Flavor Flav Unhappy With Bernie Using His Image and Likeness Without His Permission

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With Public Enemy slated to perform at a Bernie Sanders rally on Sunday in Los Angeles, a founding member of the legendary hip-hop group (a.k.a. William Drayton) is accusing the Vermont senator of misappropriating his likeness and promoting “a false narrative” that the group has endorsed his campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“We have become aware that Flavor’s bandmate and Public Enemy co-creator, Chuck D, has endorsed Bernie Sanders’ candidacy for President and plans to perform at an upcoming Sanders Rally,” reads an open letter written by attorney Matthew H. Friedman of Nevada law firm Ford & Friedman that was sent to Billboard on Friday (Feb. 28). “While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit – his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy. 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 letter goes on to accuse the Sanders campaign of the unauthorized use of Flavor Flav’s “likeness, image and trademarked clock in promotional materials” that have been circulated to promote the forthcoming rally, even though he will not be taking part in the event.

“Sanders has promised to ‘Fight the Power’ with hip hop icons Public Enemy – but this Rap Icon will not be performing at the Sanders Rally,” the letter continues. “To be clear Flav and, by extension, the Hall of Fame hip hop act Public Enemy with which his likeness and name have become synonymous has not endorsed any political candidate in this election cycle and any suggestion to the contrary is plainly untrue. The continued publicizing of this grossly misleading narrative is, at a minimum, careless and irresponsible if not intentionally misleading.”

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