*Rapper Afroman has prevailed in a defamation lawsuit brought against him by seven Adams County, Ohio sheriff’s deputies, marking a significant First Amendment victory for the 51-year-old artist.
The deputies filed the suit after Afroman, born Joseph Foreman, used home security footage from a 2022 raid of his property to create a series of music videos that mocked law enforcement. The footage captured armed deputies forcing their way through his front door, rifling through his personal belongings, and pausing near a cake sitting on the kitchen table — an image that gave the song “Lemon Pound Cake” its name. According to CBS News, the videos drew more than 3 million views on YouTube, and the deputies collectively sought nearly $4 million in damages, claiming the content led to public harassment and personal humiliation.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Department carried out the search as part of an investigation into narcotics and kidnapping allegations, but deputies left without making any arrests or seizing any evidence of wrongdoing. Afroman was in Chicago at the time, though his wife was home and recorded portions of the raid on her phone. He later testified that the raid traumatized his children, who were 10 and 12 at the time, and that he had every right to inform his fans about what had occurred. He also claimed that deputies stole $400 from his property during the search and initially refused to return it.
In court, the Grammy-nominated artist argued his music videos were protected under the First Amendment. His defense lawyer, David Osborne, told the jury during closing arguments, “No reasonable person would expect a police officer not to be criticized. They’ve been called names before.”
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Judge Jonathan Hein delivered a clean sweep for the defense, stating, “In all circumstances, the jury finds in favor of the defendant; no plaintiff verdict prevailed.”
Outside the courthouse, Afroman, flanked by supporters, shouted: “We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on! Right on!”.
Speaking to CBS News, Afroman framed the win as bigger than himself. “It’s not only for artists. It’s for Americans,” he said. “We have freedom of speech. They … did me wrong and sued me because I was talking about it.”
He added, “It’s for the people, by the people. So when the people can’t use their freedom of speech, bring up the problem, address the problem, take care of the problem, then the problem never gets solved.”
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