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- [00:01]
Podcast Host (Redfin Ad)
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- [00:30]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
needs me to be the president, I'll be the president. America needs me to be the vice president, I'll be the vice president. If America just needs me to be a good citizen, I'll be a good citizen.
- [00:39]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Famed rapper Afroman is now fighting for his rights after seven deputies sued him for now viral songs about a raid gone wrong.
- [00:47]
Afroman (Testimony/Quotes)
Fact they never should have came to my house in the first place. Fact if they hadn't came to my house they wouldn't have put themselves on the video camera.
- [00:55]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
And in my music career will free speech win?
- [00:58]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Does Afroman regret the lyrics he penned about the Adams County Sheriff's Department?
- [01:02]
Afroman (Testimony/Quotes)
Cause I don't go to their house, kick down their doors, flip them off on their surveillance cameras, then try to play the victim and sue them.
- [01:11]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
I'm Lyndon Blake and this is the Daily Wire true crime investigation. Guys, we did it. We got Afroman on this show to talk about his viral three day trial in Ohio out of all places in he was sued by seven deputies out of Adams County, Ohio for defamation and humiliation after Afroman wrote these viral songs about the deputies who did a botched raid on his home back in 2022. So the deputies were there at Afroman's home in Ohio because there was this warrant for alleged kidnapping and drug charges. So Afroman's not at his home at the time. His wife then wife and kids are and he sees all this unfold on his surveillance cameras and the video his wife. You have the armed deputies going in there and they're raiding his home. They're going through everything just fulfilling that search warrant that they had. Afroman never had charges filed against him. There was nothing there. His real name is Joseph Foreman by the way, but I'm gonna refer to him as Afroman. How we all know him as the guy that wrote Because I got high cult 45 whack rappers. Well now he's known for these new era songs from Afroman's very big collection. And aphroman was not happy with how the deputies left his home. He claims that they broke his door, they broke the security cameras and they took money from him. So what does Afroman do? He writes songs. How is he gonna pay for the damage? He said music, of course. So he puts his creativity to work. And he released multiple songs about the raid. Some of those songs, like I mentioned earlier, include Lemon Pound Cake. Lemon Pound Cake was actually played out loud in court. This three day trial, I'm sure if you're imagining this in your head, nearly broke the Internet. Afroman wore an American flag suit every day of the trial. He's repping the same outfit for us in a little bit. And the deputies had to go on the stand and listen to these songs that Afroman wrote about them. And they were asked questions about these songs. And I don't know how people in that courtroom kept it together.
- [03:27]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Just some lemon pound cake. Mama's lemon pound cake it tastes so nice it made the sheriff want to put down his gun and cut him a slide.
- [03:47]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
So the lyrics from Lemon Pound Cake actually call out this officer, Officer Cooley. And Officer Cooley was the guy that got caught looking at the pound cake there on the kitchen counter during this botched raid. So Afroman writes a song about Officer Cooley not being too worried about his actual job because he was distracted by the pound cake. And this is something that Officer Cooley says has been damaging to him. And I laugh because we. One of the things that he said is since this song, he's been sent a lot of pound cakes. Mr. Cooley, sorry, Sean. You were called Officer pound cake by Mr. Foreman multiple times.
- [04:28]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
He saved hundreds of pound cakes at work from different people.
- [04:33]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
So if you are not familiar with Afroman's game, he has always written songs that roasted people. Remember whack rappers. He is literally making fun of everyone in the rap game. He is making fun of fun a P. Diddy. He's saying, how can your group be called the band? Nobody plays an instrument, man. Like this is what Afroman does. And that's what Afroman stood on his entire time in that trial. He said I have the right to freedom of speech. And that is what he argued. Listen to his testimony.
- [05:06]
Afroman (Testimony/Quotes)
After they run around my house with guns and kick down my door I got the right to kick a can in my backyard Use my freedom of speech Turn my bad times into a good time.
- [05:16]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Yes I do.
- [05:18]
Afroman (Testimony/Quotes)
And I think I'm a sport for doing so.
- [05:20]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
So he literally took this real life scenario which Afroman did call very traumatic for his family and for his kids that had to be there during this raid and he tried to turn it into art. It did not take long for the jury to decide that Afroman does have his right to free speech. So his music can play on. You can find lemon pound cake. Why you disconnecting my video camera? And will you help me repair my door? This is all on his new, of course titled Freedom of Speech. It's a fitting name because Afroman says that is what he was fighting for in court. Now these lyrics, I'm not going to do them justice explaining them. So I had to bring Afroman in himself. I love what you wore that you're still wearing. I mean, you have to take me through the court fit and what you thought that would represent in the courtroom.
- [06:10]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
It's me, the hungry, hustling American dream. You know what I'm saying? I am the American dream. Rags to riches, the Cinderella story, you know what I'm saying? The successful failure, you know what I'm saying? Yeah. The winning lose, all that good stuff. So I'm an American. I mean, you know, I thought about it hard and I am, you know, like you take a lion, you put him in a zoo. People say it's inhumane to put him back in the wild, you know what I'm saying? So, you know, I respect it all. But America's all I know. So it's gonna have to work. Cause I ain't go where what you talking about? You know what I'm saying? So. And then I think about everything. I'm a classic Coke before they changed it to the new Coke, you know what I'm saying? Then they had to go back to the old Coke. Cause classic, I'm a classic American. I'm a soul brother. I walk with a stroll. I play soul music. You know, all of that is American. The fish that everybody throw up, that's American. You know, rap music, it's American, man. You know, I'm cool, man. You know, I love and respect everybody else. But every now and then I'm sorry, I gotta look in the mirror and I see a beautiful thing, man. Hey, I'm an American. So, you know, I, I, I do have freedom of speech. Matter of fact, I don't have power. They have the power to kick down my doors. They have the power to shoot me in my ass. They have the power to cuff me and beat me up and throw me in jail. I don't have that power. But there's one power I have and I'm not giving it up.
- [08:02]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
I know what you're saying. You got freedom of Speech.
- [08:05]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
So after they kick down my door, disconnect my camera, steal my money, with my freedom of speech, I will address all of these issues. I will make my bad situations good and rise. Amen. Hey, thank God for that one power that I have. You know, that's the only. I guess that's the only power I need. And with that one power, look at what I did to the bad people with the AR15s. Look at what I did to the criminals disguised as law enforcement, with felony wives, with ex convict wives, pedophile police officers with guns. They all fell victim to my freedom of speech. So I guess I shouldn't underestimate that power.
- [08:57]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Are you feeling good post victory in the trial?
- [09:01]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Yes, I'm feeling good. I'm feeling good also because I stood up for the truth, but I couldn't stand up for the truth without my freedom of speech, you know what I'm saying?
- [09:11]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
So I don't know how someone doesn't know about this trial. Maybe they live under a rock, but it's truly taken over the Internet. And you were sued for defamation, for humiliation after officers had a botched raid at your home, caused damage, took money, and you wrote a song. So for those that are listening, I showed Afroman this lemon pound cake that we have because one of the songs he wrote post botched raid was called Lemon Pound Cake. I have to ask you, take me through the process. Where did this inspiration come from to take your experience and make a very catchy song out of it?
- [10:01]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
You know, I've been writing about my pain for years, you know, because I got high. It wasn't funny until I put it on paper. It kind of made it funny, you know what I'm saying? But, you know, will you help me repair my gate? Wasn't funny. What I've learned is if you look through the right lens, your problems can be converted into your solutions. So they brought damage to my house, but they brought material to my house. They brought music. And if I applied it right, it'll bring success and money to my life. Looking through the right lens with the right mindset and motivation. So through the lens of positivity, this whole thing was a blessing in disguise for me, you know what I'm saying? Hey, I didn't tell them to raid my house and disconnect my cameras and steal my money. Their bad energy is running this through the roof, you know what I'm saying? Their bad energy has me spinning the Internet on my finger right now, you know what I'm saying? They came in here to belittle me and handcuff me and stuff me in some little hole. But they. They. They threw gasoline on me. They. They blew me up. So, yeah, the right mindset, looking through the right lens, you can turn life's lemons into lemon pound cake.
- [11:46]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Amen. Amen. When you have this line that says, mama's lemon pound cake, it tastes so nice, it made the sheriff want to put down his gun and cut him a slice. That's a bar. How long does it take you to come up with a bar like that?
- [12:05]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
I did all. I. I'm good. I'm, you know, I'm. You know, I mean, like, so, like, if. If I know what I want to talk about, it doesn't. You know, it doesn't take long. I wanted to talk about the cop looking at the cake so, you know, it was just falling in place, you know.
- [12:21]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Did you write these songs in Ohio? Like, set the scene? Are you, like, in your backyard? You said something like, I could just, like, kick a can and write this. Like, are you vibing in your backyard, kind of looking at this video footage that was caught before they cut the cord on your surveillance camera? And were you, like, this is something that I can turn into art?
- [12:43]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Yeah, I was. I was. I like to. I like my kitchen. I never thought I'd like my kitchen because I used to hate washing dishes as a boy. So, like, the kitchen was, like, my favorite and worst place. I was. I loved it when it was time to eat, but I hate it when it was time to clean up. You know what I'm saying? So. But I wrote it right here at my kitchen table. You know, I've been typing on my phone now, so my penmanship is slipping. But I used to between writing on the wall and writing raps, man, I had this penmanship, man, that was better than any Englishman, you know what I'm saying? I should have signed the Declaration of Independence, but. So I sat here at the table and I thought about everything in the raid that upset me. My gate, my door, my cameras, my money. The condescending disrespect, the sarcasm, the audacity, the dehumanization, you know, there's this silent dehumanization, you know. You know, to talk to me about the families, about. Of the people who kicked in my door, you know, like, you know, forget my family. My family doesn't count. We're not even talking about that. You know, you don't count. Your family don't count. Forget your kids. Saw an AR15 with a finger around the trigger in their face. You know, forget that, let's talk about her. Little kid that heard your rap song, you know, and you know, not, you know, not to be a mean ass or whatever, but it's just. It's just the way they don't even acknowledge me as a human being. Predator Badlands now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney.
- [14:39]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Here you're not the predator, you're the prey. Prey, prey. Pray, pray, pray.
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Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Critics are saying it's epic, stunning and breathtaking.
- [14:53]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Many have come here, none have survived. Predator Badlands now streaming on Hulu and Hulu on Disney.
- [15:01]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Rated PG 13.
- [15:03]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Deputy Grooms. His ex wife Rhonda was a star witness, in my opinion, when she took the stand and said that no student of hers were listening to your lyrics and listening to the songs you made about the raid. The verses, like, you know, why are you disconnecting my video camera? We ought to throw crooked cops in the slammer, all that kind of stuff. And she was like, my kids like it and they don't view it as a real life threat. When you heard her testimony, just take me through that experience for you, man,
- [15:45]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
I ain't gonna lie. I was mad cause my attorney took it easy on him. I wanted him to ask why she got a divorce so she could start telling about all them crackhead and meth head women he was banging on duty, you know what I'm saying? But he got, you know, we won, you know, so I couldn't complain. I don't know if you ever played sports and you be fussing with your teammate, then the buzzer go off, you look at the scoreboard, y' all won. The argument's just over. Y' all just start hugging, you know what I'm saying? Like, hey, so you know, he did. Cause he was doing stuff that I didn't know to do, you know what I'm saying? Like, the man was talking to me about a lawyer I had when I got my money. You know, that shit came out and did that for me. But then that was the end of that. And then I had to get another label. You know, he was from Minnesota, he didn't know Ohio law, so I had to get another law. So this dude's talking to me about two lawyers up, and my lawyer said, your honor, I want to invoke lawyer quiet, lawyer client privilege, you know what I'm saying? And blah, blah. But then I didn't have to fumble. And you know, so I'm like, thank you, brother. I didn't even know he was Doing me like that, you know what I'm saying? But then I had to step in and. And put some common sense in some of all this, you know.
- [17:07]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Yeah.
- [17:08]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Some of this lost stuff I like. Look, you shouldn't have been here in the first place.
- [17:13]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Facts are facts.
- [17:15]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Here with, for, here with, for, by. You shouldn't have been here in the first place. You know what I'm saying?
- [17:21]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
So you sound like someone that, you know, has the wits about them that can make a presidential run. And I saw in your bio, it said 2024 presidential candidate. I'm wondering if we're updating that for 2028.
- [17:42]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Hey, you know, hey, if everybody take me serious, I'll take them serious back. You know what I'm saying? Hey, same time, y', all. You know what I'm saying? Hey, I'm all about. If I can help my country get better. I'm all about it because this is on. So we, you know, it's gonna have to work. I don't. It ain't got no choice but to work because, you know, this and that. So I'm all about it. I'm. Anything I can do to help. If America needs me to be the president, I'll be the president. America needs me to be the vice president. I'll be the vice president. If America just needs me to be a good citizen, I'll be a good citizen. You know what I'm saying? I will get in where I fit in and contribute, and his truth will be marching on. Amen.
- [18:26]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Amen. Are you going to stay in Adams County, Ohio?
- [18:30]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
I believe I am. You know what I'm saying?
- [18:33]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
What brought you there? Do you. Do you just find it a creative place?
- [18:37]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
No chasing women? Yeah. No drunk high man. You know, I try to be smart, but I have my. I have my. I have my, you know, side effects. I like big butts that I cannot lie.
- [18:54]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
And there's a lot of big butts in Ohio.
- [18:58]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Well, there was this. There was just one big butt.
- [19:01]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
It only takes one. It only takes one.
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Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Hey, how many big butts do you need? I know you can want all the big butts in the world, but how many big buds do you need?
- [19:12]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
And that's presidential of you. That's mature, like, you know, that's what it is.
- [19:17]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Hey, hey. I might be a dirty politician, but I'm an honest one. And I believe in freedom of speech. And in America, I can like big butts and. Because I got freedom of speech.
- [19:29]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Amen.
- [19:30]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Amen. Amen. As long as I don't Commit no crime. I can like big butts.
- [19:34]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Amen.
- [19:34]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Amen.
- [19:35]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Tell us.
- [19:35]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Life, liberty, is my pursuit of happiness.
- [19:38]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Yes, that is your pursuit of happiness. You're gonna have to tell us where we can find your new album. Freedom of speech.
- [19:46]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
I'm looking for a deal. I think I might just have to set it up. I might just put it out, you know, and just. Just sell it myself. You know what I'm saying? Right now? It's on YouTube. I don't care about the money right now. I just care about the message, the views and the love. You know what I'm saying? So everybody just go listen to it, run it up. Don't forget about your boy Afro. I'm gonna put. I'm gonna put a record out here in a little bit, but I just like the good vibes it's giving everybody right now, you know? So right now I'm just youtubing it. It's just this one's on the house right now, you know what I'm saying?
- [20:21]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Before we let you go, can you tell us one thing we don't know about Afroman? We know you're from Palmdale. We know that you didn't clean your room because you got high. Tell us something that we don't know about you.
- [20:36]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
You know something you don't know about me? I like to play chess, okay?
- [20:41]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
They tried to teach me that in third grade. I could never learn.
- [20:44]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
All right? Hey, you know what I'm saying? You get some free time. Bring one of them. Bring them Colt 45s with you, baby. That's all we need. You have to play some chess, you know, have us a good time.
- [20:56]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
That'll be amazing.
- [20:57]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Play some good music, Afroman.
- [21:00]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
Thank you so much. This has been amazing. I'm gonna pop it.
- [21:05]
Afroman (Joseph Foreman)
Yes, ma'. Am. Hey, if it's gonna pop, let it pop. Let it pop me on me. Hey, that's what's up.
- [21:15]
Lyndon Blake (Interviewer)
We're gonna stop the interview.
- [21:20]
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