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Flavor Flav Arrested For Driver's License Violations On Long Island

HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Hip-hop icon Flavor Flav was arrested on Long Island Thursday morning, after he was allegedly caught speeding driving on a suspended license.

Flavor Flav, 54 – whose real name is William Jonathan Drayton Jr. – was pulled over by Valley Stream troopers for allegedly going 79 mph in a 55 mph zone in his black Hyundai. He was curbed the southbound side of the Meadowbrook State Parkway near the Southern Parkway in Hempstead, New York State Police said.

Upon checking the rapper's license, police said they found it had 16 suspensions. He was also carrying a small amount of marijuana, police said.

Flavor Flav was charged with felony aggravated unlicensed operation and also received unspecified traffic tickets. He was released on an appearance ticket so he could attend his mother's funeral, police said.

Police did not indicate whether the rapper was on his way to his mother's funeral at the time.

Flavor Flav now lives in Las Vegas, but grew up in Freeport, Long Island.

He was a founder of the rap group Public Enemy in the 1980s, and later returned to prominence as a reality television star.

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