The song “Because I Got High,” by rap artist Afroman, describes how his greatest intentions were thwarted by his marijuana use. Therefore, it would be reasonable to assume that marijuana would be present in his home. However, almost little of what occurred to Afroman four months ago is rational.
He became yet another statistic earlier this year: a black individual whose home was invaded by heavily armed officers on the pretext of having narcotics and paraphernalia. However, the raid is not the only issue. It’s about the harm that was done, which extends beyond the door that the officers smashed on their way to finding nearly nothing but some loose coins they chose to keep.
Afroman, actual name Joseph Foreman, told VICE that after the Adams County Sheriff’s Office searched his Ohio home in 2022 with a warrant for drug trafficking and kidnapping, he lost out on engagements and felt enraged and helpless. He used that energy to write the songs “Lemon Pound Cake” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door,” both of which have music videos that show deputies breaking into his home, searching through his possessions, and inspecting the baked goods on his counter before they completely shut off the power to his personal security cameras. Since then, Afroman’s music video clips have gained popularity on TikTok. He claims that the sheriff’s office stole $400 of his money that they took during the raid even though he was never charged with a crime.
Afroman was lucky since he had cameras rolling. He was able to salvage a viral film from that unwarranted violation of privacy, which received more than a million views in just nine days.
There are few things more enjoyable than seeing a group of men in battle gear stumble around a house in frustration as they are unable to find any proof of the supposed criminal acts they insisted were taking place in order to obtain the search warrant.
It’s crazy, speaking of the search warrant. It alleges that Afroman is suspected of kidnapping in addition to drug trafficking.
The Adams County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t seem to genuinely think Afroman kidnapped anyone, in my opinion. It appears that someone copied boilerplate carelessly and neglected to delete the portion that has no bearing on the drug-related claims that the swearing officer claimed to have probable cause to investigate.
This raid is only one of several that take place all throughout the country every day. And it includes the same common casual abuses that police commit. Like the decision to keep the money that was discovered in one of Afroman’s coat pockets… just because. Even worse, despite being seen on tape collecting $400 of this money, the Sheriff’s Office pretended it never existed. In his conversation with Vice, Afroman had the following to say regarding that:
Since that precinct was unable to conduct the investigation on its own, it was sent to a nearby precinct. The next precinct is now claiming that it was merely an error in counting, but it’s amusing how someone stole or they “erroneously” counted” $400.
The manipulation of the narrative by erasing any recordings of their acts they can’t directly control is another typical move used by law enforcement agents during raids on private property. After finding Afroman’s home security cameras, the officers deactivated them, leaving some of the search recording. Afroman is back to state the obvious: disconnecting cameras just makes police appear culpable.
In America, police officers are regarded as the good guys. I reasoned that a decent person would want to keep the camera rolling so he could confirm his goodness. I am aware of killers, thieves, crooks, and burglars who spray paint the cameras. Because they don’t want you to know who they are and what they’re up to, they want to destroy them. I therefore question why the good guy disconnects the camera, removing the proof that he is good.
The video depicts cops searching through CD albums, peeping into closets, battling to keep control of the entrance gate, drawing down on a cake that is already securely wrapped in glass, and performing other typical police activities. It does not display the illegal items that police discovered while searching for signs of drug trafficking and kidnapping, including a few joints, some (legal) hemp, and a vape pen. Not exactly the haul they expected to discover. In addition, medical marijuana is permitted in the state, and Cincinnati, where Afroman resides, decriminalized recreational marijuana usage, thus there isn’t enough to support criminal charges.
Fortunately, these police officers’ actions are permanently documented. Additionally, the fact that it is put to music makes it even more engaging. This was not an isolated incident; it was routine operating procedure for law enforcement agencies across the country. The organizations using these pitiful excuses for public workers rarely, if ever, punish the casual abuse of power.
