Legendary West Coast rapper Tone Loc was detained at the Midland International Air & Space Port in West Texas after confronting a person wearing a Confederate flag hat.
In footage captured by a local NBC affiliate, the "Wild Thing" artist is seen engaging in a shouting match with a couple while exiting the airport. In the clip, Tone Loc—whose real name is Anthony Smith—and the man and woman are visibly angry as they exchange curses.
"F**k you, b*tch. F**k the Confederate flag, b*tch," Loc yells at the woman who insists the platinum-selling artist is a "nobody."
The confrontation then spills outside of the airport, where Loc's aggression is now directed toward the man accompanying the woman. During their argument, the root of Tone Loc's anger is slightly revealed.
"He can wear whatever the f**k he wants to wear," the man says before the woman jumps in to spew a basic understanding of the First Amendment.
According to reports, the couple that was arguing with Tone Loc were the parents of a teenage boy that didn't appreciate Loc taking objection to their son's head-wear. Per an anonymous witness, the Los Angeles-native did not like the fact the couple's son was wearing a hat bearing the Confederate flag. This led Tone Loc to approach the man about his choice of accessories.
"How are you going to wear that in front of a black man?" Smith asked.
The witness went on to claim that the two had a short discussion before the teenager's mother interjected, telling Tone Loc that he shouldn't be talking to a minor. Loc then apologized to the parents, but still reaffirmed his beliefs about the symbolism of their son's hat. Smith and the couple had a short but heated conversation about the hat which Loc tried to avoid by exiting the airport. However, witnesses say that the family followed Loc and his luggage, resulting in the incident captured on video.
As seen in the clip, authorities arrived on the scene to separate both parties. The police detained Smith for a short time to deescalate the situation. But once they agreed to go their separate ways, Loc's handcuffs were removed, and he was allowed to leave without any criminal charges.
