Kanye West was asked to leave Radio City Music Hall not long after he [article id="1621389"]crashed the MTV Video Music Awards stage[/article] during Taylor Swift's acceptance speech for Best Female Video.

The rapper rushed onto the stage and immediately protested Swift's win, saying Beyoncé instead deserved the honor.

"I'm sorry, but Beyoncé had one of the best videos of all time," 'Ye proclaimed after he pulled the microphone out of the country star's hands. B looked stunned as she sat by in the audience.

West, of course, has a [article id="1569536"] history of awards-show tirades,[/article] beginning in 2004 at the American Music Awards when he bolted during the show after losing out on Best New Artist and later told reporters, "I felt like I was definitely robbed, and I refused to give any politically correct bullsh---ass comment ... I was the best new artist this year."

Two years later at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, West took his complaints to the stage in a similar fashion to tonight's rant.

Justice and Simian's "We Are Your Friends" bested West for an award and the rapper interrupted their speech as he popped up onstage saying he should have won, because his clip "cost a million dollars and Pamela Anderson was in it."

He later apologized for his stunt, explaining he had a [article id="1544794"]"little sippy sippy"[/article]

before the production.

West seemed to take that instance in stride as he joked he was going to have another "sippy sippy" before the night was over.

But his verbal attack against Swift had a more vicious tone. According to a tweet from Jay-Z's DJ, Neil Armstrong, Swift and her mother were seen backstage crying afterward; Beyoncé brought Swift onstage for another chance at her acceptance speech later in the show. Various celebs have lashed out against West on Twitter, including Pink, who had to be escorted away from the rapper by security.

Prior to Sunday night's show, West was captured by photographers on the red carpet swigging from a bottle of Hennessy. In multiple pictures West can be seen cradling the bottle as he and his girlfriend Amber Rose were snapped; he is also seen sharing the bottle with Pete Wentz, and in a different shot, West is standing near Joe Jackson, who is holding it. Following his rant against Swift, West returned to his seat and flipped off the audience, who began booing him, before he sat down.

He was booed again in the show when Diddy announced the nominees for Best Male Video. "What I say?" Diddy asked, as the boos rained down.

West had already left Radio City Music Hall by then, however.

The 2009 MTV Video Music Awards are live now! Stay tuned for the night's big winners, red-carpet coverage, behind-the-scenes updates and more.