Forget Ray J, Real & Chance and Brett Michaels, Flavor Flav is the Original Casanova of Reality TV

Flavor Flav, the longtime hype man for iconic rap group, Public Enemy, experienced a second career as the star of several VH1 reality shows. Flav arguably was the linchpin of the network’s celebreality lineup and his outlandish persona spawned both laughter and disapproval from viewers across the country. In an exclusive interview with rolling out Flav offered his take on the reality TV experience.

On His Popularity as a Reality Star:
“I’ve always been sincere and loving and I got a crazy, outgoing personality, which is fun. A lot of people in life identity with fun, everybody likes to have fun and I think that’s probably why everybody really takes to Flavor Flav.”

On Why Artists Flock to Reality TV:
“With music, you reach a certain type of audience, which to me, is a limited audience. With television, you hit a much wider and broader audience. … A lot of my fans from music have followed me into television. I can tell because when I go to do a Public Enemy show there are a lot of parents that bring their kids down to a Public Enemy show that don’t really know about Public Enemy. All they know is they’re coming to see Flavor Flav. Music’s audience is built up one way, but TV’s audience is built a whole different way.”

On Why He Has No Regrets:
“I ain’t going to lie, my greatest ride is still in motion. … I had a great ride with music, with Public Enemy; but television is a whole different ride, and to me it’s a better ride because I’m hitting a lot more people than in music. … And I’m having fun with it, I really am … I wouldn’t do anything right now to change this …” –todd williams