A raid video with three million views, a lawsuit for four million dollars – and Afroman is cheering in front of the courthouse. How the rapper defeated the Ohio police.
When American rappers go to trial, it is often about crimes and scandals. However, the rapper Afroman had a different case. On Wednesday, March 18, 2026, he won a lawsuit against the Ohio police. The subject of the proceedings was a video that the musician had published on YouTube.
Defamation lawsuit over raid video
The lawsuit, which Afroman won against seven deputies, involved a defamation lawsuit that focused on a music video by the artist. In this he used recordings from his surveillance camera that were taken during a raid on his house in 2022. He used the material to make fun of the officials.
The video has been viewed more than three million times on YouTube. The police officers said they had been publicly harassed because of the publication. As a result, Adams County officials jointly sought $4 million in damages. However, the court ruled in favor of Afroman, real name Joseph Foreman. After winning the case, he could be seen cheering in front of the courthouse. He cheerfully announced, “We did it, America! Yes, we did it! Freedom of speech! Just like that! Just like that!”
In the video, the armed police officers could be seen storming the rapper’s house and searching his suit pocket and shoes. They also looked greedily at a cake that was on the table – hence the song title “Lemon Pound Cake”.
“Police officers shouldn’t steal”
$400 is said to have disappeared during the raid. In response, the 51-year-old released further diss tracks in which he described the officers as “corrupt police officers”. It also said that police officers should not steal from civilians. The matter is a “scandal”. The musician appeared in court in a suit with the colors of the US flag and invoked freedom of expression.
Accusation of sexism against Afroman
A police officer accused the “Because I Got High” artist of sexism. The rapper created a derogatory music video that questioned her gender and sexuality. Another police officer said his child was bullied at school because of the video.
The search warrant at that time was issued in 2022 as part of an investigation into kidnapping and drug possession. However, no charges were brought.
