Afroman turned his home raid footage into viral diss tracks mocking seven Ohio deputies, and then beat them in a $4m lawsuit

Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman has won a defamation lawsuit filed against him by seven Ohio sheriff’s deputies. The deputies had sued him after he used home security footage from a 2022 raid of his home to make viral music videos mocking them, and were collectively seeking nearly $4 million in damages.

“We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!” the 51-year-old rapper, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, shouted outside the courthouse after the Wednesday evening verdict. According to AP News, he quickly shared the moment on social media.

Afroman, best known for his 2000 hit Because I Got High, testified that he had every right to tell his friends and fans what the police had done. He explained that the raid was a mistake, and that if they hadn’t wrongly raided his house, there would have been no lawsuit, no songs, and he wouldn’t even know their names.

Afroman’s viral videos, which racked up over 3 million views, turned the botched raid into a public embarrassment for the deputies

He wore a red, white, and blue American flag suit in court and defended his work on First Amendment grounds, saying he made the diss tracks to cover damages from the raid, including a broken gate and front door.

The 2022 raid was carried out under a warrant for a drug and kidnapping investigation, but no charges were ever filed against Afroman. He testified that the raid traumatized his children, who were 10 and 12 at the time. He also accused the deputies of stealing $400 during the raid, calling them “crooked cops.” This case is one of several examples of civilians using creative ways to push back against police.

His music videos, which got over 3 million views on YouTube, used footage from his home security system showing rifle-wielding deputies breaking down his door, searching his shoes and suit pockets, and looking at a cake on his kitchen table, which inspired the song Lemon Pound Cake.

 In Will You Help Me Repair My Door?, he rapped directly at the police: “Did you find what you were looking for/ Would you like a slice of lemon pound cake/ You can take as much as you want to take/ There must be a big mistake.”

The deputies testified that the songs led to public harassment. Deputy Lisa Phillips said the rapper created a “derogatory” video that questioned her gender and sexuality. Sgt. Randy Walters said his child was hazed at school over Afroman’s posts and came home crying, asking, “Where in the world is it OK to make something up for fun that’s damaging to others when you know for sure it’s an absolute lie?”

Afroman’s defense lawyer, David Osborne, argued in closing statements that no reasonable person would expect a police officer not to be criticized, and that it is not unusual for artists doing social commentary to exaggerate. 

High-profile incidents involving celebrities and law enforcement have shown just how serious these situations can get, as seen in how police handled gunfire at Rihanna’s mansion. The deputies’ lawyer, Robert Klingler, countered that Afroman had lied about “these seven brave deputy sheriffs” for three years, and that even if someone does something wrong, it does not justify telling intentional lies to hurt people. The jury ultimately sided with Afroman.