Kanye West says MTV is to blame for Britney Spears' less than stellar performance at the
MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday.
"Man, they were just trying to get ratings and they knew she wasn't ready and they exploited her," the 29-year-old rapper said Tuesday on a radio show.
The network made a "bad move" by having the troubled pop star open Sunday's event in Las Vegas, said West, who feels he should have kicked off the show with "Stronger," the first single from his new album, "Graduation."
"They exploited her, they played me and I really don't mess with MTV," he said.
Spears, 25, looked unprepared while performing her new song, "Gimme More," to a bewildered audience of her music industry peers. She seemed nervous and, at times, stopped singing altogether.
West said he wanted to perform "Stronger" on the show's main stage -- where R&B hotshot Chris Brown wowed the crowd with Michael Jackson-esque dance moves -- but complied when he was asked to host a suite party.
West said it was a blow to the ego when Justin Timberlake, who also hosted a suite party, ended up "on the big stage" to give the closing performance with Timbaland and Nelly Furtado. "Those are the big things, and you know what I do man, I really made the song `Stronger,' you know, for stadiums," he said.
Kanye West and Alexis Phifer arrive at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards held at The Palms Hotel and Casino on September 9, 2007 in Las Vegas. (Photo Courtesy Getty Images/Ethan Miller)