Kanye West has described his wife Kim Kardashian West as a misunderstood "legend".

The Yeesuz rapper has hit back at detractors who have claimed his wife didn't deserve her win at the annual GQ Men of the Year awards.

Kim - who picked up the Woman of the Year award at the ceremony in London last week - was defended by her husband, after he attacked the haters who don't give the 33-year-old television personality enough credit.

Talking to the Metro newspaper backstage at the event, Kanye ranted: "It's well deserved, for all those tight .... who don't want to give her any credit. And it's time. She is a legend! They don't understand what social media is so they only want to give it to an actress and blah blah blah and she is a legend. They need to respect that and understand that and that's what we are doing in everybody's faces."

He then added: "So middle finger to all the uptight people who don't want to stand up for Kim Kardashian!"

Kim - who has 14-month-old daughter North with Kanye - accepted the award from GQ editor Dylan Jones, but quickly corrected him when he referred to her by her maiden name, Kardashian.

She quipped: "It's Kim Kardashian West."

Kim later shared: "It's such an honour! Woman of the Year? It's the biggest thing!"