Public Enemy announced Sunday they were “moving forward” without Flavor Flav after the rapper sent a cease-and-desist letter to Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.
The cease-and-desist letter was sent to the presidential hopeful Friday ahead of a performance by Chuck D at a Sanders rally scheduled for Sunday, according to a report published by Rolling Stone.
“Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav,” the hip-hop group said in a statement. “We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”
Flavor Flav sent a letter via his lawyer Matthew Friedman to Sanders regarding the “unauthorized likeness, image, and trademarked clock” in promotions for a Sanders rally, even though Flavor Flav “has not endorsed any political candidate.” (RELATED: Actor Mark Ruffalo Formally Endorses Sen. Bernie Sanders For President)
“While Chuck is certainly free to express his political view as he sees fit — his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy,” the letter stated. “The planned performance will only be Chuck D of Public Enemy, it will not be a performance by Public Enemy. Those who truly know what Public Enemy stands for know what time it is. There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav.”
“The continued publicizing of this grossly misleading narrative is, at a minimum, careless and irresponsible if not intentionally misleading,” Friedman continued in the letter. “It is unfortunate that a political campaign would be so careless with the artistic integrity of such iconoclastic figures in American culture.”
“Hey Bernie, don’t do this,” Flavor Flav added at the bottom of the letter.
Chuck D claimed the Sanders rally dispute was not the only reason the group fired Flavor Flav.
… last final note the last final note was my last straw was long ago. It’s not about BERNIE with Flav… he don’t know the difference between BarrySanders or BernieSanders he don’t know either. FLAV refused to support @Sankofa after @harrybelafonte inducted us. He don’t do that pic.twitter.com/5Ky9dTnzmd
— Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 1, 2020
“My last straw was long ago,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s not about BERNIE with Flav … he don’t know the difference between Barry Sanders or Bernie Sanders. He don’t know either.”