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'Turn that E-40 up': Rapper won't attend Kings-Warriors Game 2; Golden State blasts his music during shootaround

callie lawson-freeman
Contributing writer
·3 min read
26

De'Aaron Fox dropped 38 points as he led the Sacramento Kings to their first playoff win in 17 years on Saturday night. But another loss for the Golden State Warriors began in the fourth quarter of Sacramento's 126-123 win, and it came in the form of rapper E-40's removal from his front-row seat.

Before Game 2 of the first-round playoff matchup on Monday, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported E-40 would not be in attendance. The rapper, whose real name is Earl Tywone Stevens Sr., will sit in his usual seat near the Warriors bench when the series heads to the Chase Center for Game 3.

According to Stevens, he was heckled repeatedly on Saturday night and addressed a woman “in an assertive but polite manner” before security guards came and ordered him to leave the arena.

“Unfortunately, it was yet another reminder that — despite my success and accolades as a musician and entrepreneur — racial bias remains prevalent,” he said in a statement, via Charania. “Security saw a disagreement between a Black man and a white woman and immediately assumed that I was at fault.”

In a show of solidarity with the longtime Warriors fixture, the Warriors reportedly blasted Stevens' music during a shootaround at the Golden 1 Center on Monday morning.

According to multiple reports, shooting guard Klay Thompson yelled, "Oh yeah. Turn that E-40 up," while Stephen Curry danced on the other end of the court.

Videos from the shootaround show his songs "Choices (Yup)" and "Tell Me When to Go" were played.

Thompson addressed the situation on Sunday, calling it "unfortunate."

“I love 40. He’s been our biggest supporter for years. I hope they right that ship because he deserves to be there by our bench,” he said. “In my time knowing him, he’s always been respectful. He’s always been considerate of those around him. So, it’s very weird to see, and I hope it’s resolved.”

Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, middle, walks past musician E-40, left, after Game 2 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series between the Warriors and the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco, Monday, April 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
The Golden State Warriors and Klay Thompson, especially, have E-40's back. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)

Excessive standing?

In response to Stevens' allegation of racial bias, the Kings issued a statement saying they would investigate the situation per his request. According to the Sacramento Bee, that was the only statement the team issued to reporters.

Later, Andscape's Marc Spears reported sources told him Stevens was removed due to "excessive standing."

CBS 13 also shared this statement from the team:

"After receiving multiple complaints, he was given a warning and refused to comply. There was a multiprong effort by Kings and Warriors security teams to deal with the situation, escort him from his seat, and avoid further disruption."

Monday morning, Stevens shared a video from former NBA player and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose, who asserted that the Kings should apologize to the rapper.

While NBA and Golden 1 Center venue rules do not explicitly list “excessive standing” as a violation, Rose acknowledged that there is an "etiquette to that." However, he said Stevens was never actually given a warning.