As previously reported by REVOLT, last weekend, E-40 attended a game between the Sacramento Kings and the Golden State Warriors. While enjoying the match, a woman allegedly began taunting the West Coast rapper, which led to an argument between the two. Ultimately, the famed hitmaker was escorted from the Golden 1 Center.
On April 16, one day after the incident, E-40 released a statement addressing the situation. “During the fourth quarter, I finally turned around and addressed one heckler in an assertive but polite manner. Yet, shortly thereafter, Kings’ security approached me, assumed that I instigated the encounter, and proceeded to kick me out of the arena,” he began. The “Tell Me When to Go” artist added, “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.”
After much public debate, it seems the organization has opted to make amends. On Wednesday (April 19), the Kings and E-40 spoke about the previous interaction. “After a series of thoughtful and transparent conversations, both parties agree that there was a miscommunication regarding the circumstances that occurred during the Kings vs. Warriors game on Saturday (April 15) night,” a portion of their message read. According to ESPN, security guards initially believed the “U and Dat” chart-topper was blocking the views of guests by “standing excessively” as he fussed with the woman, one of the reasons they claimed to have escorted him out.
Security added that he also failed to abide by their commands. Wednesday’s announcement added, “Contrary to speculation, Mr. Earl ‘E-40’ Stevens did not stand excessively from his ticketed courtside seat; the outcome resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding between both parties.” The Kings maintain that they look forward to “welcoming him back to our arena in the future.”