Flavor Flav Spent $5.7 Million on Drugs in 6 Years?

By Nicki Gostin Posted Jun 7th 2011 10:15PM

Flavor Flav holds nothing back in his memoir, dubbed 'Flavor Flav: Icon,' in which he takes readers on a journey from being the court jester of rap to the court jester of Reality TV. In between there were years of wall-to-wall cocaine addiction and it's a wonder the New York native can remember any of it (he's amazed as well). Public Enemy's ebullient hype man spoke openly to PopEater about how he got clean, the "difficult" experience of starring in a dating show even though he had a girlfriend the whole time, his plans to get married "real soon" and talks about a debt owed to MC Hammer.

You're very honest in the book about your drug use. It got really crazy.
Yeah I was spending $2,600 a day, for six years, every single day. I don't know how much that is but if you did the math, wow, I went through a lot of money. If I did the math I'd probably be shocked on how much money I spent, I'd probably punch myself in the face.

(Editor's Note: 2,191 days -- one leap year day included -- at $2,600 a piece equals $5,696,600.)

When you recounted your life, can you believe everything you've done?
I've done a lot. I didn't really think about it like that. I thought more, damn how can I remember everything I've done!

How did you get clean?
I went out to California in the middle of 2003 and I changed my people, places and things. My also wanting to pursue a TV and movie career, I knew that in order for me to do that and be successful, I had to leave all of that behind me. I had to because me being a major celebrity, everything that I do, word will travel. I didn't want to build a bad reputation in other states. I wanted to leave all that stuff in New York. That's what really helped me get clean by me not wanting to build up a reputation of me going through neighborhoods buying drugs.

Didn't MC Hammer help your TV career?
Yeah I asked him for his advice on whether I should do 'The Surreal Life' or not. I wasn't going to do it, I figured it was for has-beens, at that time I didn't consider myself a has-been, I considered myself still hot. I asked MC Hammer for his advice and he said I should do it because if I do it then great things could happen afterwards like it did for him and he was right.

And America fell in love with you.
That's because I fell in love with America! You only get back what you give off Nicki!

You lost your virginity when you were very young.
I was six years old. I lost my virginity by experimenting. The girl was the same age as me. We kind of felt a little something funny. We knew it was kind of wrong yet we felt it was kind of natural.

How is that even possible?
I mean I call it a lost virginity when the penis penetrates the vagina, I do consider that a cherry pop.

Ever get tired of schlepping that big clock around?
Never. The clock is American Express. I don't leave home without it. My neck is used to it after all of these years. My neck has developed certain muscles, I forget the clock is around me.

You did a dating show and yet you had a girl friend the whole time.
Yes I did. Well I'm an entertainer, my job is to bring America good TV. In my book I had to write about me being an entertainer but yet after I finished entertaining I go home to my family. Yeah that was kind of difficult but I had to do it. I'm still with my girlfriend, we've been together now going on eight years and we have a kid together.

So when are you going to marry her?
Real soon. I just got to put myself in a much more comfortable state for me to get married. I'm still not in a comfortable state. There are certain things I want to do within myself. I just really want to be in the right financial position before I say 'I do.'

You have seven kids.
Yeah from 25 to 4 and I'm going for three more so I can have my personal 10. I want a starting five and some substitutes. I also have four grand-children and my grand-kids call me grand-daddy. I spoil them as much as I can.

You also had 62 traffic violations.
Over 62. I don't have a license right now but there's just a couple more things that I have to do here in New York to clear that up and once we do that, we are good to go.

You're an avid bowler.
Oh yes, I get down. I'm Flavor Flav Twinkle Toes Flintstone. My average is like 150, 160, stuff like that. Every now and then I get up to 170, 180.

Was your relationship with Brigitte Neilsen real?
That was definitely really, really real. She's married now, she's over in Italy with her husband and children. She's doing good. We speak from time to time.

Hey thanks for speaking to me Flav.
(To the tune of Toni Basil's hit 'Mickey') Oh Nicki you're so fine, you're so fine you blow my mind!

More Q&As From Nicki Gostin: Ice T, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Ferrell, Paul Reiser and Jerry Seinfeld

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=1001693&pid=1001692&uts=1307460579

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/tv/?s_channel=us.tvpop&s_account=aolpopeater,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

The Flavor of Flav

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav performs onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

WireImage

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav performs onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav gestures onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav and GRAMMY Foundation vice president Scott Goldman onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav (L) signs the neck of a fan in the GRAMMY Museum after An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav (L) poses with a fan in the GRAMMY Museum after An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav gestures onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav gestures onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

LOS ANGELES, CA - JUNE 01: Flavor Flav gestures onstage during An Evening With Flavor Flav at The GRAMMY Museum on June 1, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Mark Sullivan/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Flavor Flav promotes the new book "Flavor Flav: The Icon the Memoir" at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe on May 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by T Roth/WireImage)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

NEW YORK, NY - MAY 28: Musican Flavor Flav promotes the new book "Flavor Flav: The Icon the Memoir" at Hue-Man Bookstore & Cafe on May 28, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Marc Stamas/Getty Images)

Flavor Flav Snapshots

Tags: Flavor Flav

Comments

(109)

Tuesday 07 June

By JBaer

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Impressive numbers, but he's got nothing on Rick James.

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Nice going, bonehead. You just brought a heap of trouble on yourself for that remark.

By invmartyc

Stupid is as stupid does!

By aztmblweeed

Ahhh, just another fine example of an imbred racist hillbilly!!

By Patricia,,,,,

That guy is just creepy....How does a 6 year old no about that kind of sex...thats creepy in its self.. 5 mil on drugs..Yep ya can tell I don't see the big attraction with this guy..Hes about as bright as 5 watt bulb..Has nothing in the looks dept. Is it one of those things were its a freak show attraction..and he has off spring too.. ah geez...

By john bruno

Why is anyone surprised at what he spent on drugs?

Just look at the way he "looks".

By Fred

Flavor who? In five years he won't even be a footnote. Why are you giving screen space to this outlandish druggie

By captainmidnight

I'm as ugly as he is and I don't do drugs. I just avoid mirrors, much cheaper in the long run

By R L Baker

Yea, he's got a problem but the real problemis the fools that buy his stuff.

By roger

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

The story should not make him into something he is not; he admits to taking illegal drugs, so why is he able to even tell his story. So many things are not told to the American people yet things like this are. To make it sound exciting to young people rather than having the guy put away for the rest of his life in some hole in Bora Bora.
Then he is able to publish a book telling everyone that buys it how he got away with it. Well I believe that book should never be published, and again put the man in that hole I referred to earlier. It is a shame what is put out for young people to read and watch. It may be censorship yet where will you draw the line. Too much information is a bit ridiculous.

By mike

shame on you!!! dont you know you cant say things like that!!! you know the truth?? riles up the we all hold hands and sing happy songs crowd,, the truth is a ugly thing and best kept hidden

By heldt666

Careful white folks.
Don't say what you are thinking, it might be considered racist.
Just point out the good things about this person.

By cazsue

Right, because no whites do this - not Charlie Sheen, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan, Keith Richards...

Evil racist hypocrites - enjoy your eternity in Hell.

By Benwa

Vote down Vote up Report this

Hmmmmm. Nice things, nice things. Hmmm. Maybe he showers once a week.

By shbkyn

You don't have to say a damn thing, your actions speak louder than your words, no you don't have to say a thing.

Saturday 11 June

By snakemon

With a pile on the table aint no white or black till its gone!

By Jennifer

What a waste of life and a waste of our precious air. Drop dead loser!!!! At least you would be adding fertilizer to the environment when you're dead but right now you are just a taker.

By mike Hall

I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION, AND OF GOD CREATING MAN, BOTH. YOU MIGHT ASK YOURSELF HOW CAN HE SAY HE BELIEVES IN BOTH? WELL LETS SEE NOW ,WE EVOLVED FROM A FORM OF PRIMATES, SO LETS LOOK AT WHICH RACE, LOOKS AND FOR THE MOST PART,ACTS LIKE APES? LARGE FLAT NOSES, VERY THICK LIPS,LOWER LIP PROTRUDING,AND MANY JUST HANGING OPEN? AND ARMS THAT HANG TO THE KNEES WITH A FUNNY WALK. NOW LETS LOOK AT WHO COULD BE MADE IN HIS IMAGE, OF WHICH ID FOUND MANY TIMES IN THE BIBLE. MAN AS WE KNOW HIM CAME FROM THE MIDDLE EAST, AND THE EVOLUTION THEORY CAME FROM THE JUNGLES OF AFRICA, SOMETIMES CALLED THE MOTHER LAND. WITH ALL THIS SAID, WAS FLAV, OUT OF THE JUNGLE AND DID HE EVER TRULY EVOLVE INTO A HUMAN, CERTIANLY HE IS NOT FROM GOD

Gee Mike, I guess we can put away our test tubes and scientific equipment for studying evolution. You figured it all out in ONE CAP LOCK statement.
Which side of that equation are you on again?
By the way, evolution is not a theory, it's the god thing that belongs in the crapper.

By Melody

WOW Mike, didn't know they still made 'em as dumb as you, but apparently y'all are still out there wandering among the civilized, educated world.

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