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|associated_acts = [[David Joyner (band)|David Joyner]]<br />[[Chuck D]]<br />[[Professor Griff]]<br />[[DJ Lord]]<br />[[Terminator X]]<br />[[Sister Souljah]]<br />[[S1W (group)|S1W]]
|associated_acts = [[David Joyner (band)|David Joyner]]<br />[[Chuck D]]<br />[[Professor Griff]]<br />[[DJ Lord]]<br />[[Terminator X]]<br />[[Sister Souljah]]<br />[[S1W (group)|S1W]]
}}
}}
'''William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.''' (born March 16, 1959), better known by his stage name '''Flavor Flav''', is an [[United States|American]] musician and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the hip-hop group [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]].<ref name=TMB082208>{{cite web|author= Marijke Rowland, |url= http://www.modbee.com/local/v-print/story/401836.html|title= Flavor Flav's Modesto block party|publisher= The Modesto Bee|date= August 22, 2008|accessdate= January 13, 2009}}</ref> He is also known for popularizing the role of the [[hype man]]<ref>Hess, Mickey, 2007, ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'', Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 176.</ref> and for yelling "Yeah boy!" and "Flavor Flav!" during performances.<ref name=TMB082208 /><ref name=TG061806>{{cite news|author= Johnny Davis, |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/jun/18/urban|title= Hip-hop, you don't stop|publisher= The Guardian|date= June 18, 2006|accessdate= January 13, 2009|location=London}}</ref>
'''William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.''' (born March 16, 1959), better known by his stage name '''Flavor Flav''', is an [[United States|American]] musician and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the hip-hop group [[Public Enemy (group)|Public Enemy]]as well as a fucking idiot. His TV show was a sad case with a bunch of gold digging tramps<ref name=TMB082208>{{cite web|author= Marijke Rowland, |url= http://www.modbee.com/local/v-print/story/401836.html|title= Flavor Flav's Modesto block party|publisher= The Modesto Bee|date= August 22, 2008|accessdate= January 13, 2009}}</ref> He is also known for popularizing the role of the [[hype man]]<ref>Hess, Mickey, 2007, ''Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture'', Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 176.</ref> and for yelling "Yeah boy!" and "Flavor Flav!" during performances.<ref name=TMB082208 /><ref name=TG061806>{{cite news|author= Johnny Davis, |url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2006/jun/18/urban|title= Hip-hop, you don't stop|publisher= The Guardian|date= June 18, 2006|accessdate= January 13, 2009|location=London}}</ref>


After falling out of the public eye for a number of years, he reappeared as the star of several [[VH1]] reality series, including ''[[The Surreal Life]]'', ''[[Strange Love]]'', and ''[[Flavor of Love]]''.
After falling out of the public eye for a number of years, he reappeared as the star of several [[VH1]] reality series, including ''[[The Surreal Life]]'', ''[[Strange Love]]'', and ''[[Flavor of Love]]''.

Revision as of 13:25, 11 October 2012

This article is about the musician. For the musician's self-titled album, see Flavor Flav (album).
Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav performing in 2009 wearing the customary large clock
Flavor Flav performing in 2009 wearing the customary large clock
Background information
Birth nameWilliam Jonathan Drayton, Jr.
Also known asFlav
MC DJ Flavor Flav.
Born (1959-03-16) March 16, 1959 (age 65)[1]
OriginRoosevelt, New York, United States
GenresHip-hop
Occupation(s)Rapper, reality television star
Instrument(s)Vocals, piano, guitar, bass, saxophone, clarinet, drums, triangle[2]
Years active1982–present

William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. (born March 16, 1959), better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American musician and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the hip-hop group Public Enemyas well as a fucking idiot. His TV show was a sad case with a bunch of gold digging tramps[3] He is also known for popularizing the role of the hype man[4] and for yelling "Yeah boy!" and "Flavor Flav!" during performances.[3][5]

After falling out of the public eye for a number of years, he reappeared as the star of several VH1 reality series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love.

Early life

Drayton grew up in Freeport, New York. Flav began playing the piano at age five; and is self-taught.[6] A musical prodigy, he sang in the youth choir at his church and mastered the piano, drums, and guitar at an early age.[7] He eventually became proficient in 15 instruments.[5]

He set a house on fire as a small child while playing with a lighter; by the time he dropped out of school in the 11th grade, he had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary.[7] Flav graduated from culinary school in 1978, and has cooked in several restaurants.[8]

He attended Adelphi University on Long Island where he met Carlton Ridenhour, who would become known as Chuck D.[3] Flavor Flav took his stage name after his graffiti tag.[5] They first collaborated on Chuck D's hip-hop college radio show, then began rapping together. The two worked for Chuck D's father's delivery service.[7]

Career

Music

Flavor Flav performing in 2006
Main article: Public Enemy (group)

Flavor Flav came to prominence as a founding member of the rap group Public Enemy. In 1984, the group released a track, "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 in 1986.[6]

The group's first album, Yo! Bum Rush the Show, was released in 1987. Flav served as the comic foil to Chuck D's serious, politically charged style.[7] The group gained much wider fame with their following release, 1988's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which went double platinum. By the time the political single "Fight the Power" was issued in 1989, the group had become mainstream superstars.

Along with Chuck D, the showman of the group and its promotional voice, Flav stood out among the members of Public Enemy as he often got the fans excited, appearing on stage and in public wearing big hats and glasses and a large clock dangling from his neck.

The first released track on which Flav rapped solo was "Life Of A Nigerian" on Goat Ju JU, though the first hit on which he rapped solo would not come until the 1990s single "911 Is a Joke". During Public Enemy's first years of existence, Flav dealt with tensions with group-mate Professor Griff, who never liked Flav's flamboyant stance in what Griff felt to be a serious, politically-challenging group. In 1990, after making anti-Semitic comments, Professor Griff left Public Enemy.

In 2006, Flav put out his first solo album. It was released during the second season of Flavor of Love.

Television

After a hiatus from the music scene, Flavor Flav was invited to participate on VH1 reality show The Surreal Life. During this show, he developed a relationship with actress Brigitte Nielsen.

Following the conclusion of The Surreal Life, VH1 gave Flav and Brigitte a show titled Strange Love, which detailed their globetrotting adventure in love. At the end of Strange Love Brigitte decided to return to her fiancé, Mattia Dessi.

Flavor of Love, which aired for three seasons, is a reality show where Flavor Flav looks for love. The show's success led to spin-offs titled I Love New York and I Love Money. It was revealed in the third season reunion show that Flav met a woman, not from the show, after taping had concluded. He proposed to her on air during the special. The two had a son together.[5]

The Comedy Central roast of Flavor Flav aired on August 12, 2007.[9] Guests appearing at the roast: 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 Under One Roof starring along side Kelly Perine.

Restauranteur

In 2011, Flav partnered with Nick Cimino to open Flav's Fried Chicken in Cimino's hometown of Clinton, Iowa. Flav met Cimino through his brother Peter, who runs Mama Cimino's in Las Vegas and Castle Rock Bar and Pizzeria in Kingman, Arizona. After enjoying the rapper's homemade fried chicken,[10] Peter Cimino began selling chicken wings using Flav's recipe.[11] The founders hoped to start a national restaurant franchise.[10] A mix of squabbling owners, bounced checks and bad business decisions led to Flavor Flav's Chicken shutting down almost 4 months after it opened.[12][13] Flavor Flav was not involved in the restaurant's day-to-day operations; Nick Cimino just simply paid for Flavor Flav's license.

Flavor Flav’s House of Flavor in Las Vegas opened on his birthday in March 2012.[14]

Flavor Flav's Chicken & Ribs comes to sterling heights, MI [15]

Other TV and media appearances

In May 2005, Flav took part in the UK reality TV show The Farm on Channel 5.[15]

On June 14, 2006, Flav's participation, with WEVR-MRC,[16] in the Lisa Tolliver Show celebration of National Safety Month,[17] earned kudos from Surgeon General of the United States Richard Carmona.[18][19][20]

On November 18, 2009, Flav became a downloadable character in the PlayStation Network's video game Pain.[21]

Flav stars in Deon Taylor's horror anthology Nite Tales and Dark Christmas.[22]

On May 10, 2010, Flav guest hosted the wrestling show WWE Raw.[23]

On August 14, 2011, Flav appeared as a host at the 12th annual Gathering of the Juggalos.[24]

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.[25]

On February 5, 2012, Flav appeared along with Sir Elton John in a Pepsi Co. ad during Super Bowl XLVI.[26]

On February 11, 2012, Flav appeared as an honorary member of the UNLV Rebellion during the UNLV Runnin' Rebels victory over San Diego State, 65-63. He also starred as the voice of Father Time in the animated series YooHoo and Friends.

March 2012, He appeared as the voice over for the commercial of the drink Sun Drop.

From June to September 2012, Flav co-starred and rapped in the web series Dr. Fubalous.[27]

Personal life

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 extra cash scalping baseball tickets.[7]

Following his release from jail, Flav broke up with Johnson and moved in with his mother on Long Island. Chuck D became concerned about his friend's well-being and, towards the end of 2003, suggested Flav move to Los Angeles. He 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 as soon as they heard he had moved to Los Angeles. Seeing that he had indeed remained free from his previous addictions, they wanted to cast him. Initially Flav refused, feeling the show was for celebrities past their fame. He was eventually convinced to join by previous participant MC Hammer.[7]

Family

Flav has seven children: Shaniq, Dazyna, Quanah, William, Jasmine, Kayla, and Karma.[28] Three of his children were with Karen Ross, three were with Angie Parker; [29] his current girlfriend Liz is the mother of his youngest, Karma.[30][31] Currently Flavor Flav is living in Las Vegas, Nevada with his girlfriend, and her son Gibran. Flav is a cousin of Wu-affiliate 'Timbo King' and a distant cousin of the Wu's RZA.

By the time he dropped out of school in the 11th grade, Flav had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary.[7]

In 1991, Flav pled guilty to assaulting his then-girlfriend Karen Ross and served 30 days in jail, lost custody of his children, and sank deeper into addiction.[7]

In 1993, Flav was charged with attempted murder and imprisoned for 90 days for shooting at his neighbor.[5]

Flav was later charged with domestic violence, cocaine and marijuana charges; his family performed an intervention and he checked into the Betty Ford Center for an addiction to crack cocaine.[5][7]

After Flav's father died of diabetes in 1997, Flav decided to re-enter rehabilitation, this time at the Long Island Center for Recovery. At one point, he broke both arms in a motorcycle crash.[5]

In 2002, Flav spent nine weeks in Rikers Island jail for driving with a suspended license, numerous parking tickets, and showing up late for appointments with his probation officer.[5]

On May 2, 2011, Flav was arrested on four outstanding misdemeanor warrants for various driving offenses.[32] Police said the rapper had two outstanding arrest warrants for driving without a license, one for driving without insurance, and one related to a parking citation.[32][33] Flav has since been released.[32]

In June 2011, Flav told 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.[34]

Discography

With Public Enemy
Solo albums
Guest appearances

References

  1. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Flavor Flav: Biography". Allmusic. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
  2. ^ Un-J (October 4, 2006). "Chuck D. Interview". Youtube.com. Retrieved 2006-10-28.
  3. ^ a b c Marijke Rowland, (August 22, 2008). "Flavor Flav's Modesto block party". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved January 13, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  4. ^ Hess, Mickey, 2007, Icons of Hip Hop: An Encyclopedia of the Movement, Music, and Culture, Greenwood Publishing Group, p. 176.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Johnny Davis, (June 18, 2006). "Hip-hop, you don't stop". London: The Guardian. Retrieved January 13, 2009.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  6. ^ a b Hughes, Mike (April 15, 2008). "Flavor Flav, sitcom-style". Gannett News Service. Retrieved January 13, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i Watson, Margeaux. "Flavor Flav: Totally Cuckoo?", Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved on January 13, 2009
  8. ^ http://eater.com/archives/2011/01/24/flavor-flav-opening-a-fried-chicken-restuarant-iowa.php
  9. ^ "Comedy Central Press Release - Roast of Flavor Flav".
  10. ^ a b Fassler, Joe (2011-01-27). "Flavor Flav vs. KFC: A Dispatch From Flav's Fried Chicken". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2011-01-30.
  11. ^ "Reality TV star takes chance on Clinton". Clinton Herald. 1-11-2011. Retrieved 1-25-2011. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  12. ^ http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/flavor-flav-closes-fried-chicken-restaurant-in-iowa-20110425
  13. ^ http://www.slashfood.com/2011/04/25/flavor-flav-ditches-his-fried-chicken-restaurant/
  14. ^ The Inquistir. 2012-03-16 http://www.inquisitr.com/206380/flavor-flav-opens-fried-chicken-restaurant-in-las-vegas/. Retrieved 2012-03-16. {{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  15. ^ Iain Hepburn (2005). "Did you see?: The Farm". MEN Media. Retrieved May 30, 2011.
  16. ^ "Westchester Emergency Volunteer Reserves-Medical Reserves Corps (WEVR-MRC)".
  17. ^ "National Safety Month". Nsc.org. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  18. ^ "Flavor Flav Celebrates National Safety Month". Blogcritics.com. {{cite web}}: More than one of |work= and |website= specified (help); Unknown parameter |authors= ignored (help)
  19. ^ "Lisa Tolliver Show notes". tolliveretips. {{cite web}}: More than one of |work= and |website= specified (help)
  20. ^ "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 Show notes. 28 May 2006. {{cite web}}: More than one of |work= and |website= specified (help)
  21. ^ "Bio Flavor Flav".
  22. ^ "Deon Taylor Poised to Spread Some Holiday Fear with Dark Christmas".
  23. ^ "TV Shows > Raw > Special Guest Hosts > Upcoming Raw guest hosts". WWE. 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  24. ^ Fats Pepper (presenter), Guy Gorfey (2009-04-11). Weekly Freekly Weekly Special 2011 Gathering Edition (internet news). Detroit, Michigan: Psychopathic Records. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
  25. ^ "TV Shows". 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
  26. ^ "Flavor Flav hugs Tom Coughlin/".
  27. ^ Favor Flav, 2012, cast bio for Dr. Fubalous
  28. ^ "Flavor Flav Bio and Photo Gallery". 4idols.com. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  29. ^ "Flav, Flavor - Rapper and television star, Career, Sidelights, Selected discography, With Public Enemy, Solo". Encyclopedia.jrank.org. 1959-03-16. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  30. ^ "Flavor Fav and newborn 7th kid in Hawaii".
  31. ^ "Black Celebrity Kids, babies,and their Parents » Flavof Flav fiancee Liz and baby Karma take in a concert in Vegas". Blackcelebkids.com. 2008-06-12. Retrieved 2010-04-09.
  32. ^ a b c Edecio Martinez (May 2, 2011). "Rapper Flavor Flav arrested in Las Vegas on misdemeanor warrants". CBS News. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  33. ^ "Flavor Flav arrested after traffic stop in Vegas".
  34. ^ Austereo.castmatrix.net
  35. ^ Slamjamz.com
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