Update – March 1st: Flavor Flav has been fired from Public Enemy.
Flavor Flav isn’t feeling the bern. The rapper has served a cease-and-desist letter to Bernie Sanders’ campaign over an upcoming rally featuring Public Enemy.
Earlier this week, Sanders’ campaign announced that Public Enemy, of which Flavor Flav is a founding member, would be performing at a Sanders rally scheduled in Los Angeles Convention Center on Sunday, March 1st. However, according to the letter issued by Flavor Flav’s lawyer on Saturday, Sanders’ campaign is misrepresenting Public Enemy’s appearance, as only co-founding member Chuck D will be appearing.
“The continued publicizing of this grossly misleading narrative is, at a minimum, careless and irresponsible if not intentionally misleading,” the letter reads. “Flav is reaching out, not in the spirit of division, but for the sake of unity in the hope of preserving the integrity of the Public Enemy Movement and the faith and trust his millions of fans around the world have placed in him.”
The letter goes on to make clear that Flavor Flav “has not endorsed any political candidate in this election cycle and any suggestion to the contrary is plainly untrue.”
Flavor Flav himself signed the cease and desist letter, writing, “Hey Bernie, don’t do this!!”
In response, Chuck D told HipHopDX that Flavor Flav “chooses to dance for his money” and warned him that “He has a year to get his act together and get himself straight or he’s out.” Chuck D’s lawyer further added: “From a legal standpoint, Chuck could perform as Public Enemy if he ever wanted to; he is the sole owner of the Public Enemy trademark. He originally drew the logo himself in the mid-’80s, is also the creative visionary and the group’s primary songwriter, having written Flavor’s most memorable lines.”
Update: Chuck D expanded on his support of Bernie Sanders in a series of tweets posted on Sunday. “My Dad passing in 2016 and Granddaughter being born automatically put healthcare and childcare at the top of my brain. There ain’t a candidate running that can answer to 3 Black struggling generations living in the same crib, same time. If y’all don’t know THIS-it’s a bad problem,” he wrote.
“I dig aspects of Bern. Hate the party Bulsht. But can relate to half the issues & get forward. Use your minds & be ready to fight whoever in office,” Chuck D continued. “My rap bro @KillerMike is nice.I am not-Wake the fcuk up get off your asses make yourself important where YOU live. This aint vodka.”
Chuck D also sought to quash any hard feelings between himself and Flavor Flav. “I wouldn’t have [Public Enemy] without a Flavor Odette.” But Chuck D added Flavor Flav is politically ignorant: “He don’t know the difference between Barry Sanders or Bernie Sanders he don’t know either”.
“So I don’t attack FLAV on what he don’t know, Chuck D concluded. “I gotta leave him at the crib so y’all trying to fill his persona with some political aplomb is absolutely ‘stupid.'”
My Dad passing in 2016 and Granddaughter being born automatically put healthcare and childcare at the top of my brain. There ain’t a candidate running that can answer to 3 Black struggling generations living in the same crib, same time. If y’all don’t know THIS-it’s a bad problem pic.twitter.com/k8nJbhP8sV
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
I dig aspects of Bern. Hate the party Bulsht. But can relate to half the issues & get forward. Use your minds & be ready to fight whoever in office. My rap bro @KillerMike is nice.I am not-Wake the fcuk up get off your asses make yourself important where YOU live. This aint vodka pic.twitter.com/ltfhdDLsqZ
Advertisement— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
I am a political artist of song that worldwide known I make myself heard & seen outside my ART -Music only to Make you make YOUR decision & NOT be a damn robot in 2020. Here. I Aint a damn celeb. I aint sellin drinks. I impact with Art & Song-Pay Attention stop Playing Attention pic.twitter.com/tpFBuskuCY
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
Last text for me today… time to Get Off My Ass ….I suggest to all the same even this Sunday if you think it’s important… pic.twitter.com/NxLlvM4hyi
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
… last final note the last final note was my last straw was long ago. It’s not about BERNIE with Flav… he don’t know the difference between BarrySanders or BernieSanders he don’t know either. FLAV refused to support @Sankofa after @harrybelafonte inducted us. He don’t do that pic.twitter.com/5Ky9dTnzmd
Advertisement— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
So I don’t attack FLAV on what he don’t know. I gotta leave him at the crib so y’all trying to fill his persona with some political aplomb is absolutely‘stupid’ Obviously I understand his craziness after all this damn time. Duh you don’t know him from a box of cigars or me either
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
