Kanye West on Paparazzi -- Why I Hate Them ... Why I Attack Them

There's a reason Kanye West hates the paparazzi so much -- it's a terrible reason -- but a reason nonetheless ... and it stems from a few rotten eggs, TMZ has learned.

It's no secret Kanye's been running on a short fuse since at least 2008, when he smashed a TMZ camera at LAX. After that, he vowed to have a more peaceful relationship with the media ... but that all changed in 2012.

Sources close to Kanye tell TMZ ... after he started getting serious with Kim Kardashian, he felt a couple of paps would cross the line and ask him inappropriate questions about their relationship in public. We're told he started to feel like certain paps were "heckling" him.

Things escalated in October 2012 during a trip to Miami ... when a local photog -- not a TMZ guy -- asked Kanye and Kim if they would be inviting Kris Humphries and Reggie Bush to their wedding.

Kanye was pissed ... and, rightfully so, felt the photog was just trying to antagonize him.

Things got worse a few months later, after Kim announced she was pregnant -- when another pap started hammering K&K about whether they would invite Ray J to the baby shower.

That, we're told, was the breaking point -- and from that moment on, Kanye decided to impose his "DON'T EVER TALK" policy on anyone with a camera.

Here's the problem ... if Kanye doesn't want to talk to a pap, that's fine -- he has that right. But when he starts attacking people and smashing camera equipment ... dude, you crossed the line.

Take this example, Kanye -- if a white person walked up to you and said the N-word, would you hate all white people??? Would you try to ATTACK every white person you encountered???