E-40, a Bay Area rap legend, has called for an investigation over his removal from Game 1 of the Kings-Warriors series, citing racial intolerance.

Markeaus Turner 04/17/2023

E-40, a Bay Area rap legend and Golden State Warriors supporter, has asked the Sacramento Kings to look into his exclusion from Game 1 of the Kings-Warriors first-round playoff series on Saturday.

The rapper, whose full name is Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., was among a star-studded crowd at the Golden 1 Center in Sacramento for the debut of the Northern California fight, which also marked the Kings' first playoff berth since 2006.

"On Saturday night, I was subjected to disrespectful heckling," Stevens stated in a statement to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Stevens claimed he "turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner," but security concluded he was the instigator and ejected him.

The event happened in the fourth quarter of the Kings' 126-123 victory. According to the video, Stevens was confronted by Golden 1 Center security at his normal place near Golden State's bench. In one video, he is seen conversing with security while a blonde woman is recording and appears to yell at him.

Stevens is then seen repeatedly leaning towards a security person and yelling things like "You got me f**** up, you a b****," until a Warriors security member intervenes and leads Stevens down the tunnel.

Videos show that the spectacle grabbed the attention of several Warriors players, including Kevin Looney. Stevens was even followed into the tunnel by veteran Andre Iguodala.

"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,” Stevens wrote in the statement.

He has a hit song called "Tell Me When to Go," which one fan mentioned while posting a video of the ejection. Marc Spears of ESPN's Andscape labeled the incident a "downer."

The 55-year-old Bay Area native rose to stardom with singles like "Sprinkle Me." During the Warriors' 2014-15 season, which saw the franchise win its first NBA title in four decades, he popularly remixed "Choices (Yup)."

Stevens went on to say that he had been "absolutely humiliated by the Kings' security,” as someone who has attended “countless” NBA games and always taken pride in “professionalism.”

He frequently visits Chase Center, the Warriors' home arena, but he also likes the Kings. "When Mike Bibby, Peja Stojakovic, and all of 'em played for the Kings, I would go to Kings games, too," he stated in a 2017 interview with SLAM's Abe Schwadron.

Vlade Divac, a key player for the Kings during the Stojakovic period from 2000 to 2004, was also in attendance on Saturday night. In the building were former Kings Bobby Jackson and Jason Williams, as well as home run king Barry Bonds, rapper 50 Cent, and California governor Gavin Newsom.

In reaction to Stevens, the Kings issued the following statement through Charania:

"The Sacramento Kings take these claims seriously and are investigating the facts and circumstances regarding the situation, as we do anytime an accusation like this is made."

Espn Commentator and former NBA star Jaylen Rose Took to Twitter to defend the rapper he has known for 30-plus years.

Dreem Agency