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Hip-Hop

Chuck D Responds to Bernie Sanders Endorsement Controversy: 'I Don’t Attack Flav On What He Don’t Know'

By Hilary Hughes
3/1/2020
By Hilary Hughes
3/1/2020
Chuck D
Ollie Millington/Redferns

Chuck D of Public Enemy performs as part of Prophets Of Rage on stage at O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire on Aug. 12, 2019 in London.

Before taking the stage at a Bernie Sanders rally in Los Angeles on Sunday (March 1), Chuck D tweeted his thoughts about fellow Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav's objection to the rap group's endorsement of the democratic presidential candidate.

In a series of tweets, Chuck D -- who also performs alongside members of Rage Against the Machine and Cypress Hill in rap/rock supergroup Prophets of Rage -- proceeded to outline why he's backing Sanders and how he feels about Flav's response to the event. On Friday (Feb. 28), Flav took issue with Chuck D playing the Sanders rally under the billing of Public Enemy in an open letter, and claimed that it is not Public Enemy endorsing Sanders, but solely Chuck D.

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Chuck D

Flavor Flav

Public Enemy

"While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit -- his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy," the letter, penned by lawyer Matthew H. Friedman, reads. "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.”

"I dig aspects of Bern. Hate the party Bulsht. But can relate to half the issues & get forward. Use your minds & be ready to fight whoever in office," Chuck D tweeted. He then addressed the Flav controversy by responding directly to several people voicing their opinions -- about his politics, the state of Public Enemy and more -- and shared his thoughts about the future of Public Enemy and Flav's role within that.

He went on to bring up previous instances where Flav chose not to get involved with politics or activism -- including one in which he "refused" to support Harry Belafonte's nonprofit organization Sankofa -- and stressed that "it's not about Bernie with Flav."

"I don’t attack FLAV on what he don’t know," he tweeted. "I gotta leave him at the crib so y’all trying to fill his persona with some political aplomb is absolutely stupid."

Read Chuck D's thoughts on politics, his involvement in the 2020 presidential election and more below.

By Hilary Hughes
3/1/2020

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