You probably know him for his Grammy-nominated song, “Because I Got High” (2000), but at age 51, rapper Afroman is making headlines after a lawsuit from Ohio law enforcement forced him to take the stand in his trial three years later.
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Let us take you all the way back to 2022. That’s when the rapper’s– real name Joseph Foreman– home was raided by Ohio police. According to USA Today, Foreman was not home at the time of the raid, but according to him, it was all illegal. His then-wife was home and filmed much of the ongoing raid. But after all of the dust settled, Foreman said the operation was a complete misunderstanding.
“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,” Foreman said. The deputies were also accused of disconnecting his surveillance footage. But while he could’ve forgiven the traumatic experience, the rapper stopped in his tracks after he allegedly realized $400 dollars was missing when the sheriff’s office returned the money they took from his house, WCPO News reported.
So, the rapper decided to use his gift for music to seek his revenge. Foreman soon began making and releasing songs like “Will You Help Me Repair My Door” in December 2022 and “Lemon Pound Cake” using footage from the raids. In the videos, you can see several law enforcement officers walking through Foreman’s house. Coupled with the visuals are Foreman’s lyrics poking fun at the raid and the officers.
But while the songs had a catchy hook to them, Foreman was hit with a lawsuit in 2023 from two sergeants, a detective and four deputies, according to reports. The suit alleged the rapper used their likeness without permission and profited. But if you ask Foreman, “All of this is their fault,” he said during his testimony on Tuesday (March 17).
“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,” he continued. The defense argues the songs created by Foreman are protected under the First Amendment.
The trial isn’t stopping Foreman from dropping even more records, shockingly. His latest drop, “Batteram Hymn of The Police Whistle Blower” is a diss track aimed directly at Ohio police.
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