Public Enemy’s Chuck D says Flavor Flav firing was a “hoax” to promote new album

Chuck D has revealed that Flavor Flav's departure from Public Enemy was a promotion stunt.

Earlier this month, Public Enemy announced that they had fired Flavor Flav following a disagreement over hopeful US presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders. 

Founding member of hip-hop group Public Enemy, alongside Chuck D, Flavor Flav has been in the group for 37-years, and issued a cease and desist over Public Enemy performing at a Bernie Sanders rally in Los Angeles. In light of the cease and desist order, Public Enemy issued a statement to Pitchfork announcing that they would be "moving forward" without Flavor Flav. 

Today (1st), Chuck D announced that the departure of Flavor Flav from the group was part of an elaborate "hoax" to promote their new album, 'Loud Is Not Enough', which is out now, and features a track with Chuck D and Flavor Flav, 'Food As A Machine Gun'.

Along with the new music, Chuck released a statement on enemyradio.net, writing that: “Does it take doing crazy sht or catastrophe to wake people up. Obviously so, even when paying attention is the cheapest price to pay.”

He added that he was inspired by Orson Welles' War Of The Worlds, and that "Flav doesn’t do benefits and stays away from political events - we been cool and always agreed about that. Enemy Radio was built for that reason, to be a DJ+MC auxiliary unit of Public Enemy, a no-slack homage tossback to DJ+MC roots. It is DJ Lord, myself and Jahi with the S1Ws."

Listen to the new Public Enemy album below.

Last year, Public Enemy's Chuck D asw awarded the Woody Guthrie Prize for 2019, an honour that is given to those who support people in the arts that don't have a platform.