Current:Home > InvestFlavor Flav goes viral after national anthem performance at Milwaukee Bucks game: Watch -Blueprint Money Mastery
Flavor Flav goes viral after national anthem performance at Milwaukee Bucks game: Watch
View
Date:2025-04-13 00:26:15
Flavor Flav might not have immediately come to mind as an option when the Milwaukee Bucks said during the offseason that the team was seeking performers for the national anthem.
But the rapper, a member of the legendary group Public Enemy who famously rapped "Fight the Power," sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Sunday night's Bucks game at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, making his mark as the second performer of the new season.
The rendition certainly caught the attention of many on social media.
Flavor Flav, who donned in a No. 59 Milwaukee Bucks jersey, white hoodie and red blinged-out medallion, sang the anthem to the best of his ability, as the crowd looked on. A few Milwaukee Bucks players were seen trying to hold in or hide their laughter.
Flavor Flav received a small applause from the crowd after reaching the high note on "the rockets red glare" and "the land of the free."
Once he reached "home of the brave," he repeated the final verse three times, receiving applause with some in the audience giving a standing ovation.
Though some weren't fond of the performance, others compared Flav's performance to other renditions from the past that went viral, such as U.S. Olympian Carl Lewis' rendition in 1993 in New Jersey. The nine-time Olympic gold medalist's rendition was considered so poor that ESPN hosts famously struggled to make it through the segment.
There was also Fergie at the 2018 NBA All-Star Game. That performance went viral as NBA superstars were caught on camera unable to hold in their laughter.
Flavor Flav did take to X, formerly known as Twitter, following the performance. He said the anthem was a "long time bucket list item" and he had "fun" during his performance.
"I can't live my life worried about what people might say about me," he added. "I won't let that stop me from trying new things and doing things I wanna do. Some people might not like that. But a sure failure is you stop trying."
Flavor Flav is known for bringing star power – or as Public Enemy group mate Chuck D said in his fine art book, "Livin’ Loud: ARTitation," Flavor Flav's job is "to come into the room and 'suck the stardom out of it.'"
"You can be the icing on the cake and be the spectacle, but it takes the rest to be spectacular," Chuck D told USA TODAY. "I always urged him, 'You’ve done the spectacle. Now work on the spectacular.' But it’s always good (between us)."
Contributing: Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
10 years later:the 'worst anthem' singer is on a Star-Spangled redemption tour
veryGood! (42617)
Related
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- Burundi’s president claims Rwanda is backing rebels fighting against his country
- Prosecutors urge appeals court to reject Trump’s immunity claims in election subversion case
- RFK Jr. meets signature threshold in Utah to qualify for ballot
- Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
- Vehicle crashes on NJ parkway; the driver dies in a shootout with police while 1 officer is wounded
- 6.5 magnitude earthquake shakes part of Indonesia’s Papua region, no immediate reports of casualties
- In a crisis-ridden world, Germany’s chancellor uses his New Year’s speech to convey confidence
- North Carolina justices rule for restaurants in COVID
- What does Watch Night mean for Black Americans today? It dates back to the Emancipation Proclamation
Ranking
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Maine secretary of state who opted to keep Trump off primary ballot is facing threat of impeachment
- 6.5 magnitude earthquake shakes part of Indonesia’s Papua region, no immediate reports of casualties
- NFL on Saturday: Dallas Cowboys vs. Detroit Lions with playoff seeding at stake
- Biden administration makes final diplomatic push for stability across a turbulent Mideast
- Frank Thomas blasts 'irresponsible' Fox News after network mistakenly claimed he died
- SoundHound AI Stock has plunged. But could it be on the upswing next year?
- Amazon partners with Hyundai to sell cars for the first time
Recommendation
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Watch as Florida firefighters, deputies save family's Christmas after wreck drowns gifts
Pregnant Jessie James Decker Enjoys Beach Trip With Big Daddy Eric Decker
Judge blocks most of an Iowa law banning some school library books and discussion of LGBTQ+ issues
John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
Salmon won't return to the Klamath River overnight, but tribes are ready for restoration work
BlendJet recalls nearly 5 million blenders after reports of property damage, injuries
Gunmen kill 6 people, wound 26 others in attack on party in northern Mexico border state