Iconic hip-hop star, Flavor Flav recently sat down with AOL Music to discuss his next project, his new book, ‘Flavor Flav: The Icon The Memoir.’ Whether you know him from rapping with Public Enemy back-in-the day, or as the popular bachelor on VH1’s No. 1 hit series “Flavor of Love”, the fact that he is a character is definitely an understatement. Starring as the main character in his memoir, Flav will open up particular passages of his life to readers and go in depth about his differences with certain members of Public Enemy and while also discusses selling drugs:
[In the book] you mention some of the clashes you had with Professor Griff. He fractured your jaw, shin bone and ribs in separate incidents. Why was he so upset with you?
To this day, it’s a question I can’t answer. I don’t really know what struck him. Still to this day [he has never apologized for it]. But, I mean, we’re OK. We’re good. We perform together, we tour together and we’re good. Me and Professor Griff, to this day we’re definitely brothers.
Even after Public Enemy had a bunch of success, you were still selling drugs to make money. Were people shocked? Were they like, “Hey, I’m buying drugs from Flavor Flav?”
No, that was just a neighborhood thing that I was on back in the day. But it wasn’t nothing where people were shocked. I mean, that’s something we did around our neighborhood, you know what I’m saying. And that’s something that follows you. But then I ended up getting out of it.
You mention in the book how Def Jam originally didn’t want you to be a part of the group, yet Chuck D insisted that you be a member. Do you feel always indebted to him because of that?
Yeah, man. Come on, man, I’m indebted definitely to my partner, Chuck D. Because he did not want to do ‘Public Enemy #1’ without me. He made them promise. And it’s a good thing he did that because that’s what really helped us to become the No. 1 rap group of all time. It also helped us get the No. 1 rap single of all time.
Flavor Flav also talks about how he received advice from MC Hammer in regards to doing reality show, “ Flavor of Love.”: “I asked him, I said, “Yo, do you think I should do this show?” And Hammer said, “You know what, I really think you should. And if you go, a lot of good things will come out of it for you, just like it did for me.” And, you know, I took Hammer’s advice, and I did the show. Next thing you know, for five years, I stayed No. 1 on VH1.” Along with his memoir he also has more plans for reality TV, so stay tuned for his upcoming shows and book.
