Flavor Flav

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Flavor Flav's real name is William Drayton, and he was born in 1959 in Roosevelt, New York. He grew up in nearby Freeport, where his father had a restaurant. At the age of five he taught himself to play the piano, and as a child he also played drums and guitar and sang in the church choir. According to Chuck D he plays fifteen instruments. At Adelphi University he met Carlton Ridenhour, the later Chuck D. They first worked together on Chuck's hip hop programme on the university radio station and then began rapping together. His stage name was originally his graffiti name.

Music and breakthrough

In 1985 they founded Public Enemy together. Producer Rick Rubin of Def Jam at first wanted to sign only Chuck D, but he insisted that Flav came along. After the debut Yo! Bum Rush the Show (1987) came It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) and the single Fight the Power (1989). With 911 Is a Joke Flav had his first hit as a solo rapper in 1990.

Influence

In Public Enemy Flavor Flav was the hype man: he whipped up the crowd, shouted in between and formed the comic counterpart to the serious, political Chuck D. On stage he stood out with big hats, glasses and a large clock around his neck, and with his catchphrase Yeah, boyeee! He made the role of the hype man known to a large audience. Later he became best known for reality series on TV. With Public Enemy he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Listening

Discography

Studio albums

• 2006Hollywood

In School of Rock

The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.

• Mixtape 6: Fear of a Black Planet^NL Reader