As Afroman’s trial begins, seven Adams County deputies are seeking damages over his hit music video “Lemon Pound Cake.”
Avroman walked into the Adams County courtroom on Monday with a message of free speech.
Seven sheriff’s deputies are suing the Cincinnati rapper over his use of raid footage in his viral “Lemon Pound Cake” music video, and jury selection has begun to determine whether he owes them damages.
After the first day, the rapper launched into a savage attack on the judge and labeled police officers as pedophiles.
“If you watched my trial today, you could clearly see asshole Judge Jonathan helping the pedophile police. Hines was clearly biased and cut off my attorney. Every time he tried to speak, after my attorney spoke, he tried to brainwash the jury into supporting the pedophile accuser,” Afferman fumed.
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The whole thing started in August 2022, when officers came to his home with warrants for drug trafficking and kidnapping.
Avroman was not there at all. While he was in Chicago, neighbors called to tell him police had been swarming his property. No charges were filed as a result of the raid.
But the film did it.
He captured the recordings from his security cameras and turned them into art. The video quickly became a hit. Millions of people watched as officers broke down doors with rifles drawn.
Deputies claim they have received humiliation and death threats and now want money.
The attack caused severe damage to Afroman’s home. He also claimed that $400 was missing from the cash seized by officers. The Sheriff’s Office said it was just a counting error and agreed to an outside investigation.
Avroman filed his own lawsuit for property damage, but a judge dismissed the suit in February. Now he has hit back at the representatives’ claims, saying the video is protected speech.
This case raises a real question: Where to draw the line between an artist’s right to tell his or her story and a person’s right to privacy.
It’s becoming increasingly common for artists to use real footage in their work, but legal protections remain murky.
The rapper’s relationship with the police isn’t over yet, either. He just released a new song, “Randy Walters Is A Son Of AB####,” and unfortunately for the police, it’s a serious bop tune.
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