Afroman becomes unlikely constitutional champion

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The US rapper Afroman has won a defamation lawsuit brought by seven police officers who sought damages over a series of music videos. In 2022 the police battered down the door of Afroman’s home to look for evidence of drug trafficking and kidnapping. No evidence was found and no charges were filed. The rapper then made an album about the raid. Using footage from Afroman’s home security cameras, viral music videos showed the officers searching through his wardrobe and looking at a lemon cake with suspicion. The lawsuit sought nearly $4m in damages, claiming Afroman had violated the privacy of the officers and caused “mental distress, embarrassment and loss of reputation”. The judge did not agree, making the singer an unlikely constitutional champion. “We did it, America,” Afroman said outside court. “Freedom of speech!”