R. Kelly yesterday (Nov. 1) filed a $75 million breach-of-contract suit against Jay-Z, accusing him and his associates of threats and violence that turned their joint tour into a "nightmare."

The suit was brought in state Supreme Court in Manhattan following the Madison Square Garden performance which saw Kelly abruptly leave the stage claiming he saw two men in the crowd brandishing guns.

Kelly had exhibited increasingly bizarre behaviour during the tour, abruptly leaving stages for no apparent reason.

Jay-Z issued a statement through his record label yesterday saying it was Kelly who created a "dangerous situation" by claiming to have seen guns being waved in the audience. The statement said it was "the equivalent of screaming 'fire' in a crowded theater."

The tour's canceled the remainder of the tour on Saturday after Jay-Z said he was unwilling to perform with Kelly again. After security searched the area, Friday's show continued without Kelly, and without problems, as Jay-Z performed with guest stars Usher and Mary J. Blige.

On Saturday, Jay-Z returned to the Garden to perform without Kelly and has continued to perform on his own and with the help of celebrity guests such as Usher, P. Diddy, and Ja Rule.

Although Jay-Z has performed as expected, Kelly's lawsuit claims Jay-Z turned the tour "into a nightmare" and was "motivated by spite and jealousy."

The suit also alleges Jay-Z and his associates participated "in conduct intentionally, designed to exclude R. Kelly from the tour, including threats and acts of violence."

The suit seeks $15 million in compensatory damages and at least $60 million in punitive damages.