William Drayton Jr., better known to the world as Flavor Flav, was assaulted in Las Vegas on Tuesday.
The rapper was at the South Point Casino, where the whole attack was caught on video. According to TMZ, Flavor Flav old police that the assailant approached him, accusing the rapper of somehow insulting his mother. The attacker punched Flavor Flav in the face, knocking him to the ground. He continued punching and kicking the music icon while he was down.
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The alleged attacker’s name is Ugandi Howard. With the help of casino security, police took him into custody. Ultimately, however, he was cited for battery and released on the spot.
Meanwhile, Flavor Flav reportedly went to the nearest hospital to be checked out. The 58-year-old musician only had minor injuries, though he told reporters that he’d pulled a groin muscle when Howard surprised him.
Law enforcement confirmed that they’d looked at the casino’s security footage, and Howard seemed to initiate the altercation, throwing the first punch.
It’s unclear if Flavor Flav intends to press charges. The rapper is already embroiled in another court case, with potentially higher stakes. In August, he filed a lawsuit against former bandmate Chuck D and two business managers, accusing the three of them of conspiring to withhold his royalties. The suit seemed to air a lot of dirty laundry for the two performers, who are considered pioneers of hip hop music. According to Variety, Flavor Flav feels that Chuck and the managers have worked to “to minimize his role in the Public Enemy business,” while exploiting “his fame and persona to market the brand.”
Chuck D has denied these claims, though the issue between the two old collaborators remains unresolved. Last week, it was announced that their song “Fight The Power” would be inducted into the Grammy hall of fame, putting Public Enemy alongside Whitney Houston and Nirvana, this year’s other inductees.