How Flavor Flav Became the Unofficial Bluesky Hype Man and Platform Ambassador

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As a long-time admirer of Flavor Flav and his larger than life personality, I’ve been absolutely thrilled to witness his recent foray into the world of social media as an ambassador for Bluesky. The man has always had a knack for making any situation more enjoyable, whether it’s his on-stage antics or his memorable catchphrases like “Yeah, boyeeeee.

As the number of users on the emerging social media platform, Bluesky, grows exponentially, with many leaving Twitter due to its deteriorating environment under recent management and the return of Donald Trump, an unforeseen representative for the blossoming competitor has surfaced: Flavor Flav.

After joining Bluesky two weeks ago on November 8th with an opening post that read, “I’m here,,, let’s get this party started,!!”, Flav has taken on the role of a town herald for the platform. Some speculate that Bluesky could compete with Twitter following a series of updates, which have led some to view it as a breeding ground for misinformation and an unwelcome exposure to right-wing accounts and media. As per a November 13 post by Bluesky’s CEO Jay Graber, the site boasted 6 million users in late August, 10.8 million in late October, and surpassed 15 million users on November 15th.

Flav, the man adorning a clock-shaped pendant as a necklace and a founding member of the groundbreaking hip-hop group Public Enemy, often serves as a humorous contrast to Chuck D’s intense, politically charged, and serious rhymes. After his initial success, he transitioned into reality television stardom, starting with a significant role in the VH1 series “The Surreal Life” and later taking leading roles on “Strange Love” and “Flavor of Love.” Frequently referring to himself in the third person, he’s also well-known for his catchphrase, “Yeah, boyeeeee,” which he often repeats multiple times during his stage or screen performances.

Ever since the surge of popularity brought about by the “#Xodus,” Flav has been warmly receiving new celebrities onto the platform, even taking on an informal role as a verifier. For instance, when it appeared that GloRilla had joined Bluesky, Flav welcomed the account but inquired about their previous encounter earlier in the year.

Hey GLO, do I know you from this year? This is what Flav asked in a post. After someone inquired if he had answered the security question, he replied: “It’s neither her nor Angel, I’ve revoked their follows.

Another user replied with what everyone on the platform may be thinking: “Flav the only one I trust on this.”

As a passionate fan, I’ve noticed that this influential figure in both rap and pop culture is not only growing their own following, but also boosting others on the platform. They’ve been curating and sharing what Bluesky refers to as “starter packs” – essential guides for newcomers, suggesting accounts to follow based on specific topics. For instance, the Black Excellence starter pack features powerhouses like pop sensation 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, representing Flav, stated to The Hollywood Reporter on Friday that she encouraged him to engage more on Bluesky, as Twitter had always been a powerful platform for him and where news outlets would source stories about his activities. Despite some of his Bluesky posts discussing the ongoing problems with Twitter, Ellis noted that he has no intention of completely leaving it. However, the joy and excitement he derives from Bluesky is quite evident.

“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 isn’t an investor or part of Bluesky’s official circle, but she did communicate with their team about arranging a live stream featuring their CEO, Jay Graber, and herself. An email sent to Bluesky by THR on Friday hasn’t been responded to yet.

“It’s still a new platform but the technology and the goals and their team seem to be a positive change for the future,” Rae said. 

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2024-11-23 04:54