Flavor Flav

LAS VEGAS – DECEMBER 04: Flavor Flav arriving at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, MGM Grand Hotel December 04, 2006 in Las Vegas, NV, s_bukley/Bigstock.com

Birth Name: William Jonathan Drayton

Place of Birth: Roosevelt, Long Island, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: March 16, 1959

Ethnicity: African-American, likely small amount of Shinnecock Native American

Flavor Flav is an American rapper, hype man, musician, and television personality. He is a founding member of hip hop group Public Enemy. He has also starred on the reality shows The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and Flavor of Love. He is known for wearing clocks around his neck. Chuck D is also a member of Public Enemy.

Flavor Flav grew up in Freeport, Long Island, the son of Anna and William Drayton. His parents were also born in Long Island. He has eight children.

Flavor’s paternal grandfather was named William Drayton (the son of Joseph Drayton and Harriett/Hattie). William was born in South Carolina, to a father from Georgia and a mother from South Carolina.

Flavor’s paternal grandmother was named Estell/Stella Mitchell (the daughter of Charles Mitchell and Sarah). Estell was born in New York, to parents who were also born there. Sarah was born in Suffolk, the daughter of William Henry Cuffey/Cuffee and Sarah Jane. Flavor Flav has stated that he is a cousin of rapper Ol’ Dirty Bastard through his Cuffey/Cuffee line. Ol’ Dirty Bastard had said that he had Shinnecock Native American ancestry through the same family line. The Shinnecock are a Native American tribe, of mixed African-American descent, based in Suffolk, New York. The Cuffey/Cuffee name is a common Shinnecock name, and the Cuffee line of his family was based in Suffolk.

Flavor’s maternal grandfather was named Ossie Deleston (the son of Frank Deleston and Sarah). Ossie was born in South Carolina.

Flavor’s maternal grandmother was named Mary White. Mary was born in South Carolina.

Sources: Genealogies of Flavor Flav’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org

Article about Flavor Flav’s mother, with picture – https://www.bet.com