Afroman wins lawsuit against Ohio police who said the rapper mocked them in a viral music video
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Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman has won a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies who sued him over music videos in which he used home security footage to mock their home invasion.
“We did it, America! Yes, we did it! Freedom of speech! Let’s go! The 51-year-old rapper, born Joseph Foreman, shouted outside the courtroom after Wednesday evening’s verdict. He later posted this clip on social media.
The case tested the limits of parody and licensed artists to take public comments directed at famous people. The deputies, collectively, sought nearly $4 million in damages.
“No sane person would expect a police officer to be uncriticized. They have been called names before,” said defense attorney David Osborne closing arguments for the rapper and comedian, who became famous for his hit song in 2000. Because I Got to the Top.
Adams County deputies said they were publicly harassed because of the videos, which have been viewed more than three million times on YouTube. The videos show gun-toting deputies breaking down Afroman’s door, searching his shoes and suit pockets, and looking longingly at the cake on the kitchen table, which inspired the title of the single, Lemon Pound Cake.
In other music videos, Afroman focused on the lives of the members and called them “rogue cops” because of the $400 in cash that went missing during the raid.
“The police should not steal people’s money,” said the rapper who testified this week. “The whole thing is an outrage.”
In court – wearing a red, white and blue American flag suit – he defended his work on First Amendment grounds and said he released diss tracks to cover the damage from the raid, which included a broken gate and front door.
No charges were filed in connection with the 2022 raid, which the warrant said was part of a drug and kidnapping investigation. In his testimony, Foreman said he had the right to tell his friends and followers about what the police had done. He said that this raid tortured his children, who are 10 and 12.
“Your attack was all a mistake. This is all their fault, if they hadn’t accidentally raided my house there would be no crime. I won’t know their names,” said Foreman. “They wouldn’t be on my home monitoring system, and there wouldn’t be songs, nothing.”
The words of Will You Help Me Fix My Door? speak directly to the police: “Did you find what you were looking for?” And later, “Would you like a piece of lemonade cake/ You can take as much as you want/ There must be a big mistake.”
The video slows down, showing the officer holding a gun next to the cake stand in Afroman’s kitchen.
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He then raps: “The warrant says, ‘Drugs and kidnapping’/ Are you kidding? I make my money rap,” and “You crooked cops gotta stop it/ No kidnapping victims in my suit pockets,” as the video shows officers searching his closet.
These deputies in their testimony said that these songs make them laugh. Deputy Lisa Phillips said the rapper created a “disrespectful” music video that questioned her gender and sexuality.
Sgt. Randy Walters said his child was disappointed at school because of Afroman’s activities and came home crying.
“Where in the world is it OK to do something that will please others and harm others when you know full well that it is a complete lie?” he asked.
Afroman’s lawyer, covering the controversy, said that it is not unusual for artists on commentary programs to exaggerate. Robert Klingler, who represents the deputies, said Afroman lied to “these seven brave deputies” over the past three years.
“Even if someone does something to you that hurts you, that you think is wrong — like the issuance of a search warrant that you think is wrong … that doesn’t excuse intentional lying designed to hurt people,” he said.
