Public Enemy Kicks Out Flavor Flav After Bernie Sanders Campaign Dispute; Updated With Statement From Group

Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File – Public Enemy
This May 29, 2015 file photo shows Chuck D, left, Flavor Flav of Public Enemy performing at the 2015 BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival in Napa, Calif.

Public Enemy has abruptly fired founding member Flavor Flav following a public spat over the rap group’s plan to perform at a Bernie Sanders campaign event.

Public Enemy “will be moving forward without Flavor Flav,” the band said in a brief statement Sunday. “We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”

Flavor Flav responded on Twitter on Monday with incredulity, writing to band leader Chuck D: “You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years OVER POLITICS?” He scolded the rap pioneer: “I’m very disappointed in you and your decisions right now.”

The dispute kicked off when Flavor Flav and his attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to Sanders’ campaign on Friday, arguing that a Sunday concert and campaign rally in Los Angeles by Public Enemy Radio had used Flavor Flav’s “unauthorized likeness, image, and trademarked clock.”

“While Chuck is certainly free to express his political view as he sees fit — his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy,” the letter states. “There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav.” In a Monday tweet, he called it “misleading marketing.”

In the band’s statement, the group said Public Enemy Radio — a Chuck D-led offshoot featuring DJ Lord, Jahi, and the S1Ws — would continue to perform and will release an album in April.

Chuck D over the weekend wrote on Twitter that his dispute with Flavor Flav stretched deep into the past and “my last straw was long ago.”

Flavor Flav recently sued Chuck D, alleging he hasn’t received a royalty check for their music, live shows or merchandise in several years.

UPDATE:
Public Enemy released the following statement Monday evening via Twitter:

“Official Statement: Public Enemy did not part ways with Flavor Flav over his political views. Flavor Flav has been on suspension since 2016 when he was MIA from the Harry Belafonte benefit in Atlanta, Georgia. That was the last straw for the group.

“He had previously missed numerous live gigs from Glastonbury to Canada, album recording sessions and photo shoots. He always chose to party over work.

Public Enemy Radio toured Europe and co-headlined with the Wu-Tang Clan in May 2019 without Flavor. They have also done numerous benefit shows without Flavor.

“While Public Enemy Radio was moving forward, Flavor was starring on the reality show “Growing up Hip-Hop New York,” where an episode feat his children discussing intervention + putting him into rehab. It’s time to move on, everyone wishes Flav well.”

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