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April Fool: Chuck D reveals Flavor Flav beef was a hoax in prep for new music

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Scott Dudelson/Getty ImagesChuck D made headlines last month after firing Flavor Flav from Public Enemy, claiming missed rehearsals, performances and appearances. But today, April Fool’s, we find out it was all just a “hoax” to gain attention for new music.

“The HOAX was a hoax for a reason….I was tired of [mess],” Chuck D wrote in a statement on the official PE website. “Tired of Hip Hop always getting a bad look as its only narrative while the good news never made the news.”

The statement was titled “A Hoax Ain’t No Joke.”

Flav was reportedly fired exactly one month ago today, with Rolling Stone publishing the official announcement, which claimed the final straw for Chuck D was Flav’s refusal to participate in a Bernie Sanders rally. Chuck also claimed in a series of tweets that Flav had been uncooperative on a number of things for some time.  But apparently, it was all a front.

“Flav doesn’t do benefits and stays away from political events – we been cool and always agreed about that.” Chuck D goes on in the statement. “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 [Enemy Radio] is DJ Lord, myself and Jahi with the S1Ws.” 

Apparently, Chuck and Flav planned to use the hoax as “a wake-up call” to address the media’s coverage of bad news over good news when it comes to hip-hop, taking inspiration from the 1938 radio drama War of the Worlds, which some listeners mistook for a news broadcast of an actual alien invasion of Earth.

“To remind people that what’s important should have as much, if not more, value than just what’s popular. Thus came the HOAX, our ‘War Of The Worlds.’ Believe half of what you hear and NONE of what you see,” Chuck said. 

Chuck D also announced Enemy Radio’s new single, “Food as a Machine Gun,” featuring Flavor Flav, from their new album, Loud Is Not Enough.

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