Public Enemy Separates From Flavor Flav – Chuck D Says It’s Money

Public Enemy claims to have broken with its charismatic hypeman Flavor Flav after more than 35 years.

The layoff came two days after the rapper sent a cessation and forbearance letter to Bernie Sanders’ campaign after his group mates announced that they would show up at one of his rallies in Los Angeles.

“Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will go ahead without Flavor Flav,” the group said in a statement.

“We thank him for his years of service and wish him luck.”

Leader Chuck D then suggested that the disagreement over the Sanders rally was motivated financially, not politically.

“If there was a $ bag, Flav would have been there before and in the center,” he wrote on Twitter. “He will NOT do free shows.”

Their separation comes just a month after the group was honored with an award for all of their achievements at the Grammys.

Flavor Flav co-founded Public Enemy in the 1980s after meeting Chuck D at Adelphi University on Long Island.

Their first albums radically changed the sound of hip-hop, with an uncompromising political and musical sound.

But tensions have increased since 2017, when Flavor Flav – whose real name is William Drayton – sued his group mates and group leaders for unpaid profits.

The case had been closed before last week’s deadlock over the Sanders rally.

Flavor Flav’s cease and desist letter accused the campaign of using his “unauthorized likeness, brand image and clock in promotional materials” for a rally in Los Angeles, even if the rapper “did not approved no political candidate “.

“Although Chuck is certainly free to express his political opinion as he sees fit – his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy,” the letter continues.

“The scheduled performance will only be Public Enemy Chuck D, it will not be a Public Enemy performance. Those who really know what Public Enemy represents know what time it is. There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav . “

‘Ungrateful’

Chuck D scoffed at the star’s statement, saying that his former band mate “didn’t know the difference between Barry Sanders or Bernie Sanders”, and just wasn’t prepared to play for free.

He said that Flavor had previously refused to participate in a fundraiser for Harry Belafonte Sankofa’s human rights charity in 2016, calling the star “ungrateful“- especially since Belafonte had inducted Public Enemy at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.

“I wouldn’t have Public Enemy without Flavor”, He concluded. “However, I’m going to park it in the driveway, remove the plates [and] wait to re-register it when it is working properly. “

A lawyer for Chuck D added in a statement to Rolling Stone magazine: “From a legal perspective, Chuck could play the role of Public Enemy if he wanted to; he is the sole owner of the Public Enemy brand.

“He designed the logo himself in the mid-80s, is also the group’s creative visionary and lead songwriter, having written the most memorable lines of Flavor.”

Shortly after announcing the dismissal of Flavor, Public Enemy Radio – an offshoot of the main group, with Chuck D, DJ Lord, Jahi and the S1W – continued its performance at the gathering of Senator Sanders, performing classics like Fight the Power , Bring the Noise and close them.

During the filming, which was broadcast live online, Chuck D urged people to register to vote in the next US presidential election.

“The vote is [as] important like washing your ass in the morning, “he said.

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