Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman is facing a lawsuit filed by several Ohio police officers after he used security footage of them raiding his home in his music videos. The rapper was the subject of a raid in August 2022, in which law enforcement agencies broke down his door based on a search warrant for drug trafficking and kidnapping, without finding any evidence to support the claim that led to the search warrant. Afroman went ahead to create a whole album about the incident, describing the event in several of his songs, including “Lemon Pound Cake,” revealing in the song that no kidnapping victims were found, but only the titular lemon pound cake.
Following the release of the music video, which features the security footage of the raid, four deputies, two sergeants, and a detective from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office filed a complaint against Afroman, his label, and a Texas-based music distribution firm, citing invasion of privacy. They claimed that they received death threats and suffered loss of reputation, humiliation, embarrassment, mental distress, and ridicule. The police officers are demanding that all the contents of the songs and videos posted online be removed, and that Afroman’s merchandise, including his 4204 Main Street Brewing Company’s malt liquor be confiscated. They also seek all proceeds from sales of the tracks and videos.
Afroman told NPR that he made the songs to move on from the event and pay for the damage that the police caused after kicking his door down, trying to kill him in front of his kids, disconnecting his cameras and stealing $400 from him. His initial intention was to create a funny rap song about the experience and make some money, but due to the lawsuit, he plans to counter-sue for the loss of his money, making him suffer financially in his industry, and for his reputation. Despite the lawsuit, Afroman is still pushing forward with his music career, intending to release more music and merchandise in the future.
Read Also: UConn’s Huskies Triumph Over Gonzaga to Secure Final Four Spot