FLAVOR FLAV TO RELEASE LONG-AWAITED SOLO DEBUT, IT’S ABOUT TIME, Feb. 1***

Straight-up rapper/writer/musician/producer sets clock for fan unity

Colorful Public Enemy member Flavor Flav may not have waited a thousand years to make his first solo album, but it’s sure seemed like it. Besieged by complications beyond his control, It’s About Time… has been eight years coming. Emerging victorious and much the wiser, it’s only fitting that the straight-up rapper’s Mystic Music & Entertainment debut will be among the first releases of the new millennium, hitting stores Feb. 1.

A combination of his signature rapping, R&B, funk and ballads, It’s About Time… is a reference to Flav’s reverent philosophy, and clearly demonstrates his prowess, not only as a rapper apart from his notoriety as a founding member of Public Enemy, but as a writer, musician, producer and singer. With the exception of Chicago’s apropos "Does Anybody Know What Time It Is," which he recorded with the band, and "No Loot," written by a duo out of the Windy City, the album is all Flav. He wrote the balance of the songs, played all the instruments including drums, bass, congas, guitars, keyboards and piano, produced every track, and contributed all lead and backing vocals, save for a bonus beat club cut, "The Hot 1" featuring Bev.

"I think the song I did with Chicago is gonna be one of the biggest crossover records since Run DMC and Aerosmith," Flav promises. "I’m gonna be blazin’. "You think Latifah’s hair was on fire? Oh my God," he laughs.

As for the first commercial single, "Git On Down," it has the all the elements of an instant and international classic -- the kind you’d here on the streets of NYC or in a Paris taxi, not just in three months but in three years.

"It’s going to be a favorite jam that all radio stations can play," Flav predicts.

It’s About Time… also features "The Hot 1," a big beat track made for the streets. "It’s a song people will play to test their [car stereo] systems with," he says.

In an effort to bring back the bonus beats, the "Git On Down" single includes "The Hot 1" and "The Hot 1" featuring Bev. "You get three songs for the price of one," Flav points out.

Keeping it clean while keeping it real, Flav has written a collection of songs that defy what’s come to be rap’s stereotypical lyrics, stating, "I’ve always tried to be a clean writer. This album is universal. I’ve got songs on here for everybody, not just for one type of people. I playmore than 14 instruments and I sing, so what I had to do was prove myself. And that’s what I’ve done. This album is action-packed. Jam the hell outta it."

Still very much a part of innovators Public Enemy, who recently performed at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, the one who always knows what time it is points out the distinct differences between his own project and those he’s worked on with Chuck D and the rest of the group.

"When I’ve recorded with Public Enemy, Bomb Squad did the tracks and I just put my lyrics on, and whatever Chuck wrote, he wrote parts for me. What makes It’s About Time… so different is me doing all of this on my own. The music is a whole different flavor. Everybody wanted Flav. Now they got it." To quote one of the many songs he helped make famous, "Yeaaahhh Boy!"

In clarifying and working to put to rest the East Coast vs. West Coast rap issue, Flav says thoughtfully, "When you’ve got different ways of living and different styles of living, you’re going to have different styles of rap. But still and all, it’s all the same because it’s all rap and it’s all putting out a message. And my message [on this album] is to build a wall of unity. I’m trying to unite everybody. All of this separatism bullshit that’s goin’ on, I’m tryin’ to put a stop to it.

"All of this East Coast against West Coast stuff that used to go down -- I’m glad it kinda died down -- but some people are still living it and they need to really get out of it. There’s room in this business for all of us; we all are connected," and continues emphatically, "No matter what color you are, no matter what race or creed you are, you’re still a person.

"Instantly recognizable for the medallion timepiece he wears, Flav says, "Like American Express, I don’t leave home without it. Six o’clock means I’m straight up and down. Operation No Joke is now in progress. And when it’s twelve o’clock, I’m straight up. Don’t try to play me.

"Like the album says, "It’s all about time," and so is Flav. "Time brought us in and time takes us out," he says of the great equalizer.

Among the first to unite rap with rock when Public Enemy mixed it up with Anthrax on "Bring The Noise," Flav counts the song, video and tour among his best projects, recalling, "It was mad excitement. It was a mind-blower."

Expect more of the same right now. It’s About Time.