50 Cent has apologised for comments suggesting Kanye West and Lady Gaga's now defunct tour was for gay people - insisting he didn't mean to cause any offence.

The rapper took aim at West over his plans to tour with the 'Poker Face' singer, telling New York radio host Angie Martinez that the hip-hop star targets the gay community to sell records.

He quipped, "I have nothing against them, but he's cool with them. He goes, drops his video off to them. Remember 808s & Heartbreak? Where'd he premiere it? Ellen DeGeneres. He went there to premiere his video. He's conscious of the gay community and wants them to buy his CDs."

50 Cent added that West and Gaga's 'Fame Kills' tour, which was cancelled without explanation on Thursday, was the "gay tour".

But after gay rights groups slammed the comments as homophobic, the rapper has taken to his website to insist his words were taken out of context.

He says, "During an interview with Angie Martinez yesterday, certain comments I made were taken entirely out of context.

"When I referred to the Lady Gaga tour as 'the gay tour,' I was basically repeating what I thought she had referred to the tour in the past.

"It was not my intention to offend anyone. I don't have a problem with anyone's lifestyle and have no issue with Lady Gaga. She makes great music."

It was not known why the 'Fame Kills' tour was scrapped.