'King Swiftie' Flavor Flav Calls Taylor Swift 'One of the Most Important Artists of Our Time' (Exclusive)

Mar. 15, 2025

Taylor Swift and Flavor Flav at the iHeartRadio Music Awards in Los Angeles in March 2023.Photo:Kevin Mazur/Getty

Kevin Mazur/Getty

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the latest episode ofThe Masked Singer.Flavor Flavbrought the flavor of love toThe Masked Singer.“I enjoyed jumping in and out of that costume,” the rapper, 65, tells PEOPLE of performing as Space Ranger on season 13.  “But I ain’t going to lie, under that mask, it could get so hot. At one point, I was running out of ventilation under that bad boy. But I said, I’m Flavor Flav and I can pull off anything, and I know I could pull off this costume. I know I can make it work. So that’s what I did.”Flav made hisMasked Singerdebut with Group B in the show’s March 5 episode, during which he sangTaylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.” On March 12’sGhostbustersnight, Flav received the least amount of votes from the judges and studio audience after performing “Cleaning Up the Town” and unmasked.“I was a little sad that the suspense had to end so soon,” thefather of eightadmits. “And not only that, but it was a dead giveaway! I’ve got one of the most distinctive voices in the history of music and television. Then they showed my clock belt. Who else wears clocks? Nobody wears clocks! But I got to knock something off that was on my bucket list and I had fun doing it. And I think I did a good job.”Flavor Flav as Space Ranger on ‘The Masked Singer’ season 13.Michael Becker/FOXFlav shares which celebrity friend called him out for being onThe Masked Singer, what he meant when he called Swift, 35, his bestie and what he thinks fans still don’t know about him.PEOPLE: How are you feeling after being eliminated?FLAVOR FLAV: I’m doing all right, maxing and relaxing like a coat in the closet, just hanging in there. I was kind of sad to see myself go after the second episode, because I did want to stick around and last a little bit longer. I was having fun with the show. I love having fun, surprising people and fooling people.It seemed like host Nick Cannon knew who you were before you even opened your mouth.I felt so proud. Because I always been a bigNick Cannonfan. And way before Nick wasWild ‘n Out, I was wilding out first, since 1986. He’s one of my most favorite people on the planet. When I started performing, they showed him on the side, dancing. He was doing my dances. That was another part of the giveaway. That man was happy I was there.Flavor Flav at VeeCon 2024 in Los Angeles in August 2024.Chelsea Guglielmino/GettyAre your kids fans of the show?My kids are fans of the show, and I called them last night, and told them to make sure that they watch it. I’m quite sure I’m going to get some good feedback from the kids.Have any of your famous friends reached out to let you know they know you’re on the show?Yeah, definitely. One of my most famous friends that reached out to me, my boy,Flo Rida. Flo Rida is my boy. He was always one of the wild ones, too. I had a nice little talk with Flo and he said, “Yo, man, I knew that was you up under that mask.” I said, “Yep, you’re right.” Because he knows my voice. Everybody knows my voice.Flo Rida and Flavor Flav in Las Vegas in February 2024.Jesse Grant/GettyWell, you did fool the judges a little bit. What did you make of them guessing you as Tracy Morgan and Floyd Mayweather?That was crazy. I’m like,Floyd? Wow. How did you get Floyd out of this?In your debut clue package, you called Taylor Swift your bestie. How would you describe your relationship with her?I always go hard for Taylor Swift. The Swifties, they know how hard I go in for Taylor Swift. The Swifties gave me a brand new name calledKing Swiftie. So I’m King Swiftie. I’m king of all the Swifties, And Taylor, she knows that too. I love her. I love her work. She’s one of the most important artists of our time. I don’t know no other musical artists that can throw a concert, and it hits the Richter scale. She causes earthquakes.You’ve been in the business for decades now, but even after doing this show, is there anything that you think people still don’t know about you?A lot of people don’t know that I can sing, that I can hold a note. I’d say [I’m one of] the most humblest people in the business. Because you can walk up to Flav, you could get a handshake, you could get a hug, you could get a picture. I walk around with no bodyguards. I use the world as my bodyguard. And I’m never rude to people, never mean and nasty to people.What do people usually come up to you and say that they recognize you from, or what their favorite song is?Well, a lot of people today recognize me from reality television, but they don’t remember that I did come from rap music,Public Enemy. A lot of people give me my flowers for molding, shaping and reshaping reality television. I just take it all in. I embrace it and I love it.Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.The Masked Singerairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

Warning: This post contains spoilers from the latest episode ofThe Masked Singer.

Flavor Flavbrought the flavor of love toThe Masked Singer.

“I enjoyed jumping in and out of that costume,” the rapper, 65, tells PEOPLE of performing as Space Ranger on season 13.  “But I ain’t going to lie, under that mask, it could get so hot. At one point, I was running out of ventilation under that bad boy. But I said, I’m Flavor Flav and I can pull off anything, and I know I could pull off this costume. I know I can make it work. So that’s what I did.”

Flav made hisMasked Singerdebut with Group B in the show’s March 5 episode, during which he sangTaylor Swift’s “Bad Blood.” On March 12’sGhostbustersnight, Flav received the least amount of votes from the judges and studio audience after performing “Cleaning Up the Town” and unmasked.

“I was a little sad that the suspense had to end so soon,” thefather of eightadmits. “And not only that, but it was a dead giveaway! I’ve got one of the most distinctive voices in the history of music and television. Then they showed my clock belt. Who else wears clocks? Nobody wears clocks! But I got to knock something off that was on my bucket list and I had fun doing it. And I think I did a good job.”

Flavor Flav as Space Ranger on ‘The Masked Singer’ season 13.Michael Becker/FOX

Michael Becker/FOX

Flav shares which celebrity friend called him out for being onThe Masked Singer, what he meant when he called Swift, 35, his bestie and what he thinks fans still don’t know about him.

PEOPLE: How are you feeling after being eliminated?

FLAVOR FLAV: I’m doing all right, maxing and relaxing like a coat in the closet, just hanging in there. I was kind of sad to see myself go after the second episode, because I did want to stick around and last a little bit longer. I was having fun with the show. I love having fun, surprising people and fooling people.

It seemed like host Nick Cannon knew who you were before you even opened your mouth.

I felt so proud. Because I always been a bigNick Cannonfan. And way before Nick wasWild ‘n Out, I was wilding out first, since 1986. He’s one of my most favorite people on the planet. When I started performing, they showed him on the side, dancing. He was doing my dances. That was another part of the giveaway. That man was happy I was there.

Flavor Flav at VeeCon 2024 in Los Angeles in August 2024.Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty

Chelsea Guglielmino/Getty

Are your kids fans of the show?

My kids are fans of the show, and I called them last night, and told them to make sure that they watch it. I’m quite sure I’m going to get some good feedback from the kids.

Have any of your famous friends reached out to let you know they know you’re on the show?

Yeah, definitely. One of my most famous friends that reached out to me, my boy,Flo Rida. Flo Rida is my boy. He was always one of the wild ones, too. I had a nice little talk with Flo and he said, “Yo, man, I knew that was you up under that mask.” I said, “Yep, you’re right.” Because he knows my voice. Everybody knows my voice.

Flo Rida and Flavor Flav in Las Vegas in February 2024.Jesse Grant/Getty

Jesse Grant/Getty

Well, you did fool the judges a little bit. What did you make of them guessing you as Tracy Morgan and Floyd Mayweather?

That was crazy. I’m like,Floyd? Wow. How did you get Floyd out of this?

In your debut clue package, you called Taylor Swift your bestie. How would you describe your relationship with her?

I always go hard for Taylor Swift. The Swifties, they know how hard I go in for Taylor Swift. The Swifties gave me a brand new name calledKing Swiftie. So I’m King Swiftie. I’m king of all the Swifties, And Taylor, she knows that too. I love her. I love her work. She’s one of the most important artists of our time. I don’t know no other musical artists that can throw a concert, and it hits the Richter scale. She causes earthquakes.

You’ve been in the business for decades now, but even after doing this show, is there anything that you think people still don’t know about you?

A lot of people don’t know that I can sing, that I can hold a note. I’d say [I’m one of] the most humblest people in the business. Because you can walk up to Flav, you could get a handshake, you could get a hug, you could get a picture. I walk around with no bodyguards. I use the world as my bodyguard. And I’m never rude to people, never mean and nasty to people.

What do people usually come up to you and say that they recognize you from, or what their favorite song is?

Well, a lot of people today recognize me from reality television, but they don’t remember that I did come from rap music,Public Enemy. A lot of people give me my flowers for molding, shaping and reshaping reality television. I just take it all in. I embrace it and I love it.

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The Masked Singerairs Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET on FOX.

source: people.com