It took more than five years, but Chuck D and from Public Enemy Taste Taste finally back on stage together.
On Saturday, the hip-hop legends reunited as the opener for the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The duo came roaring out of the gate on Saturday with a banging rendition of Harder Than You Think, which was just the first of several of their classics on the setlist.
Some of the other more recognizable songs also included State of the Union (STFU), Bring the Noise, Welcome To The Terrordome, Rebel Without A Pause and the always hard-hitting Fight The Power.
But in a bit of a surprise for some fans, the He Got Game stars also decided to release a new song, Everywhere Man, right before the end of the show.
They’re back! Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Flavor Flav debuted new song Everywhere Man as they reunited for their first show together in more than five years at the 2023 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas
Chuck came out wearing an all-black ensemble consisting of cargo pants, a T-shirt and sneakers.
Of course, there would also be his signature baseball cap, to match his powerful rapping and always insightful lyrics.
Never one to play it safe and conservative, Flav was hard to miss, decked out in an all-metallic silver outfit, complete with fitted pants and matching jacket and baseball hat.
He’s also said to have his signature fashion statement, an oversized bell chain, around his neck to let fans know, “What time it is… boooooy.”
In February 2020, Flav was reportedly kicked out of Public Enemy by Chuck following a dispute over an appearance at a Los Angeles rally for then-presidential hopeful Senator Bernie Sanders.
In a statement, the group said it was “moving forward” without their legendary hype man, officially ending his 37-year career with the group.
Two days earlier, Flav had shut down the Sanders campaign ahead of a rally that featured a performance by a version of Public Enemy.
“While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit, his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy,” an excerpt from the letter said.
“He (Chuck D) can’t fire me, I’m not his employee, I’m his equal!” the ousted rapper moved on to Carlin Haynes Media.
Classics: Chuck D and Flavor Flav also delivered many of their classic songs such as State of the Union (STFU), Bring the Noise, Welcome To The Terrordome, Rebel Without A Pause and the always hard Fight The Power
PE Trademarks: Flav, 64, broke out his signature oversized bell chain on the red carpet, while Chuck, 63, wore his signature baseball cap
Style: Chuck opted for an all-black outfit, while Flav stood out in all-metallic silver
At the end of the letter, Flavor Flav included a handwritten note that read, “Hey Bernie, don’t do this!!”
Chuck D (born Carlton Douglas Ridenhour) added a statement that seemed to indicate that his partnership with Flav (born William Jonathan Drayton Jr.) came to an end shortly after the cease and desist order was sent.
‘Flavor chooses to dance for a living and not do charity work like this. He has a year to get his act together and get in order or he’s out,” Chuck D said.
After much back and forth between the two rappers, a statement published on the official website of Enemy Radio (operated by Chuck D) claimed that Flav’s firing was an elaborate “hoax” concocted to garner social commentary and to promote Enemy Radio’s latest album, Loud Is. Not enough, said STAKE.
‘I’m not saying it’s a hoax. I’m saying the original purpose is to get your attention,” Chuck said. ‘And that playing attention ensures that you pay attention.’
And then, during a chat with The Breakfast Club’s DJ Envy and Charlamagne Tha God during Saturday’s reunion pre-show, Flav said he and Chuck were taking a short break to focus on their personal lives.
Respect: Backstage, Flav and Chuck bonded with rock superstars Foo Fighters, which was documented with a photo of the guys all arm in arm with Chuck and Dave Grohl in the middle
Iconic Status: Public Enemy’s influence over the years in rap and hip-hop culture saw them inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013; they can be seen in 1989
Chuck and Flav founded Public Enemy while living in Long Island, New York in 1985.
The group rose to prominence largely due to their hard-hitting political and social commentary in the stories and lyrics.
The first four of their studio albums – Yo! Bum Rush The Show (1987), It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back (1988), Fear Of A Black Planet (1990) and Apocalypse 91… The Enemy Strikes Black (1991) – would also all be certified gold or platinum.
In total, Public Enemy have released 15 studio albums during their career, the most recent being What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? (2020).
Their influence over the years in rap and hip-hop culture saw them inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013.