Over 20 years may have passed since Joseph Edgar Foreman, known best by his stage name Afroman, rose to stardom with his hit 2000 song “Because I Got High,” but that hasn’t stopped him from kicking up the clouds of controversy.
On Aug. 21, 2022, the 48-year-old rapper made news when police officers from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office in Brighton, Colorado performed a raid on his home. The incident caught the attention of the press and before long, Foreman took his frustrations out via music, incorporating the situation into several music videos such as “Why You Disconnecting My Video Camera” and “Will You Help Me Repair My Door,” both of which were released on YouTube and acquired millions of views.
Half a year following the raid, on March 22, it came to light that Foreman was being sued by seven police officers associated with the incident. The officers claimed Foreman illegally took footage of their identities, used it in his music videos and social media posts without their permission, and profited off them. The situation caused them, “humiliation, ridicule, mental distress, embarrassment, and loss of reputation,” according to the suit.
Foreman, on the other hand, called the judge associated with the warrant “racist” and said the Adams County Sheriff’s Office “burglarized and vandalized” his property, accusing them of stealing money while performing the raid. (The money they took was later returned to Foreman, but allegedly not in full.)
In an Instagram post uploaded the day his suit became public, Foreman promised he and his legal team would countersue the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. The outcome remains in limbo, but the real question is why was he even raided in the first place. Here’s what we know.
Why was Afroman raided by the Adams County Sheriff’s Office?
The aftermath of Foreman’s raid has proven itself complicated and messy, and unfortunately so too are the circumstances that landed him the position in the first place.
According to the official warrant signed by Judge Roy Gabbert, the raid was pursuant to suspicions of drugs and drug paraphernalia on Foreman’s property. The warrant also cited trafficking in drugs and kidnapping. Charges were not filed against Foreman after law enforcement found no probable cause to corroborate the warrant’s suspicions.
In addition to characterizing Judge Gabbert’s actions as racist, Foreman shared a photo of the elected official on his Instagram account, saying, “This is the judge that signed the warrant that said kidnapping. His name is Roy Droopy Gabbert. Vote him out before he signs a fictitious warrant then send some over reacting paranoid KKKops to your House jeopardizing the lives of you and your family, Stealing your money and disconnecting your home video security surveillance system …”
In Dec. 2022, Foreman pledged to run for president in 2024. There’s been little word on that front, but should his countersuit against the Adam’s County Sheriff’s Office not occupy his whole attention, he should be getting the ball rolling on that front soon.
