Flavor Flav

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7.8 Good
42 votes

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Flavor Flav Picture

Biography

Recent Role:
on Conan
Gender:
Male
Born:
3-16-1959
Birthplace:
Long Island, New York, United States.
Birth Name:
William Johnathan Drayton Jr.
AKA:
Flava Flav
William Jonathan Drayton, Jr., better known as Flavor Flav (born March 16, 1959), is a rap artist and member of the influential and politically-conscious rap group Public Enemy. Born in Roosevelt, New York, Flav, a classically-trained pianist, attended Adelphi University in Long Island where, while rapping under the name MC DJ Flavor he met then graphic design student Carlton Ridenhour (Chuck D). Chuck D compiled DJ Terminator X, Professor Griff and Flavor Flav to form Public Enemy and release the debut album Yo! Bum Rush the Show in 1987.



More Flav participated in Public Enemy as second rapper or vocalist (vocals were mostly done by Chuck D), and as the band's drummer. His stuttering vocal style has influenced rappers including Busta Rhymes and Ol' Dirty Bastard. Providing a comic foil to the political message of Chuck D, some credit Flav with the development of the role of the rap sidekick. While in the group, Flav had numerous brushes with the law. During the time of the band's success, Flav was also a heavy drug abuser, most notably crack, and had his license suspended at least 43 times, though he is proudly clean as of 2004.

Flav credits himself as having been the originator of the current platinum grill craze in hip-hop fashion. Though Flav himself has vehemently stated that he would never wear platinum teeth himself, his near-constant wearing of gold teeth has inspired other rappers to get gold or platinum teeth, he claims. Given that no noticeable celebrity wore gold-plated teeth prior to Public Enemy's success, Flav's comments are arguably accurate.

He often wears a clock around his neck, stating that observers will "know what time it is...". These clocks became one of Flav's trademarks, along with comic sunglasses. Flav is also known to wear flashy colors, such as hot pink, and a metal-horned helmet on his head, while Chuck D used to perform in dark colours, and the Security of the 1st World wear military uniform. Flav realizes that his style is bizarre, and he is proud of his own uniqueness.

Flav has reportedly completed two solo albums, both of which were rejected by his record label, Def Jam. A third LP, It's About Time, was due to be released in 1999 but never appeared.

In 2004, Flavor Flav appeared in the third season of The Surreal Life on VH1, in which he had an on-screen relationship with Brigitte Nielsen. He and Brigitte continued their odd pairing on VH1's reality show Strange Love.

Sometime after the premiere of Strange Love, Flav started to come under fire from various organizations and individuals including North Carolina's Reverend Paul Scott, who labeled Flav's performance a "coon act" on "a modern day minstrel show." Episodes have shown Flav acting up at a Public Enemy concert as well as having confrontations with his children and their mother, who have received no child support from him. Chuck D went as far as issuing a statement (http://www.hiphoprnbsoul.com/web/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=488) to denouce Flav's participation on Strange Love. A petition (http://www.petitiononline.com/saveflav/petition.html) was set up in conjunction with Chuck D's criticisms in hopes of convincing VH1 to pull the show off of the air. In May 2005 Flav appeared on yet another reality show, The Farm on UK channel five (TV).

Flavor Flav has six children by two women and currently resides in New York.

Flav's favorite sayings:

1. YEAH BOOYIEE!

2. FLAVOR FLAAAAV!

3. COLD MEDINA!

From the Forums

More Topics
  • Nite Tales - Hosted By Flava Flav

    Deon Taylor presents Nite Tales, a shockingly twisted double-feature horror extravaganza that will leave you trembling with fear and amazement. First, would-be bank robbers make their escape then take a turn for the worse as they encounter a gruesome and hungry cannibal in Karma. Then,More everyone's a suspect when a girl turns up dead in Storm. But mysteriously, as the rain falls, so do more bodies. Nite Tales stars Tony Todd, Tyrin Turner, Sticky Fingaz, Fredro Starr and is hosted by the debonair Flavor Flav. Nite Tales… the fright fest you've all been dying for! Starring: Sticky Fingaz, Terrance Evans, Tony Todd, Dante Basco, Tyrin Turner, Michael Pagan, James Otis, Chico Benymon, Jordan Woolley, Fredro Starr and more...

    3 comments, last one Dec 18, 2008
  • Welcome to the TV.com Forums for Flavor Flav

    Welcome to the TV.com Forums for Flavor Flav. Here is your area to discuss, dissect and debate all things about this person.

    1 comments, last one Oct 16, 2006
More Topics

Flavor Flav News

More
  •  
    10 Perfect
    More Pictures William Jonathan Drayton, Jr., better known as Flavor Flav (born March 16, 1959), is a rap artist and member of the influential and politically-conscious rap group Public Enemy. Born in Roosevelt, New York, hide show

    Flavor Flav the all time GREATEST! He has a very unique sense of style that sets him apart from any other rapper.He always has a clock over his neck with the wrong time REBEL!! He has been on the surreal life with Bridgette Neilson who he falls deeply in love with during the show! Was so in love they were on another show after called Strange Love where he's always trying to impress her and always treated her right the only problem was she had a boyfriend at that time, so he was alwas tring to compete with him. He asked her to marry him and she turned him down on the show. so he made a show called Flavor of Love where he brought women into his manssion and tried to set apart the golddiggers from the lovers. He soon fell in love with a contestant named Hoopz who he picked and she went along with it for a day and dumped him so hes had his heart broken two time thelast few months.A while after the break-up he made Flavor of Love2 where he was still finding a true woman.Flav soon picks one more woman and to this day theyre still together.

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  •  
    9 Superb
    Flavor Flav is strange. He can be very funny at times and then there are moments when I shake my head in disbelief. I don't think he was taking any of the women seriously. That's entertainment! hide show

    Flavor Flav is just as dramatic as New York and inspite of her name on the show I don't believe anyone actually sees her as the epitome of all women from New York. So New Yorkers, don't get alarmed. We must seperate the real from the sublime. My concern with Flavor is his decision to bring New York back to the show only to reject her again. That was a mess. I find him to be every bit as ridiculous and over the top as New York and for this reason, they probably are perfect for each other. In the not so distant future, London Charles will become boring to Flavor after a few months. She is functioning on an entirely different plane than he and New York. Furthermore, does she really want Flavor to be her daughter's step-dad? I perish the thought. Girl you can do better. Her mom should have been every bit as livid as New York's mom. Life is what it is and you can't force yourself to be something you are not. London is a classy lady who will soon wake up from this nightmare. No disrespect to Flavor, but you're out of your league BOYYYY!

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  •  
    9.6 Superb
    Flavor Flav is hilarious...but sometimes stupid. hide show

    Flavor Flav is pretty funny. I like him when he was in the Surreal Life 2 because he always did funny things around the cast. I think that his new show, Flavor of Love, is so funny. He's a lucky man getting to get busy with some of those women. But sometimes he acts really dumb and stupid...maybe because he is. LOL But anyways, he has some pretty good songs even though I wasn't in to Public Enemy. I wonder what he is gonna do after his own reality show ends. Maybe this time around he will actually find love.

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  •  
    10 Perfect
    Flalvor of Love Season 2: I watch the flavor of love with my teenagee childredn ages 18 and 17. We like the show enteratinment. I am from Queens N.Y. and grew up in St. Albans. The show overall is very funny. hide show

    Although I like the show and I think Flav is cool. I also think he's alot smarter than people give him credit to be. I think "New York " is a disgrace. Her antics are an embarassement to the real women from New York. She is classless. I really don't think she would last long in an arena with women of substance or in an arena with some one with a brain the size of a of a pea. She is a terrible portrait of women from New york. Not only does she have menatl issues she behaves like she rode the short bus. Actual I think they made her walk.
    I am orginally from Queens N.Y. and if she lived in my neighborhood her mother would be afriad to let her outside for walks. She would not have lasted two seconds. Not that I grew up in the hood becasue I did'nt. She has no real back bone and punks the people she can intimidate. She would not last five minutes in a room with a real New York woman. She has no idea of what real class is. After seeing her mother no wonder she has no class. It's like watching two Banshees. They are sick. That house hold is pure drama. The husband has got to be heavliy medicated. What's up with the bunny tail hair-do dad.
    They are a riot.

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  •  
    5.3 Mediocre
    he's okay but sometimes he can be a clown. hide show

    Flavor Flav is kind of weird. He's okay but sometimes he can be a clown. I hate the way he dresses. Sometimes it's just too much. The clock is okay. It 's his symbol. Some of the stuff he be whereing is just out there. I couldn't stand working with him everyday. Every once and a while would be okay, but I'd have to say something to him otherwise.

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