Hip hop star Kanye West claims a 2000 felony theft conviction was the end result of police who racially profiled him simply because he had braids in his hair and was wearing a white T-shirt.

According to TMZ, West's claims can be found in the deposition he gave as part of his defense against assault charges he now faces that were recently filed against him by a Hollywood photographer.

"I was racially profiled for having a white T-shirt and braids," the report quotes West as testifying about the incident that took place at an OfficeMax store.

West adds he was wrongfully taken into custody for stealing printers from the store and alleges cops went as far as to frame him by planting evidence against him.

"I was driving a white Ford Expedition," he recalled, adding that at the time he was already a successful music producer. "When I saw the police report, they crossed out where it said 'Cream Ford Explorer.'"

TMZ adds West further claims in the deposition filed by his attorney Shawn Holley "it was actually a mistaken identity for stealing some printers from OfficeMax after I was a platinum producer."

After an opposing attorney reportedly questioned the validity of his story with the taunt "I'm sure that wasn't in the charge that you were ...a platinum producer,"  to which West responded "yeah, I believe so. I think that's what -- I think that's what -- where America had me at that time for having braids."

The 37-year-old West married reality TV star Kim Kardashian during the summer of 2014 in a lavish, Italy-based ceremony and the couple have an 18-month-old daughter together.

One of the world's all-time best selling artists, West has sold more than 21 million albums and nearly 70 million digital downloads. He has also won 21 Grammy Awards and Time Magazine recently named him one of the 100 most influential people in the world.