Public Enemy frontman Chuck D has responded to Flavor Flav’s claims that Chuck is blocking a group reunion due to contract negotiations.
Chuck released a statement through his publicist explaining his side of the story, per Complex.
“Come on y’all. This is tired and stupid. Flav and I communicate on our own, so I normally don’t address these things in public, but I’m tired of the circus of airing news that ain’t news, and I’m going to keep it factual here,” Chuck D said in the statement. “Flav sues the folks he works with, so in 2017 he decided it was my turn. He lost when the judge dismissed the suit with prejudice in 2020, which means it’s permanent. Over. He can’t file again. He lost. Even after all of this, even after all the years of Flav giving the situation minimum while always asking for the maximum, I still work with him. But it’s time to change.”
Chuck D went on to note that it’s not the group’s responsibility to unpack Flav’s one-sided dramatics.
“Everybody in the situation can’t be burdened with picking up his slack,” he continued. “The keyword in ‘Brothers Gonna Work It Out is the word ‘work.’ We’re always gonna be brothers regardless, but Flav’s gotta do the work and there ain’t no getting down without the work. Simple as that.”
Over a year ago, Chuck and Flav had a public spat, with Flav reportedly booted from the group by Chuck because he refused to perform at a Bernie Sanders rally.
Public Enemy “will be moving forward without Flavor Flav,” the group said in a statement at the time. “We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”
Flav responded on Twitter, addressing Chuck D directly: “You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years OVER POLITICS?” he wrote. “I’m very disappointed in you and your decisions right now.”
He added, “I didn’t sue you on Friday, I asked the @berniesanders campaign to correct misleading marketing, that’s all it was, I’m not your employee, I’m your partner, you can’t fire me, there is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav, so let’s get it right Chuck”
Chuck D later addressed the issue during his chat with Talib Kweli on the People’s Party podcast.
“Flavor doesn’t know the difference between Bernie Sanders, Barry Sanders, or Colonel Sanders,” he joked, before adding, “We already talked about this beforehand. Public Enemy Radio went up, his lawyer sent a cease and desist, I’m like, ‘Good move.’ Then, publicly, I’m like, ‘Man, you don’t sue me again.’ He ain’t suing me. But I can say it!”
Chuck D then suggested the entire fiasco was nothing more than a clever gag “to get your attention.”
“I’m not saying it’s a hoax,” Chuck said during the interview. “I’m saying the original intention was to get your attention.”
“I am not part of your hoax,” Flav tweeted in response.