Flavor Flav publicly attacks Chuck D after being fired from Public Enemy over Bernie Sanders dispute

'You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years over politics?'

Flavor Flav has responded angrily to his sacking from Public Enemy after he refused to endorse presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, launching a public attack on Chuck D.

While the group denied the decision had been taken because he would not join other members in backing the Democrat, a series of statements posted by the legendary hype man on social media suggested he believed this was the case.

He posted on Twitter: “You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years [sic] over politics?”

It followed Public Enemy's statement saying Flav would no longer be working with the group after 37 years as a member.

But Flav responded with a series of tweets directed at frontman Chuck D.

“Are you kidding me right now??? Over Bernie Sanders???” he said.

“You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years OVER POLITICS??? All because I don’t wanna endorse a candidate…

“I’m very disappointed in you and your decisions right now Chuck.”

In a subsequent tweet, Flav told Chuck D he wasn’t “your employee… I’m your partner… you can’t fire me”.

He added: “There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav… so let’s get it right Chuck."

Public Enemy subsequently denied that the reason for Flav’s sacking his stance on Mr Sanders.

“Public Enemy did not part ways with Flavor Flav over his political views,” said the statement. “Flavor Flav has been on suspension since 2016 when he was MIA from the Harry Belafonte benefit in Atlanta, Georgia. That was the last straw for the group.

“He had previously missed numerous live gigs from Glastonbury to Canada, album recording sessions and photo shoots. He always chose to party over work.”

It came after Chuck D led a concert for the Sanders campaign in Los Angeles, without the involvement of Flav.

Flav, whose real name is William Drayton, initially responded by sending a cease and desist letter to Mr Sanders, who is currently frontrunner in the contest to face Donald Trump in the presidential election in November.

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In the letter, he said he objected to the use of Public Enemy as a tool for political endorsement. It accused Sanders' campaign of advancing a “misleading narrative” that Public Enemy has supported him.

The letter also claimed that the Sanders campaign circulated “the unauthorised use of [Flav’s] likeness, image and trademarked clock in promotional materials”.

“Those who truly know what Public Enemy stands for know what time it is,” he said. “There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav.”

On Saturday, Chuck D and his attorney had issued a statement saying he was the sole owner of the Public Enemy trademark.

“From a legal standpoint, Chuck could perform as Public Enemy if he ever wanted to; he is the sole owner of the Public Enemy trademark,“ the statement said.

“He originally drew the logo himself in the mid-Eighties, is also the creative visionary and the group’s primary songwriter, having written Flavor’s most memorable lines.”