‘Empire’ Season 2: Kanye West Warns Lee Daniels Not Steal His TIME 100 Gala Act

Gearing up for the show’s highly anticipated Season 2, “Empire” series creator Lee Daniels jokingly warned by Kanye West not to use his act during the rapper’s performance in the TIME 100 Gala event. The controversial rapper performed on Tuesday, April 21, at the Jazz at the Lincoln Center in NYC featuring some stoic-looking backup dancers covered in body paint.

“Lee don’t try to take this on your next season, though man– trying to have one of the brothers pulling my sh-t man,” West quipped in between songs. “If you see this on Empire, you just know where he got it from.”

Not his most outrageous concert stunt, West made headlines during his last concert in Armenia when he jumped into a lake before being mobbed by fans. The rapper performed hits like “New Slaves” and “Blood on the leaves,” before ending his performance with his 2005 megahit “Gold Digger” where he walked through the audience, shaking hands and even accepted some hugs from the adoring audience.

North West’s dad was honoured as one of TIME magazine’s 100 most influential people together with his wife Kim Kardashian (“Keeping Up With The Kardashian”). The reality star told PEOPLE that West always like to surprise with his performance and she was “pleasantly surprised” about his performance. She added that the award is extra special as they were honoured together as a couple by TIME.

Meanwhile, “The Butler” director brought his mother, Clara Watson, to the event and gave her a moving toast as he credits his success to her “because she knew I was destined for something.” Lee admitted that as a gay African American his life could have gone in a different direction without his mother’s support and guidance.

Daniels also revealed that his mum knew early on that he was gay and told him to get out of he ghetto where most of his friends died from HIV and AIDS. He even quipped that him not having HIV is a “miracle from God.”

Other honourees of the 2015 TIME 100 Gala include Emma Watson, Bradley Cooper, Oprah Winfrey, Julianne Moore, Amy Schumer, Faith Hill and husband Tim McGraw, John Oliver and Barbara Walters. Prima ballerina Misty Copeland also shined on the TIME 100 Gala together with Naomi Campbell and “Orange is the New Black” transgender actress Laverne Cox.

For questions/comments regarding the article, you may e-mail the writer at rornos.IBTimes@gmail.com.