The June release of Public Enemy’s latest album, Nothing Is Quick in the Desert, has seemingly not brought prosperity and happiness to all members of the 30-year-old hip-hop group. According to Billboard, Flavor Flav (born William J. Drayton) is suing his Public Enemy co-founder Chuck D and other members of the team over unpaid royalties and the unauthorized use of his likeness and voice. In documents filed in court this week, the rapper and giant-clock enthusiast alleges that he has not received regular royalty checks for the past several years.
Flav also takes umbrage at the part he played — or didn’t play — in Nothing Is Quick in the Desert. The former reality star alleges that his voice and image were used without his consent on the album. Though he admits he participated in studio sessions, he claims he had “no input on the creative direction of the record.†He says he was under the impression that the recordings were not final takes, and that his vocals “were not up to his standards of quality.â€
The documents posit that somehow Flav didn’t even know the album was in the works. “On or about June 29, 2017, Drayton was shocked to see that a new ‘Public Enemy’ album was being released, and his image was being used in multiple media outlets to promote the album,†writes the rapper’s legal team. “He had never heard of the album, nor heard any of the final mixes.†Somewhere out there, a sad MC is likely whispering, “Naaaah, boy.â€