America’s favorite hype man is expanding his legacy to be more than just a hip-hop icon. Although Flavor Flav started his career as a core member of the rap group Public Enemy, the 65-year-old is using his powers and money for good, supporting all those that need the help.
Flav is making headlines again after a heartwarming exchange where he came to the rescue of an olympian expressing her financial struggles.
…And it’s not his first time coming to someone’s rescue.
Flav answering athlete Veronica Fraley’s call
Early Aug. 1, Vanderbilt University athlete Veronica Fraley, who will be competing in the Paris Olympics on Aug. 2, took to X to express her struggles to pay her rent. In a tweet, Fraley said “I compete in the Olympic Games TOMORROW and can’t even pay my rent.”
After writing that her university only sent her 75 percent of her total rent, Flav came to the rescue. In his reply to Fraley’s tweet, Flav wrote “I’ll send payment TODAY so you don’t have to worry bout it TOMORROW.”
It didn’t take long for Flav to reach out to the track and field athlete saying “Just DM’d you,,, I gotchu.” If that wasn’t wholesome enough, publicity from Flav’s reply also caught the attention of Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, who pledged more than $7,000 to Fraley.
He helped put water polo on the map in the middle of the 2024 Olympic season
Flav’s efforts to support women in sports didn’t start with Fraley. Back in May, the rapper made what he called “a FLAVOR FLAV promise” after seeing that the U.S. olympic water polo team was struggling financially.
The team’s captain, Maggie Steffens, posted on Instagram calling on fans to help the team both financially and patriotically, and none other than Flav swooped in to answer her call.
The hype man wrote in reply “…as a girl dad and supporter of all women’s sports – imma personally sponsor you my girl,,, whatever you need.” Flav went on to add “And imma sponsor the whole team… imma use all my relationships and resources to help all y’all even more.”
Flav later signed a five-year deal with the U.S. women’s and men’s teams and even stole the spotlight after being seen in Paris in full water polo and Team USA gear. In a recent Instagram post, Flav flexed a custom clock made by Steffens’ late sister-in-law saying “imma be wearing a VERY SPECIAL second clock for the duration of the Olympics and beyond.”
That time Flav saved Red Lobster and all of the cheddar bay biscuits
Earlier this year, Flav made it clear no one loved Red Lobster more than him. When the hype man found out that Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy, he decided to do “anything and everything to help…and save the cheddar bay biscuits.”
Flav was a man of his word and sprinted to the closest Red Lobster to buy the entire menu…. yes the entire menu. In a tweet, Flav posed next to all the food he ordered and said he’s “doing his best” to show love to the company and of course, the cheddar bay biscuits!
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed either. Last month, the company announced “Flavor Flav’s Faves Signature Meal,” featuring some of the rapper’s favorites off the menu.
Flav selflessly tried to bail out Bobby Shmurda
Even in the midst of his own legal struggles, Flav reached out to New York City rapper Bobby Shmurda back in 2015 to attempt to pay for his bail. Shmurda was arrested on drug and gun charges, and he was held until his release in 2021, according to BET.
In an Instagram post, Flav said “Ayo, Shmurda. Flavor Flav. We coming to get you out, baby,” according to VIBE. Although Flav’s efforts were unsuccessful, this is proof of Flav’s dedication to give help to whoever needs it.