sacrament. The Sacramento Kings are investigating allegations by a Bay Area hip-hop star that “racial prejudice” led to him being thrown out of his seat during a playoff game against the Golden State Warriors.
Rapper E-40 said in a statement that he was harassed during Saturday night’s game and addressed his instigator “in a confident but polite manner” before security guards arrived and ordered him out of the arena.
“Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur, racial prejudice persists,” he said in a statement. “Security saw a disagreement between a black man and a white woman and immediately assumed it was my fault.”
The Kings said they are investigating the circumstances behind the sacking.
“The Sacramento Kings take these allegations seriously and are investigating the facts and circumstances of the situation, as we do any time an allegation like this is made,” the team said in a statement.
A person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press that E-40, real name Earl Stevens, stood blocking the view of fans behind him and received a warning after multiple complaints. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as details of the situation were not released publicly.
The person said that E-40 refused to comply and that Warriors and Kings security officers escorted him from his seat.
E-40 is a prominent Warriors fan and was even part of the delegation that visited the White House earlier this season.