Public Enemy founding member Flavor Flav was recently honored at an event, but it was actor Cuba Gooding Jr. who stole the show.
The American Group Travel Awards recently hosted their annual black-tie charity gala on Sunday, Nov. 12, in Boca Raton, Florida, to benefit the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. During the ceremony, Flavor Flav was given the World Hospitality Award.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee hype man was presented with the award by the Academy Award winner. Fellow hip-hop icon Rob Base was also in attendance for the ceremony, and he performed his 1988 hit song “It Takes Two.”
The song made Gooding Jr. rewind the clock as he decided to bust out some old-school dance moves during the formal event. The “Radio” actor reverted back to the 1980s as he break danced in the middle of the crowd before dapping up Base and Flav.
The “Flavor of Love” host hyped up Gooding on Instagram, as he posted a clip of the dance with the caption “MY BOY N DA HOOD CUBA GOODING JR.!!” Flav continued, “Y’all didn’t know he could get down like that.”
He concluded by revealing that when he and Public Enemy member Chuck D “were starting out” on their music journey the “Boyz n the Hood” star was break dancing at the 1984 Olympics.
“Oscar winner and 1984 Summer Olympics BBoy Champ,” Flav wrote over the clip.
Viewers of the viral clip suspected that Gooding Jr. was intoxicated at the event. One person said, “Industry people need to stop inviting him out to places where he can drink my guy don’t know how to act man.”
Others praised the 55-year-old for his ability to still hit some of the moves. One person said, “Them pants were just a little too tight. But the effort was definitely there. You can tell that was Young Cuba coming out forgetting he was in a Suit at the time.” Another wrote, “At his age, I don’t care if you think it’s cheesy or not. That’s d–n impressive. Props.”
At his age, I don’t care if you think it’s cheesy or not. That’s damn impressive. Props.
— Bryan Block (@SAWCE3000) November 14, 2023
Flav wasn’t lying about Gooding Jr.’s dancing history. Before landing his Oscar-winning role in the 1996 movie “Jerry Maguire,” where he also had a dancing scene, Gooding Jr. was a B-boy in the group called “the Majestic Visual Break Dancers.”
In an interview with ABC News, he revealed that he and his crew in the early ’80s would perform on the streets for money.
“We would practice our moves out in front of storefronts and get change from passersby. And that’s how we’d eat,” he explained. He claims they were pushed away by store owners, so they ended up practicing at the Boys Club, which was later renamed the Boys and Girls Club.
After some years of practicing, he and his crew were chosen to be the official break dancers for the 1984 Summer Olympics which took place in Los Angeles. During the closing ceremony of the world sporting event, Gooding Jr. and his dance mates break danced in glittery blue blazers while Lionel Richie performed his song “All Night Long.”
Gooding Jr. hired his first agent after dancing at the event, which led to him appearing in films like “Boyz n the Hood,” and “The Tuskegee Airmen.” He also showed off his dancing roots whenever he could as he broke down in films like “The Fighting Temptations.”
