Flavor Flav
HipHopWired Featured Video
Jason Sudeikis won’t ever be confused with being a world-class rapper but that doesn’t mean he can’t get his bars off when the time calls for the act. At a recent fundraiser event, Jason Sudeikis rapped Chuck D’s verses from a popular Public Enemy track and was joined onstage by Flavor Flav.
As reported by TMZ Hip Hop, Jason Sudeikis hosted the annual THUNDERGONG charity concert event this past weekend and was captured onstage at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City taking to the stage with a band backing him. Sudeikis chose Public Enemy and Anthrax’s version of “Bring The Noise” and capably did well on the rapping portion of the track. Flavor Flav joined the Ted Lasso star onstage in his familiar hype man role, bringing necessary energy to the performance.
THUNDERGONG is the creation of Jason Sudeikis and Billy Brimblecom who founded the star-studded musical event to raise funds for the Steps of Faith organization which assists uninsured or underinsured amputees and provides care and prosthetics for those individuals. At this year’s THUNDERGONG, Ted Lasso actors Brendan Hunt and Cristo Fernández joined the festivities along with actor Will Forte, who performed a duet of Chappell Roan’s “Hot to Go” with musical satirist Weird Al Yankovic.
Check out Jason Sudeikis and Flavor Flav rocking out below.
—
Photo: Getty
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Taylor Hill / Getty
Flavor Flav slammed the Daily Mail over their coverage of Public Enemy and Chuck D, calling it “disrespectful.”
On Monday (Sept. 30), the legendary Hip-Hop group Public Enemy announced that they had to cancel their Australian tour dates due to Chuck D needing an eye procedure. “I’m sorry to make you wait a little longer but I need to get this eye surgery done, so I can really rock the house for you and Bring The Noise. Stay tuned for the new dates,” he said in the statement. It would go on to express that “all existing ticketholders will be notified of rescheduled dates once confirmed” and that the “original purchases will be valid for the rescheduled date without the need for exchange.”
The Daily Mail, a British tabloid, reported the news with the headline: “Hip-Hop legends Public Enemy cancel entire Australian tour just days out – after Chuck D and Flavor Flav dropped half their Aussie dates from the line-up.” The headline was accompanied by a side-by-side image of Flavor Flav and Taylor Swift that sat at the top of the article. Flavor Flav wasn’t pleased with the publication’s misleading headline and the image, which was snagged from an embedded video where Flav had attended the superstar singer’s show recently.
“So much disrespect and false news in one headline,,, let me set it straight,” he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We have to postpone some shows because my partner @MrChuckD requires immediate eye surgery. We put health above wealth. Why use a picture of Taylor for clickbait,?? PE is in the [Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]. We good.”
Public Enemy had been slated to perform in Australia from Oct. 2 through Oct. 24 for their On The Grid 35th Anniversary Tour, with dates in Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth included. Chuck D addressed the cancellation through another post on X, writing: “Thx yall im. Not sick. Had 2 torn retinas this year and upon repair the right eye needs cataract surgery this month because it accelerated. The eye is 64 years old those that are in tune with their elders are familiar although they don’t rhyme high speed on a stage. Ish shappens.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Naomi Baker / Getty
Snoop Dogg was the face of the 2024 Olympics in Paris. But, Flavor Flav has definitely been one of its fairy godfathers.
The Public Enemy legend sponsored the Women’s Water Polo team and helped an Olympian pay her rent while she was at the games.
Earlier this week, Flav offered to create a bronze clock for gymnast Jordan Chiles who represented Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. She finished fifth in the individual floor exercise on Aug. 5 with her Beyoncé-inspired routine–and was later bumped up to third place, though, after her coach Cecile Landi submitted an inquiry about a split leap, claiming she didn’t receive credit for it.
“Ayyy YOOOO @ChilesJordan,,, imma make you a BRONZE CLOCK NECKLACE,,, and that’s something NO ONE else has,!!! Hit me up my girl,,, I gotchu,!!!” Flav wrote on X (formerly Twitter), where he added a GIF of himself dancing at the Olympics while wearing a clock necklace of his own.
According to Newsweek, Chiles told NBC after the win that the accomplishment was “a dream come true,” she added, “It’s my first time ever in an event final. Like we said, it was a redemption tour, and I just wanted to come out and do the best that I could. So, this medal means everything. First event final, first event medal, like, oh my gosh! I have no words, but I’m very proud of myself.”
However, that dream quickly turned to disappointment when the Romanian Federation of Gymnastics filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), alleging that Chiles’ inquiry had been submitted too late. The court agreed, and Chiles has been ruled to be in fifth place and has to return her bronze medal. However, Team USA Olympics has vowed to keep fighting for her to keep it.
Recently, Flavor Flav showed off the custom clock on X, writing, “USA gonna Fight the Powers that be,,, in the meantime between time,,, Imma always [be] a man of my word @ChilesJordan,” he referenced Public Enemy’s infamous song “Fight the Power.”
When Flav first made the offer, Gina Chiles–the gymnast’s mother commented, “Thank you. Means the world. She’s not on socials right now as you can imagine. I’ll share it with her.”
Today, Jordan Chiles returned to social media briefly to release a statement saying the decision to strip her of her medal “feels unjust and comes as a significant blow, not just to me, but to everyone who has championed my journey.”
She added, “I will never waver from my values of competing with integrity, striving for excellence, upholding the values of sportsmanship and the rules that dictate fairness. I have taken pride in cheering on everyone regardless of team or country. Finding joy has been a culture shift and I love seeing others embrace it. I feel like I have given everyone permission to be authentic to who they are.”
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Denise Truscello / Getty
Flavor Flav’s efforts to save the cheddar bay biscuits are getting traction. Red Lobster has announced a new meal in his name.
As spotted on The Grio, the seafood restaurant chain is making it clear that the Public Enemy member’s efforts did not go unappreciated. This week the Orlando, Florida-based company announced the launch of “Flavor Flav’s Faves.” The meal includes a Maine lobster tail, snow crab legs, garlic shrimp scampi, and bacon mac and cheese, plus a side dish.
The “911 Is A Joke” rapper expressed his enthusiasm about the partnership in a formal statement. “As a long-time Red Lobster fan, I’m fired up to bring a little bit of my own flavor to fans with a meal featuring my seafood favorites,” he said. “You gotta get to Red Lobster and give it a try because this signature meal is hype, boy!”
Red Lobster detailed why the limited-time menu was a no brainer. “When you have someone like Flavor Flav who shows their love for a brand by ordering the entire menu, you know there is a lot more fun to be had,” said Sara Bittorf, chief experience officer at Red Lobster. “Flavor Flav’s passion for Red Lobster is unmatched, and we’re excited to bring our guests a flavor experience unlike any other.”
Along with the launch of Flavor Flav’s Faves, Red Lobster also launched some new menu items including the Creamy Crab Carbonara, the Crab & Lobster Duo and the Snow Crab & Crab-Topped Steak. Earlier this year the chain announced bankruptcy after taking a huge hit on their endless shrimp promotion. Upon hearing the news Flavor Flav ordered every item off the menu in an attempt to save the franchise.
The Flavor Flav Fave’s offering is available during Crabfest.
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Scott Legato / Getty / Flavor Flav
The US women’s water polo team aims for an unprecedented fourth consecutive gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics, but that isn’t attracting much attention. Team member Maggie Steffens is making a loud case that her squad needs support, and one person is stepping up to the plate to get people excited about them.
FLAVORRRR FLAAAAAVVVVV has signed up to use his legendary hypeman skills to spread the word about the US women’s water polo squad.
The co-founder of the iconic rap group Public Enemy and reality star will do his part after being moved by Steffens post. He is finalizing a deal to become an official sponsor and hypeman for USA Water Polo, hoping to give them a bigger spotlight.
Flav has already hit the ground running and is taking his new gig seriously. He highlights some of the team’s standout players on X, formerly Twitter.
Flav Promises To Be Team’s Biggest Hypeman
Speaking with the AP on Friday, Flav said, “When I come out and I watch this water polo team … ‘USA! USA!’ Yo, I’m going to be the biggest hype man that they ever had in their life. I’m going to be bigger than any cheerleader that they had in their life. I’m going to cheer this team on, and I’m going to cheer this team into winning a gold medal.”
Flav made the decision after his manager brought the post to his attention.
“One thing about me, I know what it feels like to want to see a dream come true,” said Flav. “I know what it feels like to want to achieve a goal, and I’m the type of person that, if I see you trying, then I’m going to do whatever I can to help you.”
Salute to Flavor Flav and go TEAM USA!
HipHopWired Featured Video
CLOSE
Flavor Flav is known as the longstanding hype man as part of the legendary Hip-Hop collective Public Enemy, but he’s also an accomplished musician. Flavor Flav showed another side of his musical talents by singing the National Anthem ahead of an NBA game over the weekend that had X sharing thoughts.
Flavor Flav was invited to sing “The Star-Spangled Banner” ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks and Atlanta Hawks contest on Sunday (October 29), decked out in a Bucks jersey with the number 59 to note the year he was born.
How Flav did is a matter of personal opinion as some online found his performance to be emotional and spirited, while others compared the showing to the infamous Fergie and Carl Lewis National Anthem moments.
Flavor Flav, realizing that folks would have something to say, issued his own statement via X.
“The anthem was a long time bucket list item, that was fun!” Flav began in his reply on X.
He added, “I can’t live my life worried about what people might say about me. I won’t let that stop me from trying new things and doing things I wanna do. Some people might not like that. But a sure failure is if you stop trying.”
Salute to that.
As it stands, the Bucks lost against the Hawks at a score of 127-110 with new Bucks superstar Dame Lillard not having his best showing. The season is still young so the team is still working out the kinks.
Check out the reactions from X below.
—
Photo: Getty
5.
“That’s Hate” (c) The JBP
Flavor Flav is fighting the power! The rapper spent his Thursday (May 18) afternoon in Burbank, Calif., outside Warner Bros. studios, showing support for the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. In photos and videos shared to social media, the superstar kept protesters fed with a spread of pizza, burgers and fries. He also danced […]
HipHopWired Featured Video
Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty
OG Hip-Hoppers know that Flavor Flav is a legend in the music game. Although today’s generation isn’t as familiar with the Public Enemy artist as we are, some Ivy leaguers got the chance to meet with the rap icon and learn why he’s so beloved in the Hip-Hop culture.
According to TMZ, Flavor Flav made a trip out to Cambridge, Massachusetts where he met some of the students of Harvard University where he joined a table read of Emily Dickinson’s 1896 poem “A Clock Stopped” and broke down how it actually connected into his own bars over time. After having some fun with the class with his eccentric personality, Flav actually donated one of his oversized clock pieces to the Hip Hop Archive Research Institute which was accepted by Professors Henry Louis Gates and Tommie Shelby.
You have to wonder how many of those time pieces Flavor Flav has at home. Hundreds? Thousands maybe? And where does he get them? Just sayin.’
But Flavor Flav isn’t quite done with his time at Harvard as he plans on staying for a while, but enrolling in the school isn’t exactly on the agenda.
We’re told Flav still has plenty of festivities in the pipeline … he’s scheduled for a writer’s workshop, a sitdown with PBS and he’s volunteering to feed the homeless inside the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter with a few student groups.
Props to Flavor Flav for partaking in said activities. We wonder if he’ll be bunking with someone at a college dorm. Heck, he might end up partying at some fraternities or sorority parties while he’s there. Why not?
But Flav wasn’t the only celebrity on hand this week at the Ivy League school as other notable names on the campus included the likes of Lupe Fiasco (who used to teach at Harvard but not teaches at MIT), Dee-1, DJ Stretch Armstrong, and Khaliah Ali.
Must be celebrity week at Harvard.
[embedded content]
Flavor Flav proved he’s the ultimate Swiftie at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Monday night (March 27), where he took a now-viral selfie with Taylor Swift.
Billboard‘s Tetris Kelly caught up with the “Fight the Power” rapper on the red carpet before the show, where he revealed just how big of a fan he is. “Love me some Taylor Swift, man, always did,” Flav proclaimed, before opening up his green puffer jacket to reveal a white t-shirt featuring the popular lyrics from Swift’s Evermore track, “Willow”: “I come back stronger than a 90’s trend.” He even captioned his Instagram post with Swift using the same lyric.
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Flav then doubled-down on his love for the Midnights superstar, revealing his iced-out chain of a clock with its hands pointing at, of course, midnight. “I heard that Taylor Swift keeps her clock on 12, just like mine,” he explained. “The reason why I keep my clock on 12 is because 12 o’clock points straight up. Every day, I’m straight up with you.”
Swift was honored with the Innovator Award later in the evening at the ceremony. “The thing about these exciting nights and moments and especially this award, they’re shining a light on the choices I made that worked out, that turned out to be good ideas,” she said during her acceptance speech. “I want everyone to know — especially young people — that the hundreds and thousands of dumb ideas that I had led me to my good ideas. You have to give yourself permission to fail. I try as hard as I can not to fail because it’s embarrassing, but I give myself permission to.
“Make the right choices that make sense for you and someone one day might thing you’re innovative.”
Watch Billboard‘s interview with Flavor Flav above.
-
Pages