Submitted by: jw on Tuesday November 02nd, 2004 at 12:56 PM EST

Singer R. Kelly sued rapper Jay-Z on Monday for $75 million, alleging Jay-Z’s “spite and jealousy” prompted him to use violence to force Kelly off their national tour.

The breach of contract suit suggests Jay-Z was perturbed because Kelly was the higher-paid performer. The animosity led to deliberate lighting flubs and other technical problems, violence against Kelly, and threats to force the promoter to drop him, court papers say. The promoter is also named as a defendant.

Kelly, whose best-known hit is “I Believe I Can Fly,” accused one of Jay-Z’s associates of blasting him with pepper spray early Saturday at Madison Square Garden. He was treated at a hospital and released.

A short time later, the tour’s promoter, Atlanta Worldwide Touring, fired Kelly. He and Jay-Z were in the middle of a 40-city tour that had been plagued by canceled shows and reports the two refused to speak to each other.

Kelly’s lawsuit asks for $15 million in compensatory damages and $60 million in punitive damages.

» Read full story @ MSNBC