Flavor Flav and Chuck D of Public Enemy have been visiting families who were displaced by the recent Los Angeles wildfires.
- READ MORE: LA music community tell us about “tragic” impact of wildfires: “This will be felt for years”
The two rappers are raising money with the BMAC (Black Music Action Coalition), with Flav initially teaming up with them to launch a GoFundMe page to benefit displaced Black households in Pasadena and Altadena.
“There’s not enough being done for the Black families and the communities,” he wrote on social media announcing the partnership. “Come on, y’all. Let’s make L.A. strong, baby. Let’s help those in need.”
Now, they’ve visited Altadena alongside BMAC founder Prophet, to meet the families that lost their homes in the fires that took place in early January. A video shared on the organisation’s social media shows them hugging those impacted by the disaster and listening to their stories, including a young boy named Grayson, who tells the rappers that his drum set was destroyed in the fire.
“This was definitely needed,” Flav says in the clip. “I’m honoured to be here. My heart goes out to everybody that lost homes, pets, all of that stuff. Businesses and everything.”
Public Enemy then performed at BMAC’s ReStore & ReBuild fundraiser concert on Thursday (January 29), where they rapped ‘Fight the Power’ and presented Grayson and his mother with $5,000, per Variety.
Watch the clips below.
(@mrchuckd)
(@flavorflavofficial)In January, Chuck D hit out at those using Public Enemy‘s ‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ to celebrate the disastrous LA wildfires.
“‘Burn Hollywood Burn’ is a protest song extracted from the Watts rebellion monikered by the magnificent Montague in 1965 against inequality when he said ‘burn baby burn’ across the air. We made mind-revolution songs aimed at a one-sided exploitation by an industry.”
He added that the track “has nothing to do with families losing everything they have in a natural disaster. Learn the history. Godspeed to those in loss.”
FireAid, a concert to raise funds for relief efforts, took place on Thursday (January 30), and saw the likes of Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, Katy Perry, Joni Mitchell, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sting, Stevie Nicks, Gracie Abrams, Olivia Rodrigo and Peso Pluma perform.
Earlier, Billie Eilish and Green Day teamed up for a live rendition of ‘Last Night On Earth’ at the venue, and the surviving members of Nirvana – Krist Novoselic, Dave Grohl and Pat Smear also made a surprise appearance at the Kia Forum.
The trio performed Nirvana cuts ‘Breed’ with St. Vincent on vocals, ‘School’ with Kim Gordon and ‘Territorial Pissings’ with Joan Jett while Grohl’s daughter Violet took the mic for ‘All Apologies’.
Many musicians stepped up to help out the affected communities in the aftermath of the fires. Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD foundation donated $2.5million to help to relief efforts. Paris Hilton also launched a fund for families displaced by the fires, pledging $100,000 and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations. Dave Grohl also spent his birthday making meals for families that had been affected.
The post Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav and Chuck D visit families who lost their homes in the L.A. Wildfires appeared first on NME.
