Flavor Flav on Public Enemy, Flavor of Love, Drug Addiction, Prison (Full Interview)

Flavor Flav came through for his first full-length interview with VladTV, and he gave the history of Public Enemy and the struggles he went through while with the group. Flav detailed his addiction and how he's been sober for years. He also spoke about going to prison for driving convictions and making the best of his time while he was there. To hear the full interview, including what led to Vh1 giving Flav his hit show, Flavor of Love, hit the above video.

[@CEELOW3000]

I can tell Vlad respects Flav because he actually let Flav talk without interrupting him... That's some rare shyt - lol

[@kayk3639]

vlad's good like that

[@kayk3639]

@Luke Wise for saying that what he does means I'm on his sack?

[@jamescarel5520]

Everybody likes flav

[@CEELOW3000]

@Michael Ronga LMAO

[@JAY1892]

Kay K He’s saying you’re kissing Vlads ass.

[@jasonwilliamson1396]

I met Flav back in 88. Spent 30 minutes with him after the show just chillin watching flav hold court. Earlier that day when Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince were doing the record signing, I met PE and they were in the store next to the record store. It was a high school music instrument shop. It was there when I saw flav pick up multiple instruments and play each one perfectly. I was instantly a fan, and NOBODY in San Antonio knew who they were. This was same week that It Takes a Nation of Millions came out. I was there. Classic memories.

[@sholaebofin6090]

History in the making..

[@torianoobashango-el-thecos8573]

I heard he was a helluva musician!

[@rwiconcepts4492]

Dope

[@kwd8574]

@ricky tann and you’re something?

[@chadk890]

@1 🤡

[@alescalante491]

Flavor Flav is the greatest character in Hip Hop History. His dances and adlibs are the greatest! There is no PE without Chuck. There is no PE without Flav!

[@lyrikalinyoswiminpoo]

ODB..

[@alescalante491]

@@lyrikalinyoswiminpoo Hes my #2! Biz Mark too!

[@smokescreenFromThe6ix]

When PE came to Toronto this summer for a concert at Beerfest it just wasn't the same without Flav!!

[@garfieldharrison510]

Absolutely. They fit like a glove.

[@ivee5022]

NO DIGGITY NO DOUBT🙌

[@ivee5022]

And the crowd roars with fists pumping, screams, feet stomping, yelling, "Flaaa Voorrr Flllllaaaavvv in da house!!" He looks the same, talks the same, still slender, don't need to mess with ABSOLUTE PERFECTION!! YA HEARD? Blest With So Many Gifts. We never knew. ONE OF A KIND MAN😘

[@drewsilao1551]

For the first 30 seconds. I thought that was a paused video. With vlad talking in the background.

[@deanfarley794]

Lol me too

[@iamjade2905]

Drew Silao this comment is hilarious 😂😂😂

[@yanalicious87]

Lol

[@trenthanna9752]

Me too lol

[@betterthanemril988]

Bruh he stood so still so long 😭😂😂

[@LaidbackAF]

Only here early for FULL interviews.

[@wiifii5.071]

hahaha do u watch full ads too lmaoo

[@CallintheGUNSHIP]

Same, but no denying it’s a great business model to release the clips first

[@bpfourlife8239]

I am sure he will change his whole business model based on your comment.

[@elexis3728]

It’s unfortunate that so many people only think of a “character” when Flav is mentioned. There’s a lot more to him than that.

[@sharkhunt9476]

True 👍

[@kingartison]

That’s all he shows 🤷🏽‍♂️

[@rein2430]

Go on flavor of love and date him lol

[@elexis3728]

@@rein2430 negative. It’s a pass for me

[@williamysaguirre449]

ABSOLUTELY THE GUY IS A LEGEND

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

"Bring that beat back"....another original line from Flavour that's been sampled... True Legend

[@iayyam]

Aint no u in Flavor... This America

[@richardadlam7351]

Mc breed to the beat y'all

[@gavinvonmeyer3746]

The Best Vlad Interview Ever, cause Flav is the coolest dude ever. May God keep Flav around much longer, cause he got lots of inpiration to offer the world and the whole 9.

[@lenagonzo1511]

O he gone b around for awhile my guy a long long while. This ninjas is not of this Earth that's not Flav in there yo.

[@djcease1996]

@@lenagonzo1511 ?

[@jasoncoleman3438]

Flavor flav

[@koreylackford5621]

$hit Flav im 32yrs young & it started with popping percs. At this point I was 12yrs old, I got my wisdom teeth removed so I was prescribed. By the time i was 24 I was sniffing bags of herion. Never used the needle, so on april 14th 2015 I decided to put myself in a therapeutic community rehab. My stay was April 20th 2015-Sept 29th 2015. & I have been clean ever since $hit I mean i smoke pot now but that's it nothing else not even alcohol. So much respect/love from Wilmington Delaware.

[@maxiekate13]

Korey Lackford wow Korey! You are a walking testimony. Shout out to you for finding the will power!

[@gawdinangaming1879]

Korey Lackford I got fire blacktar

[@jayo552]

I can relate, been clean & relapsed 187x... I remember them nights in wilmington n philly on Bennett, the pool at speakman park in the bucket,,,riverside,,,3rd&franklin, connell...8th&somerset A&Indiana...I dont miss it. stay focused.

[@jayo552]

@@gawdinangaming1879 niggaz round that area like grey/white d morphine/fetty base

[@gawdinangaming1879]

i serve the feins I am not a fein

[@wilhelmhesse1348]

Flavour a true legend... This is one of the few Vlad videos I'm watching in its entirety...finally!!

[@jerryanthony1814]

It's ill how with all the drugs he did in 18years of his young life,Flava remembers his whole legacy in detail!I wish Flava more years of sobriety,health&success.#A REAL RAP LEGEND

[@ViralClips762]

Salute to Flave on finally getting it together 👍🏿

[@v09181964]

more interviews with Flav please he’s dope

[@charliemack3073]

The original most talented hype man in the game. Forget what you seen and heard you can't talk classic hip-hop without flava flav.

[@seansalata717]

“Flavor” flav

[@slimtimesl.l.c4614]

Fax he the reason some even Listening too Public Enemy.......💯🥤✌️

[@95Everan]

It’s about time you drop the full thing ! This Man is a HUGE legend. The world needs this

[@95alive77]

Flava Flav is the Goat from Rap and VH1.... you know what I’m saying!!

[@bosiex]

Flavor comes across as a really nice guy in this interview. Great man.

[@gymmaster9771]

He is.

[@gymmaster9771]

@gatty blow leave you bleeding on your patio I actually I do, very well. And how do you know he's not?

[@danieljones6224]

I love Flava Flav!! Finally Vlad posted the WHOLE interview. YEAH Boyeeeee!!!!

[@coffiee2sweet]

Thank you Flav for sharing your a native American. Needs to be heard.

[@ivettepalacin8599]

Great to meet Flava Flav like this, in an interview setting, and also as an older man. Cool dude 🏆

[@bigd3512]

Not many interviews where Vald let's the gest talk without him interrupting them love the interview 💯

[@bezze777]

This interview will go down in history.

[@maize_thatsme]

Met this legend a few years back! He was such a nice guy

[@wesleypugh6860]

I'm so proud to have been around hip hop since its birth hearing flav talk about the 80s was gratifying 👌

[@1mostunknown]

The knowledge i gained from this interview is immense. Thank you vlad for gettin these legends on your platform. 🙌

[@fendiking3909]

Flav clock ain't move through this entire interview... he's timeless!!

[@leewightman8619]

I noticed that

[@treyanderson6207]

Time up

[@ThisAinThatMetro]

@@treyanderson6207 😂😂😂 the last time

[@trulyworkfromhome6767]

😂😂😂

[@kosmikprince6561]

Flavor Flav is the "Man" and he keeps it real!!!

[@andrewdonoghue9164]

nice to see he aint actually crazy because he does a good impression. He a legit real nice dude.

[@fleecejohnson5750]

Lol

[@thinkinoutloud3060]

Is that a bac handed compliment?

[@CEE662]

Vlad easiest interview...let the legend speak!👌

[@BinFin4]

I thaught my screen was froze for the first few seconds 😂😂😂😂

[@TGOD2307]

I knew I wasn't the only one lmao glad was taking them compliments all in 😂💯

[@T1Str3tcH]

Damn I didn’t want this interview to end

[@askme5201]

For real I could listen to this all night I didn't want it to end he is a true story teller

[@Bradley5221]

Take a shot of vodka every time he says “ you know what I’m sayin “

[@SmilingBrim]

Will you pay the hospital bills ? 😜

[@MrUnknowne187]

"and the whole nine!" 😆

[@Nevadrama1]

Bradley5221 I love my life

[@Bradley5221]

Take a half shot for. ... “and I ain’t gonna lie”

[@CallintheGUNSHIP]

And ummmmm

[@eddiewalker2155]

Thank you for posting the full interview. I've been wanting to watching it.

[@davideselvi3906]

I've been LOOKING FORWARD to watching it

[@mrbabyears]

I love public enemy. I grew up on them. I remember when they first came out and I remember the impact they had. I remember flavor flav was sampled in so many songs.

[@slimtimesl.l.c4614]

I did too my uncle's and my pops you too have they music Rockn when I was growing up...... 💯🥤✌️

[@82Brooklyn7]

One of the greatest hypeman up to this day salute Strong Island legends P.E out of alot of artists to me Flava Flav will always be a very remembered figure in the genre/culture.

[@emptye00]

That was the BEST introduction from Vlad, EVER! That was dope! And I appreciated that he told Flav right off the bat, how much he appreciates his career. Vlad is usually so negative and shit, so that was pretty cool.

[@82Brooklyn7]

Word!

[@lenagonzo1511]

Vlad isn't negative what the hell is you talking about dude??!!!

[@iliacademyforex]

That 2nd verse on Cold Lampin' was dope. Flav was ODB before ODB. They both have the ability to be all over the track, on and off time, and make it work. Flav also is a classically trained pianist. Someone saw him play a hotel piano once, but he kind of jumped up and went away when he realized they were watching him. That's the way the story went back then. People see the character and miss how talented he really is.

[@chrisb6296]

Great drummer too

[@mickeycheeba9714]

Flav and ODB are cousins.

[@Talkinknicks]

I always associated ODB and Bushwick Bill with Flav for being the entertainer, humorous, wild , hype man with crazy , raw energy , all these guys were not technical rappers but their lyrics brought feeling , energy, and were grimey / real. Crunchy Black i also put in that category.

[@queenmothersavage6359]

Flaver-Flav, The livest of the live, The hypiest hype man to eva control the stage and the crowd at the same time all while being mad outta control!! Its the one and only, the 80's, 90's 00's and still to this day, the crowd rocka, show stoppa, party poppa, the legendary, never duplicated, multi-talented, streets educated, highly anticipated, YIIIEAH BOII, ITS YO BOI"FLAVER-FLAV"!!

[@thaslk1beats]

That was dope....But I can't stop thinking how many more stories this man must have and it's amazing he's here to tell them...

[@askme5201]

Hell yeah I could listen to him all night long he have me on the edge of my Damm chair

[@naomisoze2862]

LOVE LOVE LOVE THE INTRODUCTION 🙏🏽😭👑 #hiphoproyalty #hiphopfam

[@EliteClinicalResearch]

This dude is hilarious! Did you even talk about flavor of love? That was one of the best shows on tv!

[@Jrue61]

No one gives a shit about the fucking show. This is Public Enemy we're talking about here.

[@tbfit7808]

Andrew Manning forget them, it’s all about flavor of love! He’s more famous for that than public enemy! No lie

[@djstarsign]

Tbfit Tbfit yeah, to the plebs.

[@fleecejohnson5750]

@@tbfit7808 whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???? You're crazy

[@styweed17]

Did you watch the interview?

[@seandriscoll4544]

Flavor Flav Is 62 Years Old, But He Looks Like He's 16, 17 Or 18. He Looks Like A Teenager.

[@jordanwood183]

He should do a solo record called “You know what I’m saying and the whole 9”

[@d.jkinfolk1701]

😂😂😂

[@Gemberland2004]

You forgot to add “G”

[@aintthatthetruth5328]

Frfr no cap. He should.💯

[@carolynswan1171]

😂😂😂😂

[@mike8pow]

Flav better not look at his cellphone to look at the time 😂😂😂

[@LiamGrayson22817]

He must! That clock doesn’t work 😂😂😂

[@carolynswan1171]

@@LiamGrayson22817 😂😂

[@WestsidePiFF]

S/o to Flav for showing love to my city with the shirt.

[@timothysanders6582]

Straight up!!! I'm born and bred in the D.

[@MarkWhippy]

"real gangstas like ice cube and dre and ice t" 😂

[@95alive77]

Mark Whippy This nigga literally named rappers that were the inspiration for CB4 🤦🏾‍♂️🤣

[@TheBoomBoxGuru]

Don't know what you heard, but Ice T is official gangster.

[@TheBoomBoxGuru]

@gatty blow leave you bleeding on your patio Of course he's not still in the streets, but he's earned the OG status.

[@TimBeatsProductions]

All millionaires, that's gansta 💯

[@jimmerjohnson9911]

Shit monster Cody say these niggas never banged 🙄🙄🙄

[@40belowceo]

I remember Flav's show "Home Jamz". I had a song played on that show 3 weeks straight. I thought I was the shit lol... 90's.. Golden Era..

[@johnsabin3315]

dam I'm only 15 minutes in and this is fucking amazing!!!!!! Best yet vlad...best yet

[@pauweewee247]

Greatest Hype Man of all time: Flavor Flav

[@7milebud862]

Shoutout my nigga Flav for the Detroit vs Everybody shirt.

[@simonjohnson514]

I love Flav and if you ever seen a PE live show back in the day you witnessed a rare moment. Flav rocked and keep the crowd alive. I never took my eyes of Flav, he did dances that till this day I never seen another human do, lol. Best hype man of all time, he could of went solo back in the day and been bigger than life because he was so talented. PE was and is my favorite group of all time.

[@sistermuhammad498]

Vlad really is an artist at interviewing. So kind, respectful and thorough.. The best. Honors to you both.

[@winterbaby219]

only Flav could make Vlad actually shut up and LISTEN !!! 💪🏽👑

[@PatrickFlynnMusic]

Great interview. He’s a great storyteller. 🤘🤘🤘

[@dondemarco9092]

I think part of what made Public Enemy such a powerful force is that it was made up of such uniquely different types of black men. From a militant brother like Griff to a chill guy like Flav.

[@GeeMoney843]

When he broke down that verse from 911 is a joke...Bars...

[@Flush75]

...can’t sleep on this man. He’s no dummy #Respect the GOD

[@tarajaw.3549]

Yes Barz

[@RunTFC]

Hell yeah

[@harolddejesus9160]

Flav’s book is really good....btw funny that he leaves the plastic cap tab on...lol

[@Lovafunk69]

I wanna adopt Flav as my Uncle.. 😄

[@tspks2128]

Omg me too! He would be the coolest!

[@carolynswan1171]

Me too he can be my older brother 😂😂

[@vostephenson6880]

This is a great interview Vlad.

[@Flush75]

Flavor Flav... a quintessential American institution. A living legend (Rick James level). Public Enemy/Bomb Squad are GODS of Hip-Hop

[@slimtimesl.l.c4614]

Fax......💯🥤✌️

[@hotsauce3007]

Flava Flav just earned all my respect💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@pbennett13]

repect to KRS-ONE and Jungle Brothers for putting out conscious rap around P.E.’s time

[@fizzy-frenzy]

1:29:00 I'm from Arizona and I am so happy that public enemy sparked the flame of Martin Luther King's birthday being celebrated here! Because I am friends with allot of black people and that friendship made me love black music such as of course Hip Hop, Jazz, R&B, Funk and the rest, and racism is real so I'm glad that black people are more appreciated as equals to everyone else now in Arizona and everywhere else. Dr. King's birthday should be remembered everywhere and I'm glad public enemy sparked the flame! Peace and love to public enemy!

[@simbadraven5915]

YEEEEEAAAAAH BOOOOOYYYYYY!!!! FLAVOR FLAV IS A BEAUTIFUL HUMAN BEING. I LOVE YOU FLAV.

[@MaxCadillacPriest]

I love Flav , Enbracing the game an handling it like a G

[@cordcutterlifestyleandtech]

@Vlad the same clip is in here twice @ 50:17 and @ 55:52

[@Sam98hiphop]

Very good interview!! 🤙🏽👍🏽👌🏽

[@decacards5250]

A friend introduced me to "Fear of a Black Planet" back in '90, it was one of the best albums.

[@paulkersey1007]

Anyone who understands hip hop in is core, they know Flavor Flav is one of the Titans of the game. When he came into the scene, no one know what to make of him and no one understood him. People fear what they don't understand. He changed rap forever. He's not just a hype man. He's also a lead rapper, instrumentalist, percussionist, as well as one of the coolest people I've ever met.

[@nongenericeric]

This video should be called ( Flavor Flav let's you know what he's saying and the whole nine.)

[@mongoose60ft42]

Flav is the chillest but wild man .. great entertaining person.

[@MrSuperman2312]

Yo Flav is IMMORTAL, SON.....YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@arianna6682]

Flav I watched yo mtv raps every Saturday because I was waiting for you to come on!!!! I’m now in my 40’s and still have never forgotten the effect of your music on me much love to you! ❤❤❤❤

[@eugeniovasquez3780]

Thx 4 this

[@chillout7206]

The way he laughed when he said : all the snitches use to get bashed up 💯🤣

[@onlypimpseattacoswiththeir3017]

Then Flav went grocery shopping......& started picking that up. 😂

[@fendertremolo5387]

To some this up Flavor Flave says and the whole 9 one thousand times

[@alrags]

*sum

[@townsendprotections5764]

Vlad needs to get LL on here!!!!

[@flovo479]

He really walks around with a clock on his neck.

[@geraldandre5457]

This dude dress game so wack he need to get smack

[@JayBelafonte]

You don’t know what the clock symbolizes apparently. It’s deeper than just a “clock” , it’s about having knowledge and “knowing what time it is”.

[@susanfit47]

After spending several years out of the limelight, Flavor Flav starred in multiple VH1 reality series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love.

[@deemoe7301]

Interestingly, a lot of people didn’t know that Flav is a musical genius, playing by ear !!!!! even down to this day! Fun fact.

[@zazenbo]

Vlad skips the entire genre of conscious hip-hop and goes straight for Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. Maaaan. Don’t forget Aceyalone and Haiku D’Etat, Dead Prez, Mos Def and Talib Kweli, The Roots, Ghostface, Bambu... so many fine artists he just skipped over

[@damionsmith5994]

Buddy told the “drum line “ story 😂

[@kenlouis5144]

TUPAC FOR Digital underground was a phenomenal hype man.....Rest in Paradise to the BIG HOMIE "SHOCK G" ALSO.🕊️

[@tjchill8634]

12:30 to 15:00 what a classic rendition!! Thanks Flavor for that story!!

[@californiacavemandastardly6538]

Holy smokes! I cant believe I've never seen this interview, its 2023 I'm son excited for this interview. Much love Vlad

[@dumped300c]

I finally feel like I got the whole 9 G...

[@jewellmendes1496]

Flavs a treasure long live the Flav booyyyyy !! 👍👍👍

[@jakeblaze2004]

Let's play a game. For every "you know what I'm saying", from Flav take a shot .. good luck!!!

[@davideselvi3906]

There's an abuse of that sentence 😂

[@jeffmoulton1065]

Flava walked by me in like 86 in Chattanooga on the def jam tour

[@kchoodsta]

Freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude

[@yanalicious87]

He’s a great person ❤️

[@djpropain631]

Looks like funky flav is about to become a regular on vlod TV and the whole nine

[@Br99klynINg24_8]

Naaaammm sayin

[@musicdestination6256]

Flavor Flave and Lil Jon are dope hype men.

[@fleecejohnson5750]

Frfr

[@sloride3222]

I can’t believe this guy doesn’t have a million views smh…….just proves that no old heads listen ………this dude was one of the first of his kind…..never will thr ever be one like FLAV

[@Shareefhamida]

This is a great interview! I didn’t know that the state of Arizona didn’t honor MLK’s bday until Public Enemy put pressure on em, way to go!

[@tyronerobinson5480]

This part is not true, the holiday was passed through a vote and the governor at the time refused to honor it, that was the first year that the superbowl was coming to AZ and they refused to hold it in Az. So the governor was recalled, the holiday was passed and the superbowl came the next year.

[@Talkinknicks]

Ol Dirty Bastard also said in lyrics that he was from the “Shinmecock Clan”

[@voiceofgod543]

Flava: My first instrument was the organ. Me: Same for every guy! 🤣

[@carolynswan1171]

😂😂😂