Rapper Flavor Flav is well known for his charismatic personality, which has recently charmed a new generation, along with his ubiquitous clock. After radiating fun, supportive uncle vibes throughout the 2024 Paris Olympics and beyond, the rapper and his social media followers were dismayed when the same network that exclusively broadcasts the international sports competition reportedly mistreated the rapper during the Rockefeller tree lighting.
On December 4, Flavor Flav attended NBC’s annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center in New York City. In a since-deleted post, the iconic rapper shared his not-so-jolly experience with the network’s security while visiting the Backstreet Boys backstage at the event.
“I feel weird,” Flavor Flav wrote on X. “I was invited to the Rockefeller Tree Lighting [tonight] and I was escorted to see my boys…We were backstage in their dressing room [when] security came up to me and says NBC does not want me in this area, and I need to leave.”
“At the same time[,] their social media woman came up and asked to capture social content,” he continued. “What did I ever do to NBC or anyone[?] All I ever do is try to spread joy and love[,] and I think I did that for NBC at the Olympics.”
After deleting his initial post, Flavor Flav followed up on X, explaining that though he’d taken down the post, his “spirit is broken” in light of the incident.
“I posted and quickly deleted something last night,” he explained in a separate post. “I was embarrassed by some language and actions by security guards throwing their weight around. The situation was poorly handled, and I didn’t realize how many people would care. I thank all y’all for the love, and this [is] the season to spread love and joy.”
Following Flavor Flav’s first posts, many fans responded on social media, blasting NBC for the way they reportedly treated the rapper.
I’m so sorry that happened to you,” one X user wrote. “@nbc was wrong for that and your Boys (Backstreet Boys) should have spoken up.” Flavor Flav clarified that the boy band’s members did speak up for him at the time.
Another added, “Either way @nbc, y’all should be ashamed of yourself. You shamelessly used Flav to gain ratings at [the] Olympics and he wasn’t good enough to be backstage?? Total BS and he deserves a public apology!”
As previously reported by theGrio, Flavor Flav was the unofficial hypeman for Team USA throughout the 2024 Olympic games. Whether he was cheering from the stands or offering financial support to Olympians like Veronica Fraley and the US women’s water polo team, the rapper enjoyed his first experience so much that he hopes to hold an official role in the 2028 Olympics.
Ultimately, maintaining his positive spirit, Flavor Flav emphasized that he did not want his experience at the Rockefeller Center to diminish “everyone’s hard work.”
“Jennifer Hudson CRUSHED it…that’s my girl…I stayed and watched the Backstreet Boys from [the] side [of the] stage just as it started to snow,” he tweeted, sharing a video of the performance from the sidelines. “And I gotta say that Howie D is one of the NICEST guys in the music industry, real good people, ya know, and if ya don’t catch us on the front street, catch us on the Backstreet!!”
