Cold Lampin’ Questions for Flavor Flav

                                                                                    By Chris Horne

Purple reigned over Comedy Central this past Sunday night as 3.8 million people tuned in to watch the Comedy Central Roast of Flavor Flav, making it the number one show of the night on basic cable! Chances are, you’ve seen him before—either as the clock-wearin’ hypeman for political rap group Public Enemy or, as the star of one of four reality TV shows, most recently Flavor of Love. He’s been popular for over 20 years now, and it seems his audience just keeps getting younger. Somehow, Flavor found a few minutes to answer 11 Questions for The 11^th Hour, and somehow, we survived it. We’re sure the college kids will get a kick out of this… just like a few old heads will too. – Chris Horne

1.) You just got roasted on Comedy Central, which seems like it could be either torture or hilarity for the roastee. Were there any jokes that got to you? Any that stung a little?

No, I know they had a job to do and they did it. Lisa Lampinelli is my girl. I didn’t know her before the Roast and she was tight all night {laughs}. She’s got it going on, ya know? My boy Snoop even did his thing. I guess if I had to say one joke, it would be the one about Magic Johnson; yeah, it got me a little but I think it got to everybody a little.

So you’re glad you did the Roast?

Hell yeah! I am honored. I feel blessed that I was chosen out of all the great people out there. I don’t know if I have ever laughed that much in my life.  I heard we got high ratings, too. I love hearing that! Especially since I brought the highest ratings EVER to VH1, ha!

2.) The past few years, you’ve become a lot more visible, in large part to reality TV. How’d you get into that?

I got a call and I went for it. I’ve always wanted to be on television. I’m an actor and a musician. I like comedy.

Is it hard trying to make reality TV real? 

Ya know, it just happened. Everybody loved the fact that Brig and I hooked up. She’s an amazing lady and when we started our thing, the audience liked it. From there it just kept going.

3.) A lot of the shows you’ve been on have played you up as a lover. Is that real or did they exaggerate it for ratings?

No, I’m a lover {laughs}. I’m a romantic guy! On the show, I’m serious about who I like and I don’t like. Some of those girls are crazy, but the genuine ones do eventually get to me. And I know a lot of people don’t think Brigitte and I were the real thing. But we were.

Do you really want to have ten kids?

I only have 7 kids.

4.) You started out as MC DJ Flavor Flav, rapping on a radio show in Long Island. Did you have the big clock back then?

Chuck and I talked about what we wanted the show to be about and before one of our shows, we talked about the clock. I put it on and have had it on ever since. It worked. Well, the idea worked…my clocks usually don’t work! {laughs}

5.) It seems you’ve become pretty popular with the college crowd, but a lot of them are too young to remember Public Enemy. Does it bother you that they may only see you as a funny guy on TV, and not as a member of one of the biggest politically conscious rap groups ever?

No, it gives us a chance to introduce Public Enemy to them. Our new album, How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold their Soul just dropped and when we performed on Jimmy Kimmel last week, the crowd went wild… so we must be getting thru to that crowd. But no, it doesn’t bother me. I’m blessed to have my fans—from whatever: TV or my music. It’s all good.

6.) You and Chuck D met at Adelphi University in New York. Is that how Public Enemy came together? Was there ever a decision to approach the issues that Public Enemy constantly addressed or was it something you two were already doing on your own?

We both had a mission. And that mission was to educate people with our music. That’s what we do.  And when we got together, we knew what we had to do.

7.) Do you think the public would’ve taken to Public Enemy like they did if you hadn’t been there providing some comic relief, a little levity with all the heavy topics?

I don’t know. I just know what we do and we’ve been doing for a long time. Putting a hypeman in the mix was a good thing, I suppose. It definitely grabbed some attention.

8.) What do you think is the state of 911 these days? Is it still a joke?

Ha! Yeah, it’s a joke. But I know it has saved some lives too. And if it is a joke in your town, then let somebody know!

9.) You’re still performing live, too. Is hip-hop something you could ever really leave behind?

Never. It’s in my blood. I can’t stop moving when I am performing. But I guess you noticed that by now, huh?

10.) Like folk music and rock of the 60s and 70s, rap seems to be the medium for social activism these days, and you seem to still be pretty opinionated. Care to share any thoughts on you want to see in office in ’08?

I would like to see Jimmy Kimmel in the White House. He’s got it all – a show, a hot chick who’s got her own show and he is surrounded by plenty of great advisors, like Uncle Frank. And for Vice President, I say put Criss Angel in the White House right next to Kimmel. He can sure make those terrorists disappear.

11.) If you could see into the future, what do you think it holds for Flavor Flav?

I want to be a stand-up comedian and have my own talk show. That’s my next big project. I’m also working on some movies so, keep your clocks set to Flavor Flav…until next time! Yeeaaah Boyeee!