Kanye West's History of Outbursts

Kanye West is known for his history of public outbursts throughout the years.

ByABC News
September 14, 2009, 12:29 PM

September 14, 2009 -- With his controversial comments, the 32-year-old rapper Kanye West continues to make a name for himself. "I'll always push the envelope, try to get a rise out of people, and try to entertain them too," West once told Time Out London magazine.

The rapper's latest outburst occurred during the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards when he stormed onstage as country singer Taylor Swift accepted her Best Female Video award.

West took the mic from 17-year-old Swift, shouting, "Yo Taylor, I'm really happy for you, I'll let you finish, but Beyonce has one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time!"

He then shrugged and walked offstage, leaving a stunned Beyonce, a booing audience and a speechless and visibly emotional Swift on stage.

He did not win any awards in the five categories to which he was nominated. He went on a tirade backstage, saying, \"That's two years in a row, man … give a black man a chance. I'm trying hard man, I have the … number one record, man.\"

He went on a radio station in New York City after the show, saying, \"I wasn't mad that I just didn't win any awards. For me, [MTV] made it seem like performing on the main stage was a bad thing, and the suites were just so great. It was my dream when I made 'Stronger' to open up the VMAs with a real power performance.\"

2006 MTV Europe Music Awards

West's run-in with Taylor Swift was not the rapper's first time interrupting another artist's acceptance speech. At the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, West got on stage after his video \"Touch the Sky\" lost to Justice and Simian's video \"We Are Your Friends.\"

In a speech full of expletives, West took the mic from the duo and exclaimed that his video should have won because it \"cost a million dollars, Pamela Anderson was in it. … I was jumping across canyons. … If I don't win, the awards show loses credibility.\"

Later that night, West claimed that the incident was due to him drinking before the show. \"I had a little sippy sippy,\" he told MTV U.K. He added that, after the show, he planned to do \"a little more sippy sippy.\"

The rapper responded to criticism about the incident, saying, \"People were so surprised at what I did. … I'm more surprised people thought I had changed.\" That same year, Kanye appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone in the image of Jesus wearing a crown of thorns.

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