KANYE WEST - KANYE RISKED LEGAL FIGHT TO PERFORM AT LIVE 8

Rapper KANYE WEST risked legal action to perform at Live 8 in Philadelphia yesterday (02JUL05) - he was threatened with a lawsuit if he appeared.

The JESUS WALKS hitmaker had to cancel other commitments to appear at the awareness concert, which he called "monumental".

West told MTV NEWS, "We had to go through a lot to be here today. I had another performance and they're like, 'There's no way you can be here - you'll get sued if you go to this.'

"I would rather take that chance because it's important for my people. The concept of AIDS alone - my parents always told me, who are activists - that it's a man-made disease in the first place that was placed in Africa just like crack was placed in the black community to break up the Black Panther (black activists) party.

"So if there's anything that I can do to somehow continue that fight for equality, injustice, for a better way for my people, being that I am an African-American, then I got to do what I can do."