Flavor Flav

Flavor Flav (born William Jonathan Drayton Jr.) is an American rapper and television personality best known as a founding member of the hip-hop group Public Enemy. He spent his childhood in Freeport, New York, where he taught himself to play multiple instruments and sang in his church choir. He briefly attended culinary school before shifting his focus to music.

Flavor Flav rose to fame in the mid ‘80s after cofounding Public Enemy with Chuck D. The group gained national attention with politically charged albums including It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988) and Fear of a Black Planet (1990). Known for his trademark clock necklaces, Flav became one of hip-hop’s most recognizable personalities. Public Enemy was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013 and received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020.

Outside of music, Flav has starred in reality shows including The Surreal Life, Strange Love with Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor of Love. In 2025, he appeared on Dancing With the Stars as a guest judge.

The rapper has seven children: Shaniq, Dazyna, Quanah, William, Jasmine, Kayla, and Karma. He has previously been romantically linked to Karen Ross, Angie Parker, Liz Trujillo and Kate Gammell. In March 2025, he posted a photo via Instagram with Kelly Salvaggio and referred to her as his girlfriend.