R. Kelly/Jay-Z Beef Hits The Courts

NOVEMBER 1--Claiming that Jay-Z purposely torpedoed their joint concert tour, R. Kelly today filed a lawsuit against the star rapper and a promoter that seeks at least $90 million in damages. In his New York State Supreme Court complaint, a copy of which you'll find below, the R&B singer alleges that Jay-Z (real name: Shawn Carter) sabotaged the tour out of "spite and jealousy" toward Kelly's "superior audience draw and Tour profit share." The 40-concert "Best of Both Worlds" tour--which started in September and had been beset by cancelled or abbreviated shows--was cancelled by the tour's promoter following a bizarre incident Friday night at Madison Square Garden. After Kelly left the stage mid-set when he thought he saw audience members with guns, the R&B star was allegedly maced backstage by a member of Jay-Z's posse, whom the lawsuit identifies as Tyran "Ty Ty" Smith. According to Kelly's complaint, he was guaranteed a bigger chunk of the tour's profit (60 percent of the first $15 million in guarantees), which did not sit well with Jay-Z. The rapper retaliated by, among other things, providing Kelly with "lackluster" lighting during the tour's opening shows in Chicago. (11 pages)