Kanye West and Matt Lauer
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The rapper had been scheduled to appear on the NBC show the day after Thanksgiving, but, "I'm not performing on the Today Show for obvious reasons," he Tweeted Friday.
He later added, "I don't hate Matt Lauer. We don't promote hate. That's the whole point!!! I promote love and truth! ... All positive energy ... all smiles. Much love to Matt and the whole Today Show."
What riled up West was a Today show segment that aired in part on Thursday in which producers showed a clip of former President George W. Bush sharing his pain at West calling him a racist for his response to Hurricane Katrina.
"I didn't need you guys to show me the tape in order to prompt my emotions or whatever," West said to Lauer, clearly annoyed. "I don't need all the jazz ... Can we be quiet for a second?"
But Lauer had more in store for him. West grumbled again when producers cued a clip of his confrontation with Taylor Swift at the 2009 VMAs.
"Yo, how am I supposed to talk if you're going to run the thing in the middle while I'm talking?" West complained. "Please don't let that happen again. It's ridiculous."
West Tweeted Tuesday that, because of the "very brutal" interview, "I feel very alone very used very tortured very forced very misunderstood very hollow very very misused."
Lauer defended showing the footage as standard practice, but West isn't buying it, Tweeting, "I accept ya'll future apology in advance LOL!"
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