Chuck D and Flavor Flav performing at L.A.’s the Art of Rap Festival in 2016. Photo: Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

Days after Flavor Flav attempted to stop the Bernie Sanders campaign from advertising a Public Enemy performance at the senator’s Sunday night rally, the group has reportedly dismissed the longtime member and hype man. “Public Enemy and Public Enemy Radio will be moving forward without Flavor Flav,” the group said in a statement Sunday, as reported by Rolling Stone. “We thank him for his years of service and wish him well.”

The rapper and former reality TV star took issue with bandmate Chuck D’s decision to perform the pre–Super Tuesday event under the name Public Enemy Radio, calling it “deceptive marketing,” since it suggests Flavor Flav’s endorsement, though he would not be in attendance, nor had he given his blessing.

“While Chuck is certainly free to express his political views as he sees fit — his voice alone does not speak for Public Enemy,” Flav’s lawyer Matthew H. Friedman said in a statement. “The planned performance will only be Chuck D of Public Enemy, it will not be a performance by Public Enemy.” The statement concluded, “There is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav.”

Well, we’ve apparently got some bad news on that front, Flav. The hip-hop group might have just turned each other into private enemies, but Public Enemy Radio is, in fact, performing tonight in support of Sanders, alongside speakers Sarah Silverman and Dick Van Dyke, which you can see here.

In response to Flavor Flav’s attempt to shut down the set, Chuck D took to Twitter Sunday. “I am a political artist of song that worldwide known I make myself heard & seen outside my ART -Music only to Make you make YOUR decision & NOT be a damn robot in 2020,” the rapper wrote. “Here. I Aint a damn celeb. I aint sellin drinks. I impact with Art & Song-Pay Attention stop Playing Attention.”

About the Flav drama, he later tweeted, “I gotta leave him at the crib so ya’ll trying to fill his persona with some political aplomb is absolutely ‘stupid.’ Obviously I understand his craziness after all this damn time. Duh you don’t know him from a box of cigars or me either.” Lest you think the drama is entirely about Bernie, the pair has famously feuded over numerous issues in the past.

Update, March 2: Turns out, Chuck D had a lot more to say. After performing at the Bernie Sanders rally, he hopped right back onto Twitter to talk his talk. “If there was a $bag, Flav would’ve been there front & center,” he wrote in the first of three tweets. “He will NOT do free benefit shows. Sued me in court the 1st time I let him back in. His ambulance lawyer sued me again on Friday & so now he stays home & better find REHAB.” Strong words. He backed ‘em up with two more tweets explaining why he created Public Enemy Radio without Flav and, yes, those tweets also contain an interestingly placed dollar sign.

Spoke @BernieSanders rally with @EnemyRadio. If there was a $bag, Flav would’ve been there front & center. He will NOT do free benefit shows. Sued me in court the 1st time I let him back in. His ambulance lawyer sued me again on Friday & so now he stays home & better find REHAB — Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 2, 2020

I heard I’m trending, like I care . I built @EnemyRadioRS so it does benefits & fundraisers ... He said he never gonna do them. So his refusal to do @HarryBelafonte #ManyRiversFestival in Atlanta 2016 was my last time. I built Enemy Radio to get far away from that ridiculousness. — Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 2, 2020

93yr old @harrybelafonte could bust his ass come 3000 mls to present PublicEnemy its @rockhall induction 2013 ( many still are clueless on) &anyone feel that they cannot give a ounce of time to reciprocate that honor to his @Sankofa fundraiser-to judge a Bikini $how. #Ungrateful — Chuck D (@MrChuckD) March 2, 2020

Flavor Flav has now responded to his firing on Twitter (where else?) in a new series of tweets to Chuck D blasting him for breaking up the group. “You wanna destroy something we’ve built over 35 years OVER POLITICS???” he wrote, “all because I don’t wanna endorse a candidate.” He also denied Chuck’s accusations of drug abuse, claiming he’s been sober for ten years, and clarified that he did not sue Chuck or the group over their Bernie performance but “asked the Bernie Sanders campaign to correct misleading marketing” that Flav was involved. He continues, “I’m not your employee,,,i’m your partner,,,you can’t fire me,,,there is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav,,,so let’s get it right Chuck.”

.@MrChuckD are you kidding me right now???,,,over Bernie Sanders??? You wanna destroy something we've built over 35 years OVER POLITICS???,,,all because I don't wanna endorse a candidate,,,I'm very disappointed in you and your decisions right now Chuck,,, — FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) March 2, 2020

Also .@MrChuckD,,,i'm not on drugs like you're saying and have been clean for 10 years,,,i have battled addiction before and like millions of other Americans I know the massive toll it takes,,,Chuck you know better than to lie about shit like that,,,, — FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) March 2, 2020

And .@MrChuckD,,,i didn't sue you on Friday,,,i asked the @berniesanders campaign to correct misleading marketing,,,that's all it was,,,I'm not your employee,,,i'm your partner,,,you can't fire me,,,there is no Public Enemy without Flavor Flav,,,so let's get it right Chuck,,, — FLAVOR FLAV (@FlavorFlav) March 2, 2020

Update, March 3: Somehow, this war of words isn’t over yet. Public Enemy has released another statement, in response to Flavor Flav’s tweets, clarifying that he wasn’t let go over politics. They claim that he’s actually been “on suspension” from the group since 2016 after failing to show up to a Harry Belafonte benefit following a series of other missed shows and work commitments. “He always chose to party over work,” the statement alleges. It ends, “It’s time to move on and everyone wishes Flavor well.” Read the full statement below: