Updated March 18, 2026, 1:00 p.m. ET
Afroman is taking the stand three years after he was sued by Ohio law enforcement for his use of real footage of police in a pair of viral music videos.
A lawsuit against the Grammy-nominated rapper (real name Joseph Foreman) was filed by Adams County Sheriff deputies in 2023 after his music videos, “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” and “Lemon Pound Cake,” used footage from a 2022 police raid on his home. The trial for the case kicked off on Monday, March 16.
“All of this is their fault,” Afroman, 51, said during a Tuesday hearing. “If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system and there would be no songs.”
The March 2023 complaint, which listed two sergeants, a detective and four deputies, alleged Afroman used their likeness without their permission and profited off their images. The rapper was not home at the time of the raid, but his then-wife filmed it on her phone.
The suit also claimed the deputies suffered embarrassment and death threats and are entitled to compensation.
A representative for the Adams County Sheriff’s Office was not available for comment at the time of publication.
What do Afroman music videos show?
In December 2022, four months after Adams County police raided his home, Afroman released the video for “Will You Help Me Repair My Door,” a song that poked fun at authorities’ search, which was reportedly based on a warrant for kidnapping and drug trafficking charges.
The song progresses as the video shows scenes of deputies rummaging through the rapper’s possessions, including several coats in a closet and CDs stacked near a stereo. “Did you find what you were looking for?” Afroman sings.
The music video has racked up over 9 million views to date.
Afroman quickly followed up the clip with another music video, titled “Lemon Pound Cake,” which included footage of a deputy walking by a lemon pound cake in the rapper’s home during the raid. The video currently has 3 million views.
Afroman says police raid was a ‘mistake’
During Tuesday’s hearing, Afroman defended the music videos and criticized police for their raid on his home.
“The sheriff was never supposed to raid my house in the first place,” Afroman said. “The whole raid was a mistake.”
The “Because I Got High” emcee maintained that posting the videos was part of his freedom of speech and allowed him to raise funds to pay for repairs after property damage from the raid.
“After they left, I had the right to kick the can and to do what I had to do to repair the damage they brought to my house,” he continued.
Afroman has continued to make music about the raid and ensuing legal battle, releasing the police diss track “Batteram Hymn of The Police Whistle Blower” on Sunday.
“I have freedom of speech. I’m a rapper. I entertain,” Afroman told prosecutors. “I entertain for a living like you practice law for a living, so I have to go to work.”
Contributing: Scott Hawkins, USA TODAY Network