Hip-hop icon Flavor Flav is calling on America to implement a nationwide ban on firearms, warning that “our kids aren’t safe” as the country faces what he calls an “epidemic of gun violence.”
The 66-year-old Public Enemy co-founder, born William Jonathan Drayton Jr., made his emotional plea in a passionate Independence Day op-ed for Newsweek. Drawing from personal experience, including a 1993 incident that landed him behind bars on an attempted murder charge, Flav said the U.S. has reached a breaking point.
“This happens so often, we have started to become numb to it as a society,” he wrote, referencing the recent deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia. “Our schools aren’t safe, and our kids aren’t safe. This is because gun protection laws are weak.”
Flav, a father of nine, admitted his perspective has shifted drastically since his younger years, when he says guns and drugs were normalized in Black communities and seen as symbols of power.
“Back in the day, we were taught that guns and drugs equaled power,” he wrote. “We all had guns. There was peer pressure. A gun felt like a necessity to protect yourself from gang wars. This helped create a system of criminals who were forced into legalized slavery.”
In his column, Flav described today’s gun violence crisis as “domestic errorism” and said lax laws have allowed weapons to fall into the wrong hands. “I would know,” he said. “I went to jail because of guns. I ended up on Rikers Island. I’m speaking from firsthand experience.”
Citing the growing number of active shooter incidents, Flav said he no longer sees a place for civilians to own semi-automatic weapons. “Stop putting a price tag on the heads of our children,” he wrote.
He continued: “Fear is a powerful, short-term motivator. Let’s flip it. Let our fear of losing our children be more powerful than our fear of the next-door neighbor.”
Flavor Flav, who helped lead Public Enemy to Grammy recognition and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2013, ended his piece with a rallying cry for reform and unity, urging lawmakers and citizens alike to prioritize children’s safety over political loyalty or profit.
His message echoes growing calls across the country to address the gun crisis with meaningful legislation—before more lives are lost.
