Unless you've been living under a rock, the hot gossip in the streets this week is that Jay-Z and Kanye West are beefing about their upcoming Watch the Throne Tour cost behind closed doors.

Although Jay went on the radio Monday (Aug. 1) to deny the rumors, XXL got to thinking the allegations aren't that far-fetched. The last time Jay attempted to record a collaborative album with another megastar (ahem, R. Kelly), things ended with a canceled national tour, Kells in the hospital after being pepper-sprayed by Hov associate Tyran "Ty-Ty" Smith and the Pied Piper claiming that two men flashed their guns at him in New York's Madison Square Garden.

With that in mind, XXL compares The R and Kanye to determine if history is repeating itself. Is Kanye West simply the new R. Kelly in the house that Jay built? Is this Watch the Throne dispute simply a do-over of the Best of Both Worlds melee? Decide for yourself.

Fun Facts:

Kelly and Yeezy are both from Chicago, were raised by their mothers in single-parent homes and have the letter 'K' in their names.

Fashion-Forward or Fashion Missteps?

Clearly, these fellas have distinct styles. Remember when Kells was rocking that Zorro mask? And the platinum blonde braids he rocked in '08 à la Sisqó? (BBM face Can't Watch Emoticon!) Oh, and 'Ye's stylist is a 20-year-old Yale student named Cassius Marcellus Cornelius Clay. Although Kanye hasn't had many fashion missteps, he has had some notable faux pas, like when he wore those Venetian blinds-type sunglasses or when he wore a red leather jacket with a skeleton on it. 'Nuff said.

I Got 99 Problems:

Both Kells and 'Ye appear to have their share of issues with the ladies, although the former might trump the latter on this one. So what if Yeezy likes the skanky ones sometimes? R. Kelly likes them young.... waaaaaaay young! And allegedly likes to, er, get a little pissy during intercourse. Tsk, tsk, tsk. 'Ye just seems to not know how to pick 'em and/or not know how to keep 'em. And we all know what happened with his latest gem (which he found in a strip club in Philly). Two words: Wiz Khalifa.

Edumacation:

Kanye West and R. Kelly's educational careers, or lack thereof, play up their geniuses in major ways. How so, you ask? Well, Kanye West is a college dropout and word around town is that Kelly can't really write or read. Yet and still, these guys are leaders in their crafts and two of the biggest stars of our generation.

The problem is:

Kells and Kanye may be a bit eccentric, but these geniuses are serious about the production of their concerts. Back when Jay and R. were on the Best of Both Worlds tour, rumors had it that the tiff between the two started when Kelly got upset about the lights during one of the stops. Fast forward and now Jay and 'Ye are allegedly getting into it about the cost of the production of their upcoming tour. Gone are the times when a rapper simply entertained with 100 of his closest boys bouncing around behind him.

End Result:

Kanye allegedly got an open-hand smack on the side of the face by big brother Jay, and Kells got pepper-sprayed and threatened by a waving gun.

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