Afroman lawsuit: rapper testifies in court over use of police footage in viral music videos

Rapper Afroman is defending himself in court as a lawsuit over the use of police footage in his music videos goes to trial.

The Grammy-nominated artist, whose real name is Joseph Foreman, is being sued by deputies from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in Ohio.

The lawsuit, filed in 2023, centres on two of his viral music videos, Will You Help Me Repair My Door and Lemon Pound Cake, which feature footage from a 2022 police raid on his home.

Taking the stand this week Afroman said: "All of this is their fault," during a hearing on Tuesday. "If they hadn't wrongly raided my house, there would be no lawsuit, I would not know their names, they wouldn't be on my home surveillance system and there would be no songs," according to court proceedings.

The deputies named in the complaint allege the rapper used their likeness without permission and profited from the videos.

The lawsuit claims they suffered embarrassment and received death threats following the release of the footage.

Afroman was not at home during the raid, which was carried out under a warrant linked to alleged kidnapping and drug trafficking. His then-wife recorded the incident.

The trial began on March 16 and is ongoing.