Why Did Kanye West Almost Bail On 'Saturday Night Live'? Audio From Behind The Scenes Rant Leaked

Kanye West encountered some technical difficulties behind-the-scenes of NBC's "Saturday Night Live" before the Feb. 13 show and it nearly resulted in his whole performance being scrapped. Rumors have been circulating about the situation, but leaked audio from backstage reveals the real reason for the "30 Hours" rappers rage — and it's not pretty.

According to E! Online, West, 38, went on an angry verbal tirade after learning that someone on the "SNL" staff had sent down an order to dismantle his stage. Audio from his speech, obtained by Page Six, suggests that the rapper wasn't asked before this action was taken. West threatened to back out of the show, promising to create a stir on the web. His rant then took aim at Taylor Swift, whom he made amends with during the 2015 MTV Video Music Awards. West called her a "fake a--," adding that he is "50 percent more influential than any other human being."

"Look at that s---, they took my f---ing stage off 'SNL' without asking me and now I'm bummed," West said. "Now I ain't gonna do this, we're breaking the motherf---ing internet."

A source close to West has since come forward about the incident. According to E!, West wasn't yelling at any of the "SNL" staff members, but rather having a private, albeit high-volume, conversation with his team. West was reportedly set of by changes being made to his performance without his knowledge. The site reports that it was a lighting director who made the call, though it is not clear why. The source maintains that the audio was "secretly recorded."

The newly released audio comes amid claims that he and Swift had been feuding again. After the Tidal-exclusive release of his album "The Life of Pablo," Hollywood Life reported that the "Bad Blood" singer was furious that West had mentioned her on "Famous." West later spoke out about the controversial lyric, in which he suggested that he and Swift "might still have sex," on Twitter. He assured fans that she was aware of the mention ahead of time. In fact, West said it was her idea entirely.