Photo: ogafroman on Youtube
Afroman is best known for his songs "Because I Got High" and "Crazy Rap" from his 2001 album The Good Times.
Rapper Afroman, known for his hit “Because I Got High," is appearing in court on April 20 to defend himself against seven Adams County deputies who allege he’s ruined their reputations.
Afroman, given name Joseph Edgar Foreman, is being sued by seven members of the Adams County Sheriff's Office for publishing his own security footage of a raid on his home by the department from August 2022.
The raid, which Afroman said caused extensive damage to his home, recovered only cash, a few joints, a vape and some hemp. Officials at the time said the raid was part of an “ongoing investigation” into possession of drugs, drug paraphernalia, money and weapons associated with drug trafficking and kidnapping.
During the raid, deputies seized $5,000 in cash, which was returned later when investigators determined there would be no charges filed against the rapper. Afroman has said the deputies came up $400 short, which the department said was due to a counting error from the deputies.
While charges were never filed against Afroman, the deputies involved in the raid are suing the rapper for using his own security footage of the raid on Instagram, on t-shirts and in music videos for a new album titled Lemon Pound Cake.
The album’s title track was inspired by a moment during the raid when a deputy paused, gun drawn, to look at the lemon pound cake on the rapper’s kitchen counter.
Those suing Afroman allege in their lawsuit that the rapper used their image and likeness without permission, causing the officers to suffer “humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation."
The plaintiffs are suing for more than $25,000 in damages and a court order to stop using their images from the security footage in further media and merchandise.
Follow CityBeat's staff news writer Madeline Fening on Twitter and Instagram.
Coming soon: CityBeat Daily newsletter. We’ll send you a handful of interesting Cincinnati stories every morning. Subscribe now to not miss a thing.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
