A jury in Adams County, Ohio, found rapper Afroman not liable in a lawsuit filed by sheriff’s deputies, who accused him of mocking them in music videos after they raided his home in a failed search for drugs. The jury’s verdict was delivered in less than a day, with all 13 claims against Afroman being rejected.
Background of the Lawsuit
The deputies filed a civil lawsuit in 2023, accusing Afroman of defamation and invasion of privacy after the rapper used security camera footage from the 2022 raid in his music videos.
The footage, which appeared in Afroman’s song “Lemon Pound Cake”, showed deputies searching his home, allegedly looking for drugs and evidence of a kidnapping. No drugs or evidence of a crime were found, and no charges were filed against Afroman.
The deputies claimed that the videos caused them unnecessary harm by depicting them in a negative light, and specifically took issue with the humorous portrayal of one deputy who appeared to be distracted by a lemon pound cake during the raid.
Afroman’s Defense and Testimony
During the trial, Afroman defended his actions by invoking freedom of speech. The rapper testified that he exercised his right to creatively express himself after what he described as a traumatic experience.
He said the deputies’ actions—breaking into his home with guns and kicking down his door—gave him the right to respond in kind through his music and videos.
Afroman stated:
- “I got freedom of speech… after they run around my house with guns, kicked down my door, I got the right to kick a can in my backyard, use my freedom of speech.”
- He also emphasized that the deputies’ hardship was their fault for raiding his home without finding any criminal activity.
In an impassioned defense, Afroman argued:
- “If they hadn’t come in my house, their children wouldn’t be saying nothing. None of this would be going on if they had did their research and did things right.”
He also criticized the deputies for trying to play the victim while initiating the actions that led to the situation. Afroman remained firm, saying his creative expression was justified.
The Song and Video in Question
The “Lemon Pound Cake” song, which became central to the lawsuit, humorously depicted the events of the raid. In the video, Afroman sings about the deputy who seemed to be distracted by a lemon loaf in his kitchen:
- “The Adams County Sheriff kicked down my door, then I heard the glass break. They found no kidnapping victims. Just some lemon pound cake.”
The video went viral, garnering over 3.1 million views on YouTube.
Additionally, in another song titled “Randy Walters is a Son of a Bitch,” Afroman implied an affair between Walters and Afroman’s ex-wife. Sgt. Randy Walters testified in the trial that his family was impacted by the public accusations, especially after his daughter was bullied at school about the rumors.
Jury’s Verdict
After deliberating for less than a day, the jury found that Afroman was not liable for any of the claims made by the deputies. Judge Jonathan Hein announced that no plaintiff had prevailed, and the case was concluded with a defense verdict in favor of the rapper.
Afroman celebrated the victory with a post on Instagram, wearing an American flag-patterned suit and shouting, “We did it America! Yah, we did it, freedom of speech! Right on!”
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