Rapper Afroman Breaks His Silence After Winning Defamation Lawsuit Against Ohio Police Over Raid on His Home

Rapper Afroman has spoken out to celebrate his victory in a $4 million defamation lawsuit filed by multiple Ohio police officers after he released a song about their raid on his Adams County home.

The 51-year-old musician, whose real name is Joseph Edgar Foreman, was found not liable on any of the 13 claims filed against him by members of the Adams County Sheriff's Department after he used footage from an August 2022 raid on his property in a satirical music video called "Lemon Pound Cake."

Seven officers accused Afroman in a 2023 lawsuit of causing them "humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation" with his song's release—and demanded that he be forced to pay them $3.9 million in damages.

However, after a three-day trial, a jury found that the musician was not liable for any of the claims made against him, a decision that he has now hailed as a victory "for Americans."

Speaking to CBS Mornings hours after his courtroom victory on March 18, Afroman said: "[My victory], it’s not only for artists, it’s for Americans. We have freedom of speech. They did me wrong and sued me because I was talking about it."

Quoting former President Abraham Lincoln's famous Gettysburg Address, the rapper continued: "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, then the problem never gets solved."

In an Instagram video taken outside the courtroom, Afroman was seen celebrating his victory with members of the public, telling his fans: "We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Right on, right on! God bless America. Power to the people!"

Why was Afroman's home raided?

At the time of the raid on the property, which is located in Winchester, OH, officers said that they were acting on a search warrant that cited kidnapping and drug trafficking charges. No charges were filed as a result of the raid.

While Afroman was not present at the time of the raid, his wife and children, aged 10 and 12 at the time, were present in the property. Security cameras placed inside the home filmed the moment that officers broke down the door of the home, while the rapper's wife also recorded footage of them on her phone.

Clips from both of these recordings were used in Afroman's December 2022 music video, which seemingly mocked the Adams County Sheriff's Department for the incident.

"The Adams County Sheriff kicked down my door, then I heard the glass break," the song begins. "They found no kidnapping victims, just some lemon pound cake. Mama’s lemon pound cake, it tastes so nice, it made the sheriff wanna put down his gun and cut him a slice."

While testifying in court on March 18, Afroman told the judge and jury that he had released the song and video because he wanted to call attention to what he described as an unfair raid on his property—as well as a lack of accountability on the part of the sheriff's department.

“I posted it because the sheriffs never were supposed to have raided my house in the first place," he said. "If they hadn’t wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit. I wouldn’t know their names. They wouldn’t be on my home surveillance system and there would be no songs, my money would still be intact, nothing, so all of this is their fault."

He added that the money raised from the release of the song and video was used to pay for the repairs required to his home after the raid.

“Tearing down my door, not paying for it, not being apologetic, me being a sport, doing something peaceful to raise the money to pay for their damages, me having freedom of speech as an American to talk to my family, friends and fans about what the sheriffs did to my home, yes, I have the right to my freedom of speech," he went on.

"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, yes, I did."

Where does Afroman live?

Afroman, who was born in Los Angeles but has also lived in Las Vegas and Mississippi in the past, purchased his property in Winchester, in 2007 for just $24,500, according to records.

The dwelling, which sits on a 5-acre plot, offered three bedrooms and two bathrooms when it last changed hands; however, new aerial images suggest that the rapper may have carried out extensive renovations on the property in the years since buying it.

Much of the footage taken during the raid was recorded in the kitchen, where armed officers were seen entering the home—with the New York Times reporting that both of Afroman's children were held at gunpoint by the authorities.

Records show that Afroman, using his real name, also purchased a much larger parcel of land in Otway, OH, in 2007. That property, which spreads across three parcels of land, appears to be used as a working farm.

The rapper also owns properties in Palmdale, CA, and in Oklahoma; however, his Winchester dwelling is understood to have served as his primary residence for many years now—and is also where he records much of his music.