Flavor Flav Shares Personal 9/11 Memory & Honors ‘Heroes Who Ran Toward Danger’ on 25th Anniversary

A lifelong New Yorker, Flavor Flav is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks by giving back to his city.

On Friday, the Public Enemy rapper shared a photo of the Statue of Liberty backdropped by the World Trade Center skyscrapers standing tall in the NYC skyline, before they were destroyed by two hijacked planes a quarter-century ago. “I remember looking at my window at the twin towers on September 11th,” he wrote on X. “And then they weren’t there.”

“So much pride in being a New Yorker and so much pride in being an American,” Flav continued. “We all had something in common,,, we were ALL Americans. May we never forget the lives that were lost, the heroes who ran toward danger, or the families and friends who have carried that loss every day since.”

The rapper — who was born and raised in Long Island — also shared a photo on Instagram of himself providing meals for New Yorkers in need for The Bowery Mission in alignment with 9/11 Day, a nonprofit dedicated to remembrance through service. “Whether it’s giving back, helping somebody in need, or simply showing love to your community, every good deed counts,” he captioned the photo. “25 years later, we remember those we lost and honor the heroes who stepped up by continuing to do GOOD.”

Twenty-five years later, the United States is still grappling with the aftershock of losing nearly 3,000 people that day, not to mention the countless others who died from and continue to battle life-threatening health issues resulting from the toxins they were exposed to at Ground Zero. On the home front, NYC organized light-up drones to recreate the outlines of the Twin Towers in honor of the 25th anniversary, and King Charles commemorated the date with a non-protocol Changing of the Guard ceremony outside of Buckingham Palace that featured a marching band playing the American national anthem.

In recent years, Flav has been outspoken in his efforts to drive social change, from helping Black families displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires last year to championing women’s sports and Olympic athletes. About a week prior to the 9/11 anniversary, he commemorated the loss of feminist leader Gloria Steinem with a post on Instagram, writing: “The world has lost a true pioneer and force for women rights,,, my deepest condolences to her family, friends, and team. Public Enemy will be forever grateful for her contribution and support of our track SHE GOT GAME.”