E-40 is calling for an investigation into the Sacramento Kings' security team after being ejected from an NBA game between the Kings and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday (April 15).
Following an altercation with a woman seated behind him, the rapper was kicked out of the game in its fourth quarter. In a statement delivered through sports reporter Shams Charania, E-40 accused security of "racial bias," claiming that he was immediately presumed at fault as a Black man disagreeing with a white woman.
"On Saturday night, I was subjected to disrespectful heckling over the course of the Warriors-Kings game in Sacramento. During the fourth quarter, I finally turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner," he wrote. "Yet, shortly thereafter, Kings' security approached me, assumed that I instigated the encounter and proceeded to kick me out of the arena."
He continued, "Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent. Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault."
Bay Area newspaper The Mercury News reported that an anonymous fan witnessed a woman yelling at E-40 to sit down throughout the game. Eventually, he turned around and "profanity" was exchanged between the two.
Read E-40's full statement and watch footage of the altercation below.
Following an altercation with a woman seated behind him, the rapper was kicked out of the game in its fourth quarter. In a statement delivered through sports reporter Shams Charania, E-40 accused security of "racial bias," claiming that he was immediately presumed at fault as a Black man disagreeing with a white woman.
"On Saturday night, I was subjected to disrespectful heckling over the course of the Warriors-Kings game in Sacramento. During the fourth quarter, I finally turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner," he wrote. "Yet, shortly thereafter, Kings' security approached me, assumed that I instigated the encounter and proceeded to kick me out of the arena."
He continued, "Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent. Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault."
Bay Area newspaper The Mercury News reported that an anonymous fan witnessed a woman yelling at E-40 to sit down throughout the game. Eventually, he turned around and "profanity" was exchanged between the two.
Read E-40's full statement and watch footage of the altercation below.