Rap legend Flavor Flav says he’s recommitted to sobriety, following a relapse this spring. The Public Enemy co-founder spoke at the 2025 Black Music Action Coalition Gala, saying he is “back on point” after a brief stumble. He made clear that his renewed resolve is for life.
Relapse and Public Accountability
Earlier this year, in April, the 66-year-old artist admitted on Instagram that he “briefly relapsed,” after more than four years clean. He framed the disclosure as essential: “I say this to admit my mistake and publicly hold myself accountable.”
In the same message, he reflected on the journey: “I remain authentic to who I am and a large part of the past 4.5 years for me has been my sobriety journey.”
Flav emphasized that a relapse doesn’t erase progress. “We make mistakes,” he said, “but just because you fall doesn’t mean you stay down.”
The Road Forward: From “Day One” Again
At the gala, Flav delivered a message of perseverance. “Right now it’s going very well. I’m back on point. I’m back on track … And this is the way that I plan on staying for the rest of my life,” he told crowds.
He offered guidance to others facing similar struggles. “If you take a fall, don’t lay there and stay stuck,” he said. He then added: “You got to get up off of that fall and you have to K-I-M — keep it moving.”
Sharing that he had reset his sobriety, Flav said: “I went back to Day 1, again. Time didn’t stop, my journey continues.”
Flav also reminded audiences of the magnitude of what he overcame. Before 2020, when his sobriety officially began, he told a podcast he had spent “$2,400 to $2,600 a day … for six years straight” on drugs.
He has been outspoken about how addiction was hidden behind functioning well outwardly. He also linked mental health to his recovery, making clear that therapy plays a big role.