You ask the man of the hour (and minute, says his clock necklace), “How is Flavor Flav today?”
The cultural icon says, “I’m like a coat in the closet, just hangin’ in there, baby.”
Flav is always good for a smile. His latest single, with Chuck D of Public Enemy, is called, “Every Where Man,” and he is certainly that.
Just this month, the man born William Drayton Jr. appeared at the Clark County Commission to pitch the SHE Weekend parade and parties in July, which is a celebration of female Olympic athletes. He was also a VIP invitee to the Maroon restaurant opening at Sahara, where his buddy Busta Rhymes was the pop-up performer in Sahara Theater. He sat (and stood) courtside at the Aces’ opener against the L.A. Sparks. And Tuesday, he was on the glass with his 19-year-old son, Karma Drayton, at the Golden Knights’ NHL Western Conference Final clincher over the Colorado Avalanche.
Flav is running point for all Vegas teams.
“Check this out, you might find this funny, what I want to be to the Aces and to the Golden Knights is what Spike Lee was to the Knicks,” Flav, a local Las Vegan, says. “I want to be there for the Raiders, too. I love my Las Vegas teams, Bro!”
Always, Flav’s passion for Las Vegas’ major-league teams, and Las Vegas generally, shines through. More highlights from our chat with the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer:
He will follow the Golden Knights through the Stanley Cup Final. Flav cut a hype video for the team in its first season in 2017 and has been in VGK’s celeb community since.
“I am Day One with the Golden Knights, for sure,” Flav says. “We’re talking the expansion season. I was fired up. They came in when we really, really needed them. They really started a new era for sports in Las Vegas. Where we are now, and where we are going, started with them.” He “absolutely” will be at T-Mobile on June 6 for the Golden Knights’ first Stanley Cup Final home game against the Carolina Hurricanes.
SHE Weekend cleared a big hurdle with its county approval. The four-day event is a partnership with MGM Resorts International. The Flav-conceived festival honors female U.S. Olympic and Paralympic medalists, starting with a parade on the Strip at 8 p.m. July 16 and culminating with a concert at Toshiba Plaza at T-Mobile Arena. Public Enemy, Sheila E., Blu DeTiger and Grace Bowers are scheduled to perform.
“The update, the revelation, I can tell you is everything is going smoooooth for SHE Weekend,” Flav says. “Everything is going according to His plan.”
He is quite fond of Mark Davis. Flav joined Flo Rida at halftime of the Raiders-Steelers game in October 2024. He has backed the team since Davis moved them to Las Vegas.
“I love Mark Davis. He owns two of my favorite teams,” Flav says. “Hey, and not only that, but Mark Davis loves himself some Flavor Flav. Every time I see Mark, and I talk to Mark, it’s always a good time. He is very, very down-to-earth people.”
He is hyped about the Aces. “The Aces are doing fantastic — I was just at the Aces game the other night,” Flav says, lavishing praise on the team’s four-time WNBA MVP. “A’ja Wilson ain’t no joke, do you hear me? No joke. I want to get back to even more games, because I am a very big Aces fan.”
He never tires of being Flav. The 67-year-old cultural icon is a lightning rod for energy in his personal appearances. This is largely due to his personal appearance. The blinged shades, color-splashed track suits and trademark clock necklaces make him a walking brand.
But Flav says he never tires of being Flav. He says he gained an appreciation for maximizing his experiences after the recent passing of his friend and fellow hip-hop star Rob Base.
“That took a chunk out of me, losing Rob, and a lot of my friends from my era have passed away,” Flav says. “Listen, life is short. It’s the blink of an eye. I’m creating the most positive memories that I can, while I’m here. I just love people, and I think they love some Flavor Flav.”
Marino to call it
It seems I’ve written of drag icon Frank Marino’s retirement from the stage before … Yep, in November 2019. But that was just the formal retirement of his Joan Rivers role.
Marino has since performed an unnamed, Rivers-like character. But Sunday he has announced he is halting the entire act, with a 3 p.m. Sunday performance of “Divas Las Vegas” at 24 Oxford at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas.
The show ends Marino’s 41-year career in Las Vegas. In September, also at 24 Oxford, he celebrated his 40th anniversary of the opening of Riviera’s “An Evening at La Cage.”
We thought then Marino might have closed his career. But he extended for a few more shows and a chance to close the curtain properly in Las Vegas.
Yes, this happened
Fontainebleau Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer attempted to read NFL legend Tom Brady’s mind during “Mind2Mind’s” preview show Thursday at Fontainebleau’s Azul lounge. This was a stage routine, conjured by the husband-and-wife team of James Harrington and Mariani Liani. The extended engagement is the first ticketed show at Azul and the first extended engagement in Las Vegas for Harrington and Liani.
“Mind2Mind” opens Thursday, and runs through Sept. 27. And to clarify, Soffer and Brady are not in the ongoing production.
Cool Hang Alert
On the topic of Soffer and Brady and Fontainebleau, we highly recommend checking out the Hall of Excellence on the second floor. Broadcast great Jim Gray is also a partner. The space is laden — laden, I tell you! — with amazing sports and entertainment memorabilia. Brady’s seven Super Bowl rings glisten under the glass. The Hall is open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Thursdays through Mondays. Go to fontainebleaulasvegas.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykatson X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.