Please join Roadhouse Oldies in wishing a very Happy Birthday to hip-hop artist and entrepreneur FLAVOR FLAV (left) of rap group PUBLIC ENEMY! William Jonathan Drayton, Jr. (born March 16, 1959), better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American musician and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy. He is also known for popularizing the role of the hype man and for yelling Yeah boy! and Flavor Flav! during performances. After falling out of the public eye for a number of years, he reappeared as the star of several VH1 reality series, including The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love. Drayton grew up in Freeport, New York. Flav began playing the piano at age five; and is self-taught. A musical prodigy, he sang in the youth choir at his church and mastered the piano, drums, and guitar at an early age. He eventually became proficient in 15 instruments. He set a house on fire as a small child while playing with a lighter; by the time he dropped out of school in the 11th grade, he had been in and out of jail for robbery and burglary. Flav graduated from culinary school in 1978, and has cooked in several restaurants. He attended Adelphi University on Long Island where he met Carlton Ridenhour, who would become known as Chuck D. Flavor Flav took his stage name after his graffiti tag. They first collaborated on Chuck Ds hip-hop college radio show, then began rapping together. The two worked for Chuck Ds fathers delivery service. Flav came to prominence as a founding member and hype man of the rap group Public Enemy. In 1984, the group released a track, Public Enemy #1, which brought them to the attention of Def Jam Records executive Rick Rubin. Rubin initially did not understand Flavs role in the act and wanted to sign Chuck D as a solo act; however Chuck D insisted that Flav be signed with them and the two were signed to Def Jam in 1986. The groups first album Yo! Bum Rush the Show was released in 1987. Flav served as the comic foil to Chuck Ds serious, politically charged style. The group gained much wider fame with their following release, 1988s It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back, which went double platinum. By the time the political single Fight the Power was issued in 1989, the group had become mainstream superstars. Along with Chuck D, the showman of the group and its promotional voice, Flav stood out among the members of Public Enemy as he often got the fans excited, appearing on stage and in public wearing big hats and glasses and a large clock dangling from his neck. The first released track on which Flav rapped solo was Life of a Nigerian on Goat Ju JU, though the first hit on which he rapped solo would not come until the 1990s single 911 Is a Joke. During Public Enemys first years of existence, Flav experienced tensions with group-mate Professor Griff, who never liked Flavs flamboyant stance in what Griff felt to be a serious, politically-challenging group. In 2006, Flav put out his first solo album. It was released during the second season of Flavor of Love. After a hiatus from the music scene, Flavor Flav was invited to participate on VH1 reality show The Surreal Life. During this show, he developed a relationship with actress Brigitte Nielsen. Following the conclusion of The Surreal Life, VH1 gave Flav and Brigitte a show titled Strange Love, which detailed their globetrotting adventure in love. At the end of Strange Love Brigitte decided to return to her fiancé, Mattia Dessi. Flavor of Love, which aired for three seasons, is a reality show where Flavor Flav looks for love. The shows success led to spin-offs titled I Love New York and I Love Money. It was revealed in the third season reunion show that Flav met a woman, not from the show, after taping had concluded. He proposed to her on air during the special. The two had a son together. The Comedy Central roast of Flavor Flav aired on August 12, 2007. Guests appearing at the roast: Snoop Dogg, Brigitte Nielsen, Jimmy Kimmel, Carrot Top, Lisa Lampanelli, Ice-T, Jeff Ross, Katt Williams, Patton Oswalt, Greg Giraldo, and Sommore. Flav played Calvester Hill on the MyNetworkTV comedy Under One Roof starring alongside Kelly Perine. In 2011, Flav partnered with Nick Cimino to open Flavs Fried Chicken in Ciminos hometown of Clinton, Iowa. Flav met Cimino through his brother Peter, who runs Mama Ciminos in Las Vegas and Castle Rock Bar and Pizzeria in Kingman, Arizona. After enjoying the rappers homemade fried chicken, Peter Cimino began selling chicken wings using Flavs recipe. The founders hoped to start a national restaurant franchise. A mix of squabbling owners, bounced checks and bad business decisions led to Flavor Flavs Chicken shutting down almost 4 months after it opened. Flavor Flav was not involved in the restaurants day-to-day operations; Nick Cimino simply paid for Flavor Flavs license. Flavor Flav’s House of Flavor in Las Vegas opened on his birthday in March 2012. Flavor Flav teamed up with Gino Harmon and Salvatore Bitonti to start a national franchise known as Flavor Flavs Chicken & Ribs, which opened December 21, 2012 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The business was not affiliated with the previous two ventures Flavor Flav has had in the restaurant business. Flavor Flavs Chicken & Ribs was a casual dining experience with a quick serve attitude. They are known for making their sides from scratch. The ribs are smoked then dipped in the house sauce. The chicken comes in fresh weekly from the Gold’n Plump Company. Flavor Flavs Chicken & Ribs closed in July 2013 after being evicted by its landlord for failure to pay rent.
Posted on: Mon, 17 Mar 2014 21:36:15 +0000
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