Blaming the music channel for Britney Spears' public meltdown, West put the network on blast, saying, "They exploited her, they played me and I really don't mess with MTV." West was upset because he says he wanted to perform his new single, "Stronger," on the show's main stage, but was relegated to a "suite" performance by the network, even though Justin Timberlake, who also performed in a suite on Sunday's show, ended up "on the big stage" to close the broadcast. Hold up, hater!A source connected to the awards show tells TMZ that Kanye was offered the main stage, but opted for the suite, claiming he wanted to "feel the excitement and energy" of a smaller venue, rather than people just sitting there at tables. In addition, Kanye's "Stronger" performance was pre-taped Friday night -- to give it a "night" look -- as the actual show went live Sunday night at 6:00 PM, while there was still daylight in Vegas. Our sources say Kanye "loved" his act and expressed that to the MTV execs who were all there. We ain't sayin' he's a golddigger...
For their part, MTV says it "has a long and collaborative relationship with Kanye and we hope and look forward to continuing that meaningful relationship."
