Chuck D Reveals Public Enemy Breakup With Flavor Flav Was Staged

BY Erika Marie 3.8K Views
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Public Enemy Chuck D Flavor Flav
Chuck D and Flavor Flav recently went at it online, but the entire thing was a ploy concocted by the Public Enemy stars.

Public Enemy has been making headlines for less than favorable news as of late. The iconic rap group was reportedly at odds over a performance that was to be held at a Bernie Sanders rally. After it was announced that Public Enemy would be taking to the stage, Flavor Flav came forward to denounce the show. A war of words between members Chuck D and Flav ensued, and news was shared that Flav was no longer in the group.

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The exchange between the longtime friends and collaborators came off as bizarre to fans who couldn't believe that they were breaking down, but Chuck D told People's Party with Talib Kweli that it was all staged to prove a point. "The murder of Pop Smoke, man, to see that, it was like the flashback to Nipsey Hussle last year," Chuck D said. "It got to be like, do rappers need to be killed to get noticed in hip hop? And this whole thing  of bad news is the news and making people like—my daughter Dominique, who runs my company, she's often like, 'Dad, that's not a good look.' And I'm like when the f*ck does the good look get acknowledged because the bad look got an elevator and a rocket to it."

So, because Flavor Flav has been taking a few hits in the media lately and his "stock was low", they concocted a storyline that would grab the attention of the masses. "Flav doesn't know the difference between Bernie Sanders, Barry Sanders, or Colonel Sanders. He don't give a f*ck," Chuck D joked. He explained how they came up with the plan behind the scenes. "I'm not saying it's a hoax. I'm saying the original intention was to get your attention and not play attention, get you to pay attention."

Flav can't be fired, anyway, because Chuck says "he's a partner." Listen to Chuck D speak about the importance of Flav in Public Enemy and explain his plot below.


About The Author
Since 2019, Erika Marie has worked as a journalist for HotNewHipHop, covering music, film, television, art, fashion, politics, and all things regarding entertainment. With 20 years in the industry under her belt, Erika Marie moved from a writer on the graveyard shift at HNHH to becoming a Features Editor, highlighting long-form content and interviews with some of Hip Hop’s biggest stars. She has had the pleasure of sitting down with artists and personalities like DJ Jazzy Jeff, Salt ’N Pepa, Nick Cannon, Rah Digga, Rakim, Rapsody, Ari Lennox, Jacquees, Roxanne Shante, Yo-Yo, Sean Paul, Raven Symoné, Queen Naija, Ryan Destiny, DreamDoll, DaniLeigh, Sean Kingston, Reginae Carter, Jason Lee, Kamaiyah, Rome Flynn, Zonnique, Fantasia, and Just Blaze—just to name a few. In addition to one-on-one chats with influential public figures, Erika Marie also covers content connected to the culture. She’s attended and covered the BET Awards as well as private listening parties, the Rolling Loud festival, and other events that emphasize established and rising talents. Detroit-born and Long Beach (CA)-raised, Erika Marie has eclectic music taste that often helps direct the interests she focuses on here at HNHH. She finds it necessary to report on cultural conversations with respect and honor those on the mic and the hardworking teams that help get them there. Moreover, as an advocate for women, Erika Marie pays particular attention to the impact of femcees. She sits down with rising rappers for HNHH—like Big Jade, Kali, Rubi Rose, Armani Caesar, Amy Luciani, and Omerettà—to gain their perspectives on a fast-paced industry.

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