William Jonathan Drayton, AKA Flavor Flav, has experienced a lot in his 52 years. He was a founding member of the groundbreaking ’80s rap group Public Enemy, where his in your face style and phrases put him on the map as the ultimate “hype man.” Although he’s been branded a “clown” by some critics, it looks like Flavor Flav is the one getting the last laugh.
After kicking his addiction to crack cocaine, the rapper found new fame as a reality star, appearing on such shows as “The Surreal Life,” “Strange Love” with actress Brigitte Nielsen, and the original celebrity dating game, “Flavor of Love.”
Now, he’s taking things a step further and telling his life story in a book titled Flavor Flav: The Icon, The Memoir. Flav opens up saying that he’s “been down some pretty dark holes, but somehow I always found the strength to climb out of them.”
When asked why he chose to write a book at this point in his life, Flav responded, “Well, I figured I just got a lot of great things to talk about now. Not only that, but being that I’m alive I might as well tell my story.”
In the book, large clock wearing Flav explains that he’s “an adrenaline junkie” and had “a very mischievous teenage life,” when he frequently stole trains and tractors.
In his book and also in a recent interview Flav openly talks about his severe drug addiction. He shared,”There was a point in my life where I was just really sick and tired of being that way and I really, really wanted the best for myself and in order to get the best for yourself you’ve got to be focused. Drugs definitely had me out of focus for about 18 years. I’m dead serious. I figure now I’m getting older, and my kids are getting older — they’re adults — I’ve got grandchildren now, I may as well knock off the bullsh** and take life more seriously.”
When asked about being a grandfather, he says, “I think I’m the flyest grandpa a kid could have!”
Flavor Flav has stunned many as the father of seven children with multiple women, and stuns even more saying he’d like to have three more.
Public Enemy fans are excited that Flav is hitting the road with Public Enemy now through September.
When discussing the groups difficult times, he says, “Time goes on, you know what I’m saying? We shouldn’t dwell on our past. The best thing to do is to correct the situations and do like ‘KIM’ — Keep It Moving. And that’s what I’ve learned to do with my group as well.”
Fans can read all about Flavor Flav’s crazy and interesting life in his new book Flavor Flav: The Icon, The Memoir.
