public enemy
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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.”
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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.”
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Public Enemy and Ghostface Killah will be on the star-studded lineup for DJ Cassidy’s upcoming Las Vegas residency.
For those aiming to attend DJ Cassidy’s “Pass The Mic Live!” residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas, Nevada, the lineup just got more impressive. It was announced that Public Enemy and Ghostface Killah would appear along with Raekwon, Jermaine Dupri, Da Brat, Too $hort, and Warren G as rotating guests. The legendary Hip-Hop group from Long Island is slated to appear for one of the three nights of the residency. They will be part of the show along with Slick Rick, Doug E. Fresh, Fat Joe, and Ja Rule. “Pass the Mic Live!” will take place on July 5-6, 12-13, and 19-20 at Planet Hollywood’s Bakkt Theater.
“This will be unlike any other show you’ve seen, and a show that people want to continuously come back to see more than once and night after night,” DJ Cassidy said in an interview, “because every show is a unique experience with one-of-a-kind collaborative moments, which is part of why the special guests are such an important piece to the puzzle.” He also discussed the significance of Public Enemy’s appearance on the bill. “They’ve done one other show in the U.S. in the last seven years, and so this is quite a big deal for them, and it’s quite an honor to have them, as it is to have everyone. And Flavor Flav lives in Las Vegas, so he’s now a hometown hero.” Public Enemy will be a part of the show on July 6.
Caesars Entertainment and Live Nation are producing the events, along with Loud and SRC Records founder Steve Rifkind. DJ Cassidy hopes to channel the spirit of Las Vegas’ storied entertainment history going back to the days of The Rat Pack and Elvis Presley for these concerts as another landmark for Hip-Hop culture. “There is not a lot of hip-hop in the Las Vegas residency space, and I am very cognizant of that,” says Cassidy, “and I take this responsibility very deeply. It’s really important to all of us to create something not only that represents Hip-Hop in a special way, but from a broader perspective, to create something that can be talked about in the future in the same sentence as the other performers and shows that I mentioned.”
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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!
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Iconic Hip-Hop artists Ice-T and Public Enemy will be the headline acts at the National Celebration of Hip-Hop Festival this fall.
The festival event was announced on Wednesday (August 23). The veteran rappers who have helped shape Hip-Hop and popular culture overall were tabbed as headliners for the event, which will be held at West Potomac Park at the National Mall on October 6th and 7th. The concert in honor of Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary will be completely free to the public.
“Hip Hop is beyond, not just a musical genre,” said Chuck D in a statement. “It’s a cultural movement that has dominated art, fashion, politics, poetry, academia, film, and every corner of the world for the past 50 years. This National Celebration brings it all together in one place for the people, by the people.”
“We are honored to continue to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop against the backdrop of America’s Capitol with a free event for everyone. I can’t wait to get on stage and do our thing,” added Public Enemy co-d Flavor Flav in a statement.
Ice-T chimed in with his own statement, adding: “We are coming to the National Mall itself to bring you authentic Hip Hop for the 50th celebration!”
The festival features a star-studded lineup that includes Kurtis Blow, Kid ‘n Play, Soulsonic Force, Roxanne Shante, C.L. Smooth, Melle Mel and Scorpio, The Sugarhill Gang, Peter Gunz, DJ Kevie Kev Rockwell, Mad Skillz, MC Sha-Rock, Busy Bee, Joe Ski Love, Positive K along with other special guests to be named soon. DJ Hurricane will also be on hand to perform a tribute set to the Beastie Boys. The concert promises to be another fantastic event honoring the culture, as the F.O.R.C.E. Tour featuring LL Cool J and The Roots is currently ongoing, and the public is still buzzing over the HipHop50 Live concert event held at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx two weeks ago.
Pre-registration for tickets to the National Celebration of Hip-Hop has already begun. Those interested are advised that they are first come, first serve through the event’s website.
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