50 Cent: 'I kicked Kanye off the show'

Kanye West's much-publicised boycott of MTV worked well for rap rival 50 Cent on Tuesday - he took credit for the 'Gold Digger' star's 'Total Request Live' no show.

Both rappers were expected to appear on the U.S. show to promote their albums, which were released on the same day - but West pulled out of the programme after falling out with MTV bosses over the way he was treated at the Video Music Awards on Sunday night.

West was nominated for five prizes but walked away from the event empty handed, and, after publicly hurling abuse at organisers backstage, the temperamental rapper announced he was boycotting the network.

As a result, artwork for his new album Graduation was covered on TRL and 50 Cent hit the New York studios alone, boasting: "I threw him off the show."

50 added: "He's nervous. You think he had problems with MTV? Nah, he knew he had to be here today."