As the social media platform Bluesky continues to attract millions of followers, many of whom are fleeing Twitter after its toxic slide under new ownership and following the re-election of Donald Trump, an unexpected ambassador for the fledgling rival has emerged: Flavor Flav.
Since joining Bluesky two weeks ago on Nov. 8 with an initial post announcing, “I’m here,,, letz get this party started,!!,” Flav has become something of a town crier for the platform that may rival Twitter after a series of changes have turned it into what some describe as a cesspool of misinformation and forced exposure to right-wing accounts and media. According to a Nov. 13 post by Bluesky CEO Jay Graber, the site had 6 million users in late August, nearly 11 million in late October and hit 15 million users on Nov. 15.
Flav, the clock-necklace-sporting founding member of the seminal rap group Public Enemy who plays comic foil to Chuck D’s angry, politically-leaning and very serious verses, had a second act as a reality television star, beginning with a key cast member role in the VH1 reality series The Surreal Life and then starring roles on Strange Love and Flavor of Love. Known to speak of himself in the third person, he’s also famous for the popular affirmation, “Yeah, boyeeeee,” which he tends to drop several times while performing on stages or TV screens.
Since the platform took off on its current wave following the “#Xodus,” Flav has been welcome incoming celebrities to the fold. He’s even become an unofficial verifier of sorts for the platform. When GloRilla was thought to have turned up on Bluesky, Flav welcomed the account — but then asked where he and GloRilla had met earlier in the year.
“YOOOO GLO,,, if dis you,,, where did meet at this year,??” Flav wrote in a post. Two replies later, after a user inquired if the security question was answered, he wrote: “It ain’t her,,, and it ain’t Angel,,, revoked my follows.”
Another user replied with what everyone on the platform may be thinking: “Flav the only one I trust on this.”
The rapper and pop culture personality has also been getting followers for other users of the platform, creating and sharing what Bluesky calls “starter packs” that tell newbies which accounts to follow around certain topics. The Black Excellence starter pack, for example, includes pop singer Janelle Monáe, actor LeVar Burton and writer Roxane Gay.
And in town crier mode, Flav has been announcing the arrival of various celebs as they make the leap from Twitter to Bluesky or just start their account.
Rhiannon Rae Ellis, who represents Flav, told The Hollywood Reporter on Friday that she encouraged him to be active on Bluesky as X (previously known as Twitter) was always a strong platform for him — and also where news outlets would find stories about his activities and antics. Though some of his posts on Bluesky mention the ongoing issues people are having with X, Ellis says he does not plan to leave that platform altogether. However, the infectious good time he’s having with Bluesky is apparent.
“It seems like he’s taken to using this site,” Ellis said. “I know he’s had celeb friends reach out to verify them and he’s reached out to his celeb friends to verify them as well. There are people, like Flav, who do not have personal websites and are not verified through that process.”
Flav has no shares or official involvement with Bluesky, she said but mentioned that the team there did reach out to do a live stream between CEO Jay Graber and Flav. An email sent to Bluesky on Friday from THR was not immediately returned.
“It’s still a new platform but the technology and the goals and their team seem to be a positive change for the future,” Ellis said.
English (US) ·