his Monster music video, which has been blasted for violent imagery - the promo features cannibalism and lifeless girls hanging from nooses.
"Who saw the video before it got banned, before they took it down and before women's groups starting saying that a person that lost the most important woman in his life is now against women in some way?" asked West, referring to his mother Donda West, who died in 2007.
"There's very few hip-hop videos that have ever had any energy of that sort," he said. "[The video] was really artistic but once again it was thrown in the misogynistic box because they couldn't understand how a rapper could have the taste and sensibility high enough to do something like that without it being misogynistic. And once again, I wake up and I'm a monster."
And West didn't stop there. He also compared himself to Michael Jordan.
"Michael Jordan changed so much in basketball. He took his power to make a difference and so much bulls**t going on in music right now and somebody has to make a f**kin' difference. On with the show," he said.
Further into the set, West had won over the crowd by paying tribute to Amy Winehouse, who he described as "beautiful" and "amazing". He then played a few bars from two of her songs.
He added: "Thank you for protecting your artists that are still here, this is for Alexander McQueen, for Amy, for Michael Jackson, and for all the media - can you lighten up on the artists that are still here?"
But the highlight of the whole display has to be the audible voice from the crowd that can be heard punctuating the rapper's rant, shouting, "Shut the f**k up!"
Watch West's onandonandonandonandonandon rant below (Warning: Contains swearing):
So much for being chilled at the Big Chill...
Desperate ending
As per yesterday's announcement, long-running US TV show Desperate Housewives will end in 2012.
ABC officially confirmed that the ladies of Wisteria Lane will be packing their suitcases and heading off into the sunset at the end of the forthcoming eighth season.
Said show helmer Marc Cherry: "I think the only thing harder than creating a great show is knowing when to end it," he said. "It's something that's weighed on my mind for quite a while now.
"I'm very aware of [shows] overstaying their welcome," he added.
"I just didn't want that to happen to Desperate Housewives. I wanted to go out as the network still saw us as a viable show and a force to be contended with. I wanted to go out in the classiest way possible."
He also hinted that he was hatching a plan to pay homage to past and present cast members. His revelation promoted tongue-wagging that the homage might also include Nicollette Sheridan, who played the now exited character Edie Britt.
Which could be interesting, given Sheridan's battery and wrongful termination lawsuit lodged against ABC and Cherry.
So is she coming back? Don't hold your breath.
"Well, that's news to me," Sheridan told the Today show on Monday.
Asked by the host if she'd consider a return, she continued: "I had an amazing time playing that character. I loved her dearly, but they killed her! She's dead."
Or is she?
Idol envy
Jennifer Lopez's contract negotiations that will see her return for the next season of American Idol have reportedly spurred fellow judge and Aerosmith frontman, Steven Tyler, to ask for a pay rise.
Word on the street is that J-Lo is on the verge of signing a whopping $20m-a-year deal to return to the show - twice her current pay packet.
A snitch tells the New York Post: "Jennifer's management is close to brokering her a huge deal to come back to the panel for at least one more season, but the side effect is that it means her fellow judges also want more money.
"Steven is halfway through a two-year deal, and his management has asked for more money. They argue he was just as sensational and as popular on the panel as Jennifer.
"On the other side, show bosses argue he's tied into a deal and has to stick to it. However, it's hoped they can come to a compromise to keep Steven happy, because the producers love him."
A spokesman for J-Lo said, "Talks are ongoing - she has nothing to announce as yet."
Reps for Tyler and Fox declined to comment.
Blogger's Briefs
This juicy lot just in...
* Antonio Banderas was "afraid" that man-eater Madonna once had the hots for him
* What split? Lovebirds Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber pile on the PDA
* Zoe Saldana: I had a mental breakdown after Avatar
* Let's party! Charlie Sheen thanks Ashton Kutcher for kick-starting his career
* Amy Winehouse's clothing line released
* Rebecca Black: "I could donate all of my organs to children in need and I would still have haters"
* Jennifer Aniston threw Brad Pitt out after falling for Angelina Jolie. And the rest is (often regurgitated) history.
* Kate Moss upsets neighbours over "tacky" and modest (cough) home improvement plans
Blogger Bites Back
Please vote for this blog in this year's NetGuide Awards. Click on this link, and paste this link in the 'Best Blog' box:
nzherald.co.nz/blogger-bites-back/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=1501366
Diolch yn fawr!
