After over three decades, Flavor Flav will no longer be a member of Public Enemy. The ousting from the group comes shortly after Flav sent a cease-and-desist to the Sanders campaign after an announcement that Chuck D would perform at a Sunday rally in Los Angeles under the name Public Enemy Radio.
The letter issues to the campaign stated Flav’s “likeness, image and trademarked clock” were being used without authorization to promote the rally along with adding Flav has not shared an endorsement for any candidate.
“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, according to Rolling Stone. “The planned performance will only be Chuck D of Public Enemy, it will not be a performance by Public Enemy. Those who truly know what Public Enemy stands for know what time it is, there is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav.
“Flav … has not endorsed any political candidate in this election cycle. … The continued publicizing of this grossly misleading narrative is, at a minimum, careless and irresponsible if not intentionally misleading,” Flav’s attorney Friedman added in the letter. “It is unfortunate that a political campaign would be so careless with the artistic integrity of such iconoclastic figures in American culture.”
Flav also added in a handwritten note to the letter issued: “Hey Bernie, don’t do this.”
The Public Enemy Radio performance, which included DJ Lord, Jahi and S1Ws continued as planned.
“Flavor chooses to dance for his money and not do benevolent work like this. He has a year to get his act together and get himself straight or he’s out”
Statement from Chuck D to ‘Rolling Stone’
That year was cut short as the announcement of Flav’s tenure being over was announced on Sunday.
“Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav,” the Public Enemy said in a statement Sunday. “We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”
“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,” a lawyer for Chuck D revealed. 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.”
However, the issue between Chuck D and Flavor Flav was not limited to this incident. You can see it in Chuck D’s own words below:
