Kanye West Snaps, Lunges at Paparazzi: 'Never Talk!' (VIDEO)
Kanye West lunged at a paparazzi photographer at a Los Angeles airport on Friday just days after his girlfriend Kim Kardashian's brother-in-law, Lamar Odom, lashed out in a similar incident.
The "Black Skinhead" rapper, 36, arrived at LAX with a security guard in tow and when a photographer began asking West questions, he immediately lashed out. In a viral video posted on TMZ.com, the photographer is heard asking West "what's up" before revealing that he is a "big fan" of the rapper's music.
"I appreciate that but don't talk!" an irate West said after marching up to the photographer.
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The cameraman continues to explain that he is simply a "fan" who "loves" West's work, however the rapper demanded that he "don't talk!"
"That's fine but don't talk to me! I don't want to hear paparazzi talk to me or anybody I know," West said firmly while repeatedly cutting the cameraman off mid-sentence. "Don't talk to me, at all and don't talk to anyone I know ... never talk!"
West then appeared to walk away after the intense confrontation, but the pushy cameraman continued to trail the rapper and ask questions.
"Yo! I said don't talk to me!" West said while lunging at the cameraman.
In May, West, who is renowned for having a contentious relationship with the media, tried to explain his stance while performing at the Adult Swim Upfront party in New York. The new father, who has been dating Kardashian for one year, claimed that he is not a celebrity and simply wants to make music in peace.
"I don't want nobody trying to run up on me with no cameras, trying to sell pictures and s--- to magazines, asking me no dumba-- questions, throwing me off of my focus and s---. I ain't no m------------ celebrity!" West told the crowd.
"I'm trying to make some music that inspires people to be the best they can be. I don't want nobody to ask nothing else of me. Don't ask nothing else of me," he added.
On June 10, Odom, who is the husband of Kardashian's sister Khloe, also had a run-in with paparazzi in Hollywood after allegedly being asked personal questions about his marriage. The visibly enraged NBA star reportedly smashed two vehicles belonging to two photographers. The father-of-two is seen clutching a metal bar as he trashes the vehicles and at one point even places camera gear in his trunk.
One of the photographers reportedly filed a police report for vandalism after video footage of the incident went viral on social networking sites.
A source claims that Odom previously sought advice from West regarding the paparazzi as the rapper is renowned for confronting them, particularly when and if they step out of line.
"Lamar once asked Kanye how he deals with people following him out in the streets and Kanye told him he 'hates it' and to 'man up on one of them one day and that will get them to leave you the f--- alone,'" a source told HollywoodLife.com. "You see, now they leave Kanye alone and hopefully they will leave Lamar alone as well."
