Flavor Flav Attacked at South Point Casino in Las Vegas

Posted on: January 25, 2018, 01:00h. 

Last updated on: January 25, 2018, 11:10h.

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Expertise: Commercial Gaming.

Rapper and reality television star Flavor Flav was on the receiving end of an attack at the South Point Casino and Hotel. The attack took place late Tuesday evening, and did not result in any serious injuries for Flav.

Flavor Flav
Flavor Flav suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a man who said the rapper had disrespected his mother. (Image: Helen Boast/Redferns/Getty)

According to a report from TMZ, Flav was attacked by a man named Ugandi Howard. Flav reportedly told police that Howard accused him of disrespecting Howard’s mother somehow, then started throwing punches.

Flavor Flav Takes Punches and Kicks

Flav said that he was punched in the face, then fell to the ground. According to him, though, it wasn’t the punch that sent him reeling: instead, he told police that he pulled a groin muscle. Once on the ground, Flav says that Howard kicked him several times.

TMZ released a video of part of the incident, which shows Howard attacking Flav while the rapper is on the ground, with another man stepping in to break up the fight.

During the clip, which appears to have been taken by an onlooker, other casino patrons can be heard calling for security, who do show up and restrain Howard while waiting for police to arrive.

According to police, they cited Howard for misdemeanor battery and was then released. Officers say that the entire incident was caught on surveillance cameras, and that the footage shows Howard throwing the first punch.

Flav was then reportedly taken to St. Rose Sienna Hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

The Original Hype Man

Flav’s real name is William Drayton Jr., but he is much better known by his stage name. Born in Roosevelt, New York, he became one of the first prominent examples of a “hype man” during his time with the hip-hop group Public Enemy. In 2006, he released his first solo album.

Along with the rest of Public Enemy, Flav was inducted into the Rock in Roll Hall of Fame as part of the 2013 class, making them only the fourth hip-hop act to earn that honor.

After falling out of the musical limelight, Flav regained cultural significance when he was invited to be a part of The Surreal Life, a reality television show on VH1 in which once-popular celebrities spend time living together in a mansion.

After developing a relationship with actress Brigitte Nielsen on the program, the two would go on to star in another reality show, Strange Love. When that relationship failed to pan out, Flav moved on to become the star of Flavor of Love.

While Flav looks to be the clear victim in the Tuesday night attack, he has a history of legal issues in and around the Las Vegas area.

In October 2012, Flav was jailed in the city on felony charges after a domestic argument with fiancé Elizabeth Trujillo. In May 2015, he was again arrested near Las Vegas, this time for speeding and driving under the influence.