Afroman, the rapper best known for his 2000 hit “Because I Got High,” will go to trial next week in an unusual lawsuit filed by police officers who raided his Ohio home — a case that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has called “nothing short of absurd.”

The case against the rapper (Joseph Forman) was filed by seven members of an Ohio county sheriff’s department, who claim he caused them “emotional distress” by using footage of the guns-drawn 2022 raid — which ultimately yielded no charges — in critical social media posts and a music video.

The lawsuit has rankled free speech advocates like the ACLU, which has called the case an attack on the First Amendment and “a meritless effort to use a lawsuit to silence criticism.” The rapper himself has echoed that argument, saying he should “be allowed to speak out about my life.” An attorney for the officers did not return a request for comment.

Afroman rose to fame in the early 2000s with comedy rap tracks like “Because I Got High,” a tune popularized on The Howard Stern Show and the early internet that reached No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent 10 weeks on the chart. The song was later nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance in 2002.

In August 2022, police from the Adams County Sheriff’s Department raided Afroman’s home with guns drawn, smashing down his door and seizing $5,031 in cash and other property. The raid came on a search warrant linked to suspicions of drug trafficking and kidnapping, but no wrongdoing was uncovered, no charges were ever filed and the money was later returned.

After the search, Afroman repeatedly posted video and images of the officers to social media, using them to express outrage at alleged damage done to his property and at what he viewed as excessive use of force. The footage was featured prominently in a music video for a 2022 song called “Lemon Pound Cake,” in which he humorously described the raid and mocked the officers: “He’s a Adams County Sheriff/ He’s hungry and he’s big as hell.”

It turns out the officers weren’t laughing. In 2023, seven of them filed a civil lawsuit against him, claiming Afroman’s use of the footage was an unauthorized commercial exploitation of their likeness, as well as an invasion of their privacy.

In their complaint, the officers (Shawn D. Cooley, Justin Cooley, Michael D. Estep, Shawn S. Grooms, Brian Newland, Lisa Phillips and Randolph L. Walters, Jr.) claimed they’d been “subjected to threats, including death threats” because of Afroman’s posts. They later added accusations that he defamed them by saying they stole money or threatened to kill him.

The artist and his lawyers quickly argued that such a case was an abuse of the court system, filed by government officials whom he had a constitutional right to criticize for alleged misconduct, especially when it was committed in his own home.

“The plaintiffs in this case seek to tamp down and stifle the defendants’ First Amendment rights and are using the judicial system to quell protected speech that they do not agree with,” his lawyers wrote at the time.

In October 2023, a judge dismissed some of the case, ruling that public servants “have to expect that they may from time to time be subject to commentary and criticism regarding their performance of their duties.” But he allowed the defamation claim and some invasion of privacy claims to move ahead to trial.

Afroman also countersued the officers, accusing them of destruction of property, trespassing, illegal search and seizure and other forms of wrongdoing. But the judge dismissed that case last month, paving the way for a trial next week focused solely on the rapper’s alleged misconduct.

The case against Afroman has drawn criticism not just from the rapper himself. In a 2023 court filing, attorneys for the ACLU sharply attacked the case, calling the officers’ accusations of invasion of privacy — made over their own invasion of another person’s home — “nothing short of absurd.”

“Plaintiffs are a group of law enforcement officers who executed what appears to have been a highly destructive and ultimately fruitless search of a popular musician’s home. Now they find themselves at the receiving end of his mockery and outrage,” the ACLU wrote at the time. “There is nothing the First Amendment protects more jealously than criticism of public officials on a matter of public concern.”

Afroman’s attorney and a rep for the ACLU did not return requests for comment.

The trial will get underway Monday morning (March 16) before Judge Jonathan Hein at the Adams County Court of Common Pleas. Witness lists show that Afroman and the deputies themselves will be on the witness stand, and that jurors will see bodycam footage, the search warrant and the disputed videos.

When the trial does start, expect the officers’ lawyers to echo earlier filings in which they say Afroman’s criticism has “made it more difficult and even more dangerous for plaintiffs to carry out their official duties.” And look for his lawyers to reprise their claim that the case is an assault on his constitutional rights: “This is a case about a performer and artist acting under their First Amendment freedom of expression,” they said.

Bruno Mars returns to No. 1 in record fashion on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart (dated March 21), as “I Just Might” ascends two spots.

The song becomes Mars’ 12th leader on the list — solely the most among male acts, as he breaks out of a tie with Justin Bieber and Maroon 5. Katy Perry and Rihanna additionally boast 11 No. 1s each, with Mars now trailing only Taylor Swift (15) for the top total since the chart began in October 1992.

Here’s an updated recap of Mars’ career Pop Airplay No. 1s:

Meanwhile, Mars’ “Risk It All” rises 38-35 in its second week on Pop Airplay. The ballad and “I Just Might” are both from his new Atlantic Records album, The Romantic, which launched as his second Billboard 200 No. 1 on the March 14 chart.

Also on Pop Airplay, Swift’s new radio single, “Elizabeth Taylor,” debuts at No. 30. It follows up leaders “The Fate of Ophelia” and “Opalite” from her album The Life of a Showgirl.

Concurrently, “I Just Might” crowns the Adult Pop Airplay chart (likewise 3-1), where it’s Mars’ fifth leader. “Risk It All” bounds 40-29 on the list, while “Elizabeth Taylor” is in at No. 23.

The Pop Airplay chart ranks the most played titles on 150 U.S. mainstream top 40 stations, as monitored by Mediabase (which provides airplay data to Luminate for Billboard’s radio rankings). Adult Pop Airplay reflects plays on more than 75 adult top 40 stations.

All charts dated March 21 will update Tuesday, March 17, on Billboard.com.

Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas” spends a third week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Country Airplay chart, leading the March 21-dated ranking with 33.8 million in audience March 6-12 (up less than 1%), according to Luminate.

The song returned to No. 1 a week earlier after a three-week absence, the longest gap before reclaiming the top spot in the chart’s history. Its three-week run at the top also matches the longest Country Airplay run for Triple Tigers (with the song on SAWGOD/Columbia, with radio promotion by Triple Tigers). Triple Tigers previously (and aptly) tripled up via Scotty McCreery’s “Damn Strait” in 2022.

“Choosin’ Texas” ties Lainey Wilson’s “Watermelon Moonshine” (2023) and Gabby Barrett’s “I Hope” (2020) for the most weeks at No. 1 on Country Airplay for a song by a woman and no other billed acts in the past decade and a half. The last to reign longer? 2010 four-week chart-topper “The House That Built Me” by Miranda Lambert, one of the cowriters and coproducers of “Choosin’ Texas.”

Zooming out further, only 14 songs by women and no other credited acts have spent more than three weeks at the summit since Country Airplay launched in 1990. Leading that group are three six-week No. 1s: Taylor Swift’s “Our Song” (2007-08), Carrie Underwood’s “Jesus, Take the Wheel” (2006) and Faith Hill’s “Breathe” (1999-2000). Five have ruled for five weeks and six others, for four.

(As for collaborations with women since the start of the 2010s, Dustin Lynch’s “Thinking ‘Bout You,” featuring MacKenzie Porter, was No. 1 for six weeks in 2021-22 and Koe Wetzel and Jessie Murph’s “High Road” led for five in 2024-25.)

Extended stays atop Country Airplay remain relatively uncommon overall. Since the chart debuted, 209 songs, or about 21% of all No. 1s, have spent at least three weeks in the lead. Roughly half of those have ruled for exactly three weeks.

Country Airplay has historically been dominated by solo male artists, who account for 66% of the chart’s total No. 1 songs. Duos and groups represent a far smaller share of the sum (15%), while solo women make up an even narrower slice (11%). Collaborations account for the remaining 8%. That imbalance has helped make longer runs by women stand out when they occur.

Harry Styles has the U.K. falling for “American Girls,” as the latest single from his fourth album tops the Official Singles Chart dated March 13.

Lifted from new LP Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally, which landed March 6, the track debuts at No. 1. It marks Styles’ fourth chart-topper overall and second song to hit the top spot this year, after “Aperture” reached the summit at the start of February. Debut singles “Sign of the Times” (2017) and “As It Was” (2022) both hit the No. 1 spot in the U.K.

In this week’s chart, “Aperture” follows at No. 4, with Styles also rounding out the top five with Kiss All the Time highlight “Ready, Steady, Go!” (No. 5). The Official Singles Chart’s rules mean that only the three top songs from a lead artist are eligible to feature on any given week.

The LP landed straight in at the top of the Official Albums Chart, becoming his third No. 1 in the U.K. following his self-titled 2017 debut and 2022 LP Harry’s House. 

To celebrate the release of Kiss All the Time, Styles returned to the stage with a huge One Night Only show at Manchester’s Co-op Live. The performance — which saw the 32-year-old play his new record in full, plus a greatest hits encore — was filmed for a Netflix special that arrived two days later on March 8.

The global superstar is currently gearing up for double duty as host and performer on this week’s edition of Saturday Night Live (March 14). Styles is no stranger to the comedy sketch show, having appeared multiple times on the bill both as a solo artist and as a member of One Direction over the years. 

Olivia Dean and Sam Fender’s “Rein Me In” falls just one place to No. 2 following a three-week reign at the summit of the charts. Bella Kay’s “iloveitiloveitiloveit” slips one place to No. 3 following its massive rise in last week’s edition.

Madonna’s “Into the Groove” is back inside the top 20 following a recent viral streaming boost (No. 18), while Dominic Fike has two entries on this week’s chart with “Babydoll” (No. 13) and “White Keys” (No. 19). Tame Impala’s “Dracula” hits No. 17 following a remix with BLACKPINK’s JENNIE and gives Kevin Parker a new career-high.