Afroman, the crypto token launched by “Because I Got High” rapper Afroman, has skyrocketed in price after police in Ohio failed to sue him over a series of music videos he made mocking officers who raided his home.
A jury sided with the rapper — real name is Joseph E. Foreman — on Wednesday, concluding a three-year defamation lawsuit launched by police in Adams County.
The legal action stemmed from a police raid on Foreman’s home back in 2022 that resulted in a broken door, confiscation of cash, and a search that failed to find any evidence of suspected drug trafficking and kidnapping.
The Pump Fun cryptocurrency“Afroman,” (ticker symbol $FRO) was launched six months ago, right before Foreman promoted the token on his Instagram account.
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A livestream that showed Foreman dining out was uploaded alongside the crypto token. It pumped to a market cap of $38,000 before falling back to $12,000 on the day of its launch.
However, across the two days leading up to Foreman’s defamation trial victory, the crypto’s market cap pumped 4,685% to a high of $335,000. FRO’s market cap is now over $175,000.
Lawsuit called music videos ‘humiliating’
Foreman was able to capture footage of the raid with his home security cameras, and in response, he created a series of music videos mocking the police deputies in various outlandish ways.
One song called “Lemon Pound Cake” mocked an officer who was recorded looking for a split second at Foreman’s lemon pound cake on the kitchen counter.
“Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera” focused on, if you hadn’t already guessed, the officers disconnecting his cameras during the raid.
“They ran up my driveway with guns and hate, to steal my buns, they just couldn’t wait, I know you want me dead, or in the slammer, but why you unhooking my video cameras?” Afroman sang.
Others were more graphic. One titled “Randy Walters Is A Son Of A Bitch” joked about Afroman sleeping with the wife of one of the officers, and how the officer wouldn’t pay to repair his broken door.
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The officers claimed the videos caused them “humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation.”
In deposition footage, one officer claimed the videos partly caused his ex-wife to leave him. However, when his ex-wife testified in court as the only defense witness brought by Foreman, she said the music videos never affected her marriage or her life.
He also argued that the officers wouldn’t pay for the damages they caused during the raid, and so he created the music videos in an attempt to recoup those losses.
Foreman also argued his right to free speech while dressed in a red, white, and blue suit adorned with the American flag.
After the verdict was handed down, Foreman filmed himself celebrating and shouting, “Yeah! We did it America!… Freedom of speech! Right on, right on, god bless America!”
The rapper had already uploaded a song before the trial’s last few days, singing his own rendition of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
His version is called the “Batteram Hymn Of The Police Whistle Blower.”
It goes, “Mine eye has seen the corruption of the Adam county cops. Stealing money, stealing cake, when they make their traffic stops. First they screw you, then they sue you, play games, then dismiss your claims. The proof’s on the internet.”
Protos has reached out to Foreman for comment and will update this piece should we hear anything back.
