Flavor Flav

Early life and education

Drayton was born in Roosevelt, New York and grew up in nearby Freeport, two communities within the Town of Hempstead. His father, William Drayton Sr., ran a restaurant, The Soul Diner in Freeport.

Drayton Jr. is the cousin of former Penn State basketball player Shep Garner, and of Brooklyn MC Timbo King of Royal Fam. He is also a cousin of rappers Ol' Dirty Bastard, RZA, and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. Drayton began teaching himself piano at the age of five. He was an accomplished musician playing piano, drums, and guitar at an early age while singing in the youth choir at his church. According to Chuck D, Drayton is proficient in playing fifteen instruments.

By the time he dropped out of Freeport High School in the 11th grade, he had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary. He attended culinary school in 1978. Later, he went to Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, where he met Carlton Ridenhour (who later became known as Chuck D). They first collaborated on Chuck D's hip-hop college radio show, then began rapping together. Drayton's stage name Flavor Flav was originally his graffiti tag.

Career

Music

Main article: Public Enemy

Flavor Flav came to prominence as a founding member and hype man of the rap group Public Enemy, which he co-founded in 1985 with Chuck D. A year later, the group released "Public Enemy #1", which brought them to the attention of Def Jam Records executive Rick Rubin. Rubin initially did not understand Flav's role in the act and wanted to sign Chuck D as a solo act; however, Chuck D insisted that Flav be signed with them and the two were signed to Def Jam.

Television

After a hiatus from the music scene, Flav was invited to participate on VH1 reality show The Surreal Life. During this show, he developed a relationship with actress and singer Brigitte Nielsen. After the conclusion of The Surreal Life, VH1 gave Flav and Nielsen a show titled Strange Love, which detailed their globetrotting adventure in love. At the end of Strange Love, Nielsen decided to return to her fiancé, Mattia Dessi.

Flavor of Love aired for three seasons. It is a reality show where Flav looks for love and the show's success led to spin-offs titled I Love New York and I Love Money. During the third season reunion of Flavor of Love, Flav proposed to Liz, the mother of his youngest son, Karma. Guests appearing at the roast included Snoop Dogg, Brigitte Nielsen, Jimmy Kimmel, Carrot Top, Lisa Lampanelli, Ice-T, Jeff Ross, Katt Williams, Patton Oswalt, Greg Giraldo, and Sommore. Flav played Calvester Hill on the MyNetworkTV comedy series Under One Roof, starring alongside Kelly Perine.

Restaurant owner

In 2011, Flav partnered with Nick Cimino to open Flav's Fried Chicken in Cimino's hometown of Clinton, Iowa, northeast of Davenport. The two had met through Cimino's brother Peter, who runs Mama Cimino's in Las Vegas and Castle Rock Bar and Pizzeria in Kingman, Arizona, west of Flagstaff. After enjoying his homemade fried chicken, Peter Cimino began selling chicken wings using Flav's recipe. They hoped to start a national restaurant franchise. A mix of squabbling owners, bounced checks, and bad business decisions led to Flav's Chicken shutting down barely four months after it opened. Flav was not involved in the restaurant's day-to-day operations; Nick Cimino simply paid for Flavor Flav's license.

Flavor Flav's House of Flavor in Las Vegas opened on his birthday in March 2012. Flav teamed up with Gino Harmon and Salvatore Bitonti to start a national franchise known as Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs, which opened December 21, 2012 in Sterling Heights, Michigan, north of Detroit. The business was not affiliated with the previous two ventures Flav had in the restaurant business. Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs was a casual dining experience with a quick serve attitude. Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs closed in July 2013 after being evicted by its landlord for failure to pay rent.

Other TV and media appearances

thumb|upright|Flav at the [[PGA Tour|PGA]] Merchandise Show in [[Orlando, Florida]], January 2012 In 2002, Flav appeared in Taking Back Sunday's music video for their song You're So Last Summer. He has appeared as a playable fighter in the 2004 fighting game; Def Jam: Fight for NY. In May 2005, Flav took part in the British reality TV show The Farm on Channel 5. Also in 2005, he made a guest appearance in the MTV2 surreal black comedy show Wonder Showzen as himself, in the debut episode "Birth". On June 14, 2006, Flav's participation with WEVR-MRC in the Lisa Tolliver Show celebration of National Safety Month, earned kudos from U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona.

On November 18, 2009, Flav became a downloadable character in the PlayStation Network's video game Pain. He stars in Deon Taylor's horror anthology Nite Tales and Dark Christmas. On May 10, 2010, Flav guest hosted the wrestling show WWE Raw. On August 14, 2011, he appeared as a host at the twelfth annual Gathering of the Juggalos.

On January 10, 2012, Flav appeared with his longtime fiancée Liz on ABC's Celebrity Wife Swap. His fiancée traded places with Suzette, the wife of Twisted Sister front-man Dee Snider. On February 5, 2012, Flav appeared along with Elton John in a Pepsi ad during Super Bowl XLVI. On February 11, 2012, he celebrated the UNLV Rebel's 65-63 UNLV Runnin' Rebels victory over San Diego State as an honorary member. From June to September 2012, he co-starred and rapped in the web series Dr. Fubalous. Flav also appeared in YooHoo & Friends as Father Time, and the animated feature Hitpig!, both directed by animator David Feiss. In 2025, He competed in season thirteen of The Masked Singer as "Space Ranger" which resembles an alien cowboy, and was eliminated on "Ghostbusters Night".

Sports

Flavor Flav sang a widely noted performance of the Star Spangled Banner at a Milwaukee Bucks home game against the Atlanta Hawks in 2023. His performance was confusing to some, but Flav described the performance as a bucket list item and a tribute to military veterans. He has been a philanthropist and helped Olympic athletes needing support, including signing a five-year sponsorship deal as the United States women's national water polo team's official hype man. He traveled to France to personally watch the team in the 2024 Summer Olympics.

Flav also made a custom bronze clock necklace for U.S. gymnast Jordan Chiles after her bronze medal was controversially rescinded at the Paris 2024 games. He helped raise money for the family of Paralympic sprinter Nick Mayhugh to travel to Paris to see their relative play, and paid rent for Veronica Fraley, an Olympic discus thrower during the Olympic games.

Flav is a long time fan of women's sports, and has been a notable guest at WNBA games, including performing a call and response tribute to the late Fatman Scoop at a New York Liberty game in September 2024.

Personal life and legal situations

Flavor Flav had his first three children with Karen Ross, three children with Angie Parker, a son with Elizabeth Trujillo, and another child with Kate Gammell.

In 1991, Flav pleaded guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Karen Ross and served 30 days in jail, lost custody of his children, and fell deeper into addiction. In 1993, Flav was charged with attempted murder and imprisoned for 90 days for shooting at his neighbor. Later that year, Flav was charged with domestic violence, and possession of cocaine and marijuana. His family performed an intervention, and he checked into the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California for an addiction to crack cocaine. After Flav's father died of complications from diabetes in 1997, Flav decided to re-enter rehabilitation at the Long Island Center for Recovery. He also broke both arms in a motorcycle crash.

Flavor Flav dated Beverly Johnson and by 2000, he lived in a small apartment in the Bronx with her and her two children from a previous marriage, while making money scalping baseball tickets. In 2002, Flav spent nine weeks in Rikers Island jail for driving with a suspended license, numerous parking tickets, and tardiness for probation appointments. After being released from jail, Flav broke up with Johnson and moved in with his mother on Long Island.

Chuck D became concerned about Flav's well-being and, toward the end of 2003, suggested that Flav move to Los Angeles. Flav moved into his friend Princess' apartment, and within months met Cris Abrego and Mark Cronin, the creators and executive producers of the reality television series The Surreal Life. The pair sought him out as soon as they heard Flav had moved to Los Angeles. Seeing that he had remained free from his previous addictions, they wanted to cast him. Initially Flav refused, feeling the show was for celebrities past their prime. He was eventually convinced to join by previous participant MC Hammer.

On May 2, 2011, Flav was arrested on four outstanding misdemeanor warrants for various driving offenses. Police said Flav had two outstanding arrest warrants for driving without a license, one for driving without insurance, and one related to a parking citation. He was released within a few days. In June 2011, he said on the Australian radio show The Kyle and Jackie O Show that when his drug problem was at its worst, he would spend up to US $2,600 a day on crack cocaine. As of October 2012, Elizabeth Trujillo, the mother of Flav's son, Karma, lived with Flav in Las Vegas and had been his fiancée for eight years. On October 17, 2012, Flav was jailed in Las Vegas on felony charges stemming from a domestic argument with Trujillo and his threats to attack her teenage son, Gibran, with a knife.

Flav's mother, Anna Drayton, died on December 31, 2013. On January 9, 2014, Flav was pulled over on Long Island's Meadowbrook Parkway for driving 79 mph in a 55 mph zone, and was additionally charged with possession of marijuana and unlicensed operation of a vehicle. Authorities discovered Flav had 16 suspensions on his license. He was en route to his mother's funeral. Flav was arrested near Las Vegas on May 21, 2015. The charges included speeding and driving under the influence.

On July 21, 2019, a son, Jordan was born to Flav and Kate Gammell.

Idiosyncrasies

When asked about the significance of his trademark clock necklaces, Flav responded: "The reason why I wear this clock is because, you know, time is the most important element, and when we stop, time keeps going." Flavor Flav has a penchant for speaking about himself in the third person.

Discography

;Solo albums

• Hollywood (2006) ;Guest appearances
• Barshem, "Where's My $5 At?", 2007
• Bumpy Knuckles & DJ Premier, "Shake the Room", Kolexxxion, 2012
• De La Soul, "Come on Down", The Grind Date, 2004
• DJ Tomekk, "1, 2, 3, ... Rhymes Galore" (w/ Grandmaster Flash, MC Rene & Afrob), Return of Hip Hop, 1999
• Heavy D and The Boyz, "You Can't See What I Can See", B-Side to "Don't Curse", 1992
• Ice Cube, "I'm Only Out for One Thang", AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, 1990
• Material, "Burnin" (w/ DXT), Intonarumori, 1999
• Micayla de Ette, "Write a Song", 2019
• Nigo, "From New York to Tokyo", 2001
• Nikki D, "Lettin' Off Steam (Club Mix)", Daddy's Little Girl, 1991
• Prince Akeem, "Only We Can Do This", Coming Down Like Babylon, 1991
• Wu-Tang Clan, "Soul Power", Iron Flag, 2001
• Eric B. & Rakim, "I Ain't No Joke" (Music Video Cameo)
• Xzibit, "What U See Is What U Get" (Music Video Cameo)
• P. Diddy, "P.E. 2000" (Music Video Cameo)
• Taking Back Sunday, "You're So Last Summer" (Music Video Cameo)
• Will Smith, "So Fresh" (w/ Biz Markie & Slick Rick) (Music Video Cameo)

Filmography

Film

Television

Notes

References

References

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2. "Instagram".
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5. Davis, Johnny. (June 18, 2006). "Hip-hop, you don't stop". The Guardian.
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7. "Public Enemy {{!}} Rock & Roll Hall of Fame".
8. (February 28, 2018). "Inside the bond that has made Flavor Flav Penn State's Number 1 fan".
9. (December 1, 2012). "Timbo King Y'all ,!!!".
10. (November 15, 2017). "EXCLUSIVE: Flavor Flav Reveals Ol' Dirty Bastard Is His Cousin + Prepping New Show".
11. (November 15, 2017). "Flava Flav Spilled the Tea About ODB Being His Blood Cousin". The Steve Harvey Morning Show.
12. Hughes, Mike. (April 15, 2008). "Flavor Flav, sitcom-style". Gannett News Service.
13. Watson, Margeaux. (August 4, 2006). "Flavor Flav: Totally Cuckoo?".
14. (January 24, 2011). "Flavor Flav Opening a Fried Chicken Restaurant in Iowa".
15. "Public Enemy is 'moving forward without Flavor Flav' after Bernie Sanders rally dispute". [[USA Today]].
16. (February 11, 2009). "DJ TOMEKK "1,2,3 RHYMES GALORE" NEW YORK TO GERMANY HI QUALITY". [[YouTube]].
17. (March 1, 2020). "Public Enemy Fires Flavor Flav After Bernie Sanders Rally Spat".
18. Christie D'Zurilla. (April 1, 2020). "On April Fools' Day, Public Enemy reveals Flavor Flav's firing was a hoax".
19. Lisa Respers France. (April 2, 2020). "Chuck D says Flavor Flav firing was a stunt, but Flav disagrees".
20. Baz Dreisinger. (January 9, 2005). "Can This Hook Up Survive?". The New York Times.
21. "Comedy Central Press Release - Roast of Flavor Flav".
22. Anna Dimond. (April 16, 2008). "Flavor Flav Raises Da Roof in New Sitcom". TV Guide.
23. (January 11, 2011). "Reality TV star takes chance on Clinton". [[Clinton Herald]].
24. Fassler, Joe. (January 27, 2011). "Flavor Flav vs. KFC: A Dispatch From Flav's Fried Chicken". The Atlantic.
25. Perpetua, Matthew. (April 25, 2011). "Flavor Flav Closes Fried Chicken Restaurant in Iowa".
26. AOL. "AOL Food - Recipes, Cooking and Entertaining".
27. (March 16, 2012). "Flavor Flav Opens Fried Chicken Restaurant In Las Vegas". The Inquistir.
28. Eakin, Marah. (July 26, 2013). "The very last Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs location has closed". [[The A.V. Club]].
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33. "''Lisa Tolliver Show'' notes". tolliveretips blog.
34. (May 28, 2006). "How my radio shows, publications and PSAs in June 2006 - the 10th anniversary of National Safety Month - will help make the world a safer place". Lisa Tolliver On Air and Online.
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37. (March 28, 2010). "TV Shows > Raw > Special Guest Hosts > Upcoming Raw guest hosts". WWE.
38. (April 11, 2009). "Weekly Freekly Weekly Special 2011 Gathering Edition". [[Psychopathic Records]].
39. (March 28, 2010). "TV Shows".
40. "Flavor Flav hugs Tom Coughlin/".
41. [http://drfubalous.com/cast/#flavor-flav Favor Flav] {{Webarchive. link. (June 17, 2012 , 2012, cast bio for ''Dr. Fubalous'')
42. Schneider, Michael. (March 12, 2025). "'The Masked Singer' Reveals Identity of Space Ranger: Here Is the Celebrity Under the Costume".
43. Medium, Seattle. (2023-11-01). "Flavor Flav's Viral National Anthem Performance Shakes The Internet".
44. (2023-10-30). "Flavor Flav delivers viral national anthem performance at Bucks-Hawks game".
45. Aniftos, Rania. (2023-10-31). "Flavor Flav Defends National Anthem Performance, Says He Was Honoring Family in Military".
46. Guy, Zoe. (2023-10-30). "God Bless Whoever Booked Flavor Flav for the National Anthem".
47. (2023-10-31). "Flavor Flav's national anthem is a viral hit. It was also a 'long time bucket list item'".
48. "U.S. women's water polo: Flavor Flav to sponsor team for 2024 Paris Olympics".
49. (2024-07-29). "How Flavor Flav and Maggie Steffens found a new kind of Olympic synergy". Washington Post.
50. Stumbaugh, Julia. "Video: Flavor Flav Shows Off Bronze Clock Made for Jordan Chiles Amid Medal Dispute".
51. (2024-08-16). "Flavor Flav helps Paralympic athlete raise money to have parents watch him compete in Paris".
52. Graham, Bryan Armen. (2024-07-26). "How 'girl dad' Flavor Flav became hype man for the US women's water polo team". The Guardian.
53. "So Flavor Flav just got on the court and did a call and response chant with the entire Barclays crowd with Ellie the Elephant. He also gave a nice tribute to the late Fatman Scoop who passed away on August 30".
54. (2024-09-06). "Laney-Hamilton returns to starting lineup, helps Liberty to 77-70 win over Storm". Washington Post.
55. Martinez, Edecio. (May 2, 2011). "Rapper Flavor Flav arrested in Las Vegas on misdemeanor warrants". [[CBS News]].
56. (May 2, 2011). "Flavor Flav arrested after traffic stop in Vegas".
57. "このURLのページは表示することが出来ませんでした。 IP分散サーバーならIQサーバー｜クラスCの完全分散が月額139円～".
58. (October 18, 2012). "Flavor Flav arrested on assault, battery charges". [[CNN]].
59. (June 2024). "Flavor Fav and newborn 7th kid in Hawaii".
60. (June 12, 2008). "Black Celebrity Kids, babies, and their Parents » Flavof Flav fiancee Liz and baby Karma take in a concert in Vegas".
61. "Flavor Flav Arrested In Las Vegas For Assault With A Deadly Weapon". VH1 Insider.
62. Fitzgerald, Trent. (January 2, 2014). "Flavor Flav's Mother Anna Drayton Dies".
63. (January 28, 2014). "Flavor Flav pleads not guilty in speeding case". [[Newsday]].
64. (May 21, 2015). "Flavor Flav arrested in Vegas, suspected of impaired driving". [[KLAS-TV]].
65. (2019-10-27). "Paternity Test Confirms Flavor Flav IS The Father Of 3-Month-Old Boy".
66. (October 23, 2017). "Pawn Stars: Flavor Flav's O.J. Simpson Statue (Season 14)". History.
67. Wiltz, Teresa. (2006-11-02). "Love Him, Or Leave Him?". Washington Post.
68. (November 9, 2019). "Micayla De Ette & Flavor Flav - Write a Song [Music Video Review]".