Chuck D, Flavor Flav both deny Flav's Public Enemy firing had anything to do with Bernie Sanders
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One of rap music’s most legendarily fractious relationships got even fractious-er this week, as long-time hype man Flavor Flav was unceremoniously dumped by Chuck D from Public Enemy, after 30-plus years of (intermittently) serving as the group’s most opulently flamboyant member. And while the inciting incident for the firing was reportedly related to Flav’s decision not to perform at a Bernie Sanders rally alongside the group, both men have gone on the record saying that the only politics at play in the decision were the famously complicated ones operating within the highly influential outfit. Which is to say: Chuck D didn’t fire Flav because of Bernie. He fired him because of Flav.
This is per The Guardian, which quotes the self-described “jester” as making it clear he has no issues with Sanders, or anybody, “Except Trump. Some people tried to say I did this because I’m a Trump supporter and that’s not true. Fuck Trump!” Rather, he was angry about being included in promotional materials for a Sanders benefit show he refused to be a part of, putting the blame fully on Chuck D: “Why try to say I’m a part of something I’m not a part of? That was all Chuck D.”
Chuck, for his part, confirms that this is essentially true, stating that he’s long been fed up with the fact that Flav won’t do any sort of benefit concert or show where he won’t get paid. Given that Public Enemy is one of the most politically engaged acts in all of rap music, that’s caused any number of conflicts over the years—although Chuck also seemed pretty pissed off on a personal level that Flav bailed on a benefit show for Harry Belafonte semi-recently, after the calypso singer was kind enough to induct the group into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame.
It’s one of those weird paradoxes at the heart of Public Enemy: Flavor Flav was included in the group specifically because his indifference to anything except good times helped cut some of the group’s more serious political messaging. But it’s also led to moments like the time Flav sued Chuck, and any number of other conflicts between two men with such fundamentally different worldviews. The fact that they remained ostensibly on the same side for as long as they have is actually kind of amazing; it sounds like not even the ongoing hellscape of the 2020 election can take the credit for finally breaking them apart.
9 Comments
Flavor Flav should take another shot at the restaurant biz. He could call up Gordon Ramsey, get some professional guidance, and see if the fourth time’s the charm.
In general, I’m more of a Chuck D guy, and I’ll vote for Sanders, but on this specific thing, Flav’s basically right. They put him in the promo stuff without asking him. You can’t do that, either legally (probably — it was a stylized image, but I don’t love their case) or ethically. Chuck D would have been justified in saying “You need to walk the walk if you’re going to be in PE,” but getting called out for using someone’s image without asking them, then firing them for getting mad about it seems kinda not great.
“They put him in the promo stuff without asking him.”
No they didn’t.
“You’re out, Flav! I want your gun and your clock on my desk by the end of the day!”
*glock and your clock
If i where to go to a PE concert it wouldn’t be because i wanted to see Flav. I’d much rather Chuck keep going with Prophets of Rage while doing whatever PE songs he could legally do with them. .
There are a whole lot of PE songs that it’s hard for me to imagine without Flavor Flav in them — or at least somebody doing a passable Flavor Flav imitation.Some dude going “Yeeee-ahhhh, boyeeeee!” seems like it ought to be inconsequential next to actual lyrics and beats and such, but it’s such a part of PE’s signature.
If Public Enemy needs someone on short notice to ask the audience if they know the time, I’m available. I can bring my own clock.
There’s potential for a reality show in the tryouts to be PE’s next hype man!