R. Kelly kicked off tour

[MIKE BURN]

Quote:

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Concert jaunt with Jay-Z ends acrimoniously



Monday, November 1, 2004 Posted: 9:01 AM EST (1401 GMT)



NEW YORK (AP) -- Lawyers for singer R. Kelly were filing a criminal complaint against a member of rapper Jay-Z's entourage and considering other legal action after the platinum-selling stars' joint tour came to an abrupt end.



The "I Believe I Can Fly" singer was booted from remaining shows at Madison Square Garden by the promoter Saturday, a day after a member of Jay-Z's entourage allegedly blasted Kelly with pepper spray, said his publicist, Allan Mayer. The promoter announced that Jay-Z, with special guests, would do the shows alone.



Kelly's lawyers were filing a complaint against the entourage member and considering action over the decision to remove Kelly from the tour, Mayer said.



"The fans deserve better than this," Kelly said in a statement. "I'd like the show to go on. It's really disappointing that Jay-Z and the promoter don't."



Jay-Z and R. Kelly were in the midst of a 40-city "Best of Both Worlds" tour, which has been beset by canceled shows and reports that the feuding performers weren't even on speaking terms.



The tour, which had been scheduled to run through November 28, has been canceled, said promoter Jeff Sharp of Atlanta Worldwide Touring. Jay-Z's publicist was unsure if the rapper would try and fill the remaining dates as a solo act.



The pepper-spray incident happened about an hour into Friday night's show, when Kelly walked on stage and said he saw two people in the audience waving guns, Mayer said. Kelly abruptly stopped his set around 9:30 p.m. while arena security employees searched for weapons.



Finding none, guards told Kelly it was safe to continue performing, Mayer said. But as the singer was making his way back to the stage, a man in Jay-Z's entourage -- apparently miffed that Kelly interrupted the show -- sprayed him and two of his bodyguards in the face, Mayer said.



"I'm pretty sure Jay didn't realize what was going on," Mayer said.



All three men were treated at St. Vincent's Hospital and released, he said. Jay-Z performed for another 45 minutes after Kelly was sprayed.



Jana Fleishman, publicist for Jay-Z, said Saturday that the rapper's entourage knew nothing about the incident because it occurred while Jay-Z was performing. Jay-Z "did not attack R. Kelly in any way, shape or form," Fleishman said.



In a radio interview on Hot 97 FM radio Friday, Jay-Z said he couldn't understand why Kelly left the stage.



"You can't get a gun inside Madison Square Garden," the rapper said. "If people give me love he can't take it."



The Chicago Sun-Times reported discord between the two performers after Kelly showed up more than two hours late for a show in Chicago and walked off the stage mid-performance in St. Louis this month.

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Well, WHAT do you expect from "Gangsta-Rapperz"?

MIKE


10 free song uploads||1 free video upload

[4teetoo]

rappers, rock stars, it's all the same drama!

[clone911]

now he can go back to his true love of giving young girls the golden shower