Supafest Sheds Diddy, Missy

Australia’s largest urban tour Supafest shed Diddy and Missy Elliott before it launched April 14.

Paperchase Touring and Entertainment said it had hoped to increase Supafest’s audience from last year’s 90,000 to 120,000.

It extended its budget to snare A-list names. But extra sales did not materialise, so the two acts were shed to save about $1 million.

Paperchase’s Dwayne Cross and John Denison said they were “extremely disappointed” at the move but were “hoping [to work] with these legendary artists in the future.”

Diddy tweeted he was “mad as f***” about a breach of contract and that he had not been sent his payment.

Missy Elliott’s manager Mona Scott-Young claimed in a statement there were early discussions with Supafest for Missy to perform, but that she was never confirmed or contracted to appear.

When the tour began in Queensland, it missed a third act, Rick Ross.

He was to arrive in Australia on the morning of the show, but said he had not received payment and was staying home.

Others on the four-city tour that runs through April 22 included Chris Brown, along with T Pain, Ludacris, Ice Cube, Trey Songz, Kelly Rowland, Lupe Fiasco, Big Sean and Naughty By Nature.

The latter finished the tour’s second show, in Sydney, shouting, “We love y’all, this is our second home! F**k who didn’t show up!”