Public Enemy announced the removal of original member Flavor Flav on Sunday ahead of a performance at a Bernie Sanders campaign rally in Los Angeles, CA.
Tensions between the group and Flavor Flav (born William Drayton) flared on Friday when the hype man sent a cease and desist letter to the Sanders campaign for “The unauthorized use of [his] likeness, image, and trademarked clock in promotional materials.”
Flav took issue with the event poster, which billed “Public Enemy” instead of “Public Enemy Radio”—an offshoot group that does not feature Drayton.
“While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit,” Flav wrote in the letter to the Sanders campaign, “his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy.
Chuck D, who fronts both Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio, fired back on Saturday, claiming, “Flavor chooses to dance for his money and not do benevolent work like this. He has a year to get his act together and get himself straight or he’s out.”
He didn’t have a year, however. In fact, he didn’t even have 24 hours, as Chuck D announced on Sunday that Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav. The group thanked Flav for his 37 years of service to the group before Public Enemy Radio—comprised of members Chuck D, DJ Lord, Jahi, and the S1Ws—took the stage at the Bernie Sanders rally.
Watch Public Enemy Radio perform at the event, which also featured appearances by Sarah Silverman and Dick Van Dyke, below beginning at the 1:58:00 hour mark:
Public Enemy – Bernie Sanders Rally – 3/1/20 [Full Set]
[Video: Bernie Sanders]
Click here to read Flavor Flav’s entire cease and desist letter. Follow Public Enemy’s Twitter for the latest news and information on show announcements.