Afroman wins lawsuit with Ohio police who mentioned rapper mocked them in viral music video

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The Grammy-nominated rapper Afroman gained a defamation lawsuit filed by seven Ohio sheriff's deputies who sued him over music movies wherein he used residence safety footage to mock their raid of his residence.

"We did it, America! Yeah, we did it! Freedom of speech! Proper on! Proper on!" the 51-year-old rapper, born Joseph Foreman, shouted outdoors the courthouse after the Wednesday night verdict. He later posted the clip to social media.

The case examined the boundaries of parody and the licence artists can soak up social commentary directed at public figures. The deputies, collectively, sought almost $4 million US in damages.

"No cheap particular person would count on a police officer to not be criticized. They have been referred to as names earlier than," defence lawyer David Osborne mentioned in closing arguments for the rapper and comic, recognized for his breakout 2000 hit As a result of I Acquired Excessive.

The Adams County deputies mentioned they have been publicly harassed over the viral movies, which have been considered greater than three million instances on YouTube. The movies present rifle-wielding deputies busting down Afroman's door, looking out his footwear and swimsuit pockets, and hungrily eyeing a cake on the kitchen desk, inspiring one tune's title, Lemon Pound Cake.

In different music movies, Afroman took intention on the deputies' private lives and referred to as them "crooked cops" due to $400 that went lacking within the raid.

"Cops should not be stealing civilians' cash," the rapper testified this week. "This entire factor is an outrage."

In court docket — carrying a pink, white and blue American flag swimsuit — he defended his work on First Modification grounds and mentioned he issued the diss tracks to cowl damages from the raid, together with a damaged gate and entrance door.

No prices have been filed over the 2022 raid, which the warrant mentioned was a part of a drug and kidnapping investigation. In his testimony, Foreman mentioned he had the fitting to inform his pals and followers what police had accomplished. He mentioned the raid traumatized his kids, then 10 and 12.

"The entire raid was a mistake. All of that is their fault. In the event that they hadn't have wrongly raided my home, there could be no lawsuit. I might not know their names," Foreman mentioned. "They would not be on my residence surveillance system, and there could be no songs, nothing."

The lyrics of Will You Assist Me Restore My Door? handle the police instantly: "Did you discover what you have been searching for?" And later, "Would you want a slice of lemon pound cake/ You'll be able to take as a lot as you need to take/ There have to be an enormous mistake."

The video slows down, exhibiting an officer holding a gun subsequent to a cake stand in Afroman's kitchen.

WATCH | Calgary musician jams with rapper Afroman: Calgary musician jams with rapper Afroman

Calgary musician jams with rapper Afroman Then he raps: "The warrant mentioned, ‘Narcotics and kidnapping'/ Are you kidding? I make my cash rapping," and "You crooked cops have to cease it/ There aren't any kidnapping victims in my swimsuit pockets," as a video reveals the officers looking out his closet.

The deputies, of their testimony, mentioned the songs ridiculed them. Deputy Lisa Phillips mentioned the rapper created a "derogatory" music video that questioned her gender and sexuality.

Sgt. Randy Walters mentioned his baby had been hazed at college over Afroman's posts and got here residence crying.

"The place on the earth is it OK to make one thing up for enjoyable that is damaging to others when you already know for positive it is an absolute lie?" he requested.

Afroman's lawyer, in closing arguments, mentioned it was common for artists engaged in social commentary to magnify. Robert Klingler, representing the deputies, mentioned Afroman lied about "these seven courageous deputy sheriffs" for the previous three years.

"Even when someone does one thing to you that hurts you, that you simply assume is improper — like a search warrant execution that you simply assume is unfair ... that does not justify telling intentional lies designed to harm folks," he argued.