Hear Kanye West's Epic Meltdown Backstage at 'Saturday Night Live'

— -- A newly-released audio recording shows the extent of Kanye West’s reported meltdown prior to his “Saturday Night Live” performance last weekend.

The musician, who was on the show to promote his new “The Life of Pablo” album, can be heard repeatedly yelling and cursing in the audio clip, released Wednesday by the New York Post’s Page Six. (Warning: the audio clip contains explicit language.)

West was reportedly upset that prior to his performance, staffers ripped up flooring that was reflecting excessive light.

“Look at that (expletive). They took my (expletive) stage off ‘SNL’ without asking me,” West can be heard saying in the clip. “Don’t (expletive) with me! Don’t (expletive) with me!”

The rapper also compared himself favorably to an array of historical figures.

“Whoa by 50 percent [I am more influential than] Stanley Kubrick, Picasso, Apostle Paul, (expletive) Picasso and Escobar. By 50 percent more influential than any other human being…By 50 percent dead or alive, by 50 percent for the next 1,000 years. Stanley Kubrick, ‘Ye,’” West said.

West’s performance on “SNL” capped a high-profile few weeks for the actor in which he released his album, held a fashion show at Madison Square Garden and caught the ire of Taylor Swift fans after rapping about the pop superstar.

In the audio clip, West can be heard calling Swift a “fake a - -.”

Sources close to West told ABC News that things ended well between the rapper and the “SNL” staff.

West himself took to Twitter overnight, posting a series of tweets Wednesday that seemed to indicate he will start taking a more humble approach to his high-profile role.