Q & A with Flavor Flav
He Knows What Time It Is...
Flavor Flav is best known today for his appearances on the highly rated VH-1 shows Flavor of Love, Strange Love and The Surreal Life, sporting large clocks around his neck and for his catchphrase, “Flavor Flavvvv!” But, when Flav, born William Drayton, debuted in 1987, with the now legendary socio-political rap group Public Enemy, he was known for the same thing (his comedic antics balanced out Chuck D’s serious messages) but his catchphrase then was “Yeahhhhh Boyeeee!” Flav disappeared into relative obscurity for a while during the late 90’s, but this father of six (reportedly he admitted recently that “a shorty” in Vegas was having his seventh soon) did like most below C-list celebs have done over the past half a decade and jumped on the reality show bandwagon and proudly rode back into pop culture relevance. Now, he is basically a household name and enjoying the subsequent spoils of fame. We caught up with him recently and he discussed (sometimes coherently, sometimes not) violence in hip-hop, the price of fame and how he cares for his infamous grill.
What’s the difference between the hip-hop of the 90’s and today?
Back in the 1990’s music was a lot less violent, but now people write about what’s going on in their neighborhoods. The way that songs and videos are today that’s the way that people live in their neighborhoods. It also has to do with our elders and what they teach us. So, what I am saying is, to a lot of us who are making rap records we should put less violence and gunshots in the music, so the kids can put less violence and gun shots in [their lives]. We are the leaders.
Why do you think you are relevant and famous again after your hip-hop reign with Public Enemy in the late 80’s and early 90’s?
There’s always gonna be a place in hip-hop for Flavor Flav! I thank everybody over the years for me and my partner Chuck D and Public Enemy. Without y’all we wouldn’t be the icons that we are. There will always be a place in hip-hop for icons.
You were one of the first in hip-hop to sport the now ubiquitous grills. Any tips on grill care?
I take my grills out when I eat.
Flavor of Love has introduced you to an entirely new generation of fans. Does it at all bother you when people constantly approach you?
I feel proud when people bother me. If they did not bother me, then that would bother me.
Are you happy that you are now seen as more than just Chuck D’s crazy hype man?
A lot of people are used to seeing Flavor Flav as the greatest hype man in the business, which I am and will always be, but job descriptions can change! I will always be Flavor Flav from Public Enemy. Me and my partner Chuck D got together with the Bomb Squad and we are getting ready to come back at y’all with another album and Flavor Flav is still gonna stay on TV!
What else do you have coming up?
I got my animation project coming up and my reality talk show coming up as well.
Flavor of Love is the hip-hop version of The Bachelor, with maybe a little more nooky going on. Do you practice safe sex?
Honestly, to tell you the truth, safer sex is when you practice it. You have to strap up and glove up. But if you not gonna strap up or glove up, then all you can do is rub up!
Article by Isoul H. Harris, an entertainment journalist based in Atlanta, GA. He is the Entertainment Editor for Ocean Drive’s PEACH Magazine and contributes regularly to national publications such as People, InStyle and Vibe. (isoulharris@msn.com)