Rapper Afroman sued for utilizing failed police raid footage in music movies
Legislation enforcement officers in Ohio have filed a lawsuit in opposition to rapper Afroman alleging that he invaded their privateness through the use of photographs of them raiding his home.
Afroman, whose actual identify is Joseph Foreman, had his home raided in August 2022 by officers with the Adam’s County Sheriff’s Workplace.
The officers had been performing on a warrant asserting possible trigger for narcotics being saved and kidnappings going down on the property.
No proof of legal exercise was discovered on the property and no expenses had been filed.
Foreman recorded the raid on a sequence of safety cameras on his property and inside his home.
Video footage reveals police ramming down his door, looking out his wardrobe, opening CD instances, and at one level briefly glancing at a lemon pound cake on his counter — a second repeatedly referenced by Foreman in subsequent songs.
He later used the footage of officers looking out his house in music movies mocking the scenario and questioning the raid.
“I requested myself, as a powerless Black man in America, what can I do to the cops that kicked my door in, tried to kill me in entrance of my youngsters, stole my cash and disconnected my cameras?” Foreman informed NPR in an interview.
“And the one factor I may provide you with was make a humorous rap tune about them and make some cash, use the cash to pay for the damages they did and transfer on.”
4 deputies, two sergeants and a detective with the Sheriff’s Workplace have filed go well with in opposition to Foreman for utilizing their picture within the music movies, asserting that it constituted an invasion of privateness.
The seven legislation enforcement officers are looking for all income made with their picture — together with tune income, music movies, merchandise gross sales, and live performance tickets.
They’re additionally requesting the court docket to file an injunction to tug all media from Foreman that includes their likenesses.
Foreman scoffed on the lawsuit, saying that it solely proved his music was upsetting the police he hoped to mock.
“I used to be pondering, these large unhealthy cops … are being beat up and bullied by these little corny rap songs I made about them,” Foreman stated to NPR. “I’m like, ‘Oh my god, are you letting me know that my raps are engaged on you?’”
Foreman has promised to file a countersuit.
Following the raid, the sheriff’s workplace returned money seized from Foreman’s house.
After the rapper protested that not all the cash taken was returned, the Ohio Bureau of Prison Investigation decided officers had miscounted the seized money.