Rapper Kanye West was rushed to hospital hours before he was due to regale a live audience at his concert in Melbourne. He bounced back to stage in no time.

He was taken to a hospital in Richmond here and was given an emergency MRI. The doctors and nurses were asked to clear the waiting room for privacy for the hip-hop star, a patient at the hospital told magazine Woman's Day, reports dailystar.co.uk.

Lorraine Terry, who was waiting to see a doctor at the time, told the magazine: "Everyone was massively panicked. Everyone was moved out of the waiting and consulting rooms. We were shocked because it looked so serious."

The rapper is yet to comment on the incident. However, if the onlooker's suspicion is anything to go, he could have experienced a seizure or was edging dangerously close to having one.

That didn't take a toll on his live concert as he took to the stage in the Rod Laver Arena, which holds around 15,000 seats, within two hours of his hospital sighting.

He is yet to perform in Sydney and Brisbane.