For nearly four decades, Flavor Flav has been a fixture in hip-hop culture. As a co-founder of the iconic Public Enemy, the Long Island native was an original “hype man” and a key contributor to the group’s seminal albums including Yo! Bum Rush the Show, (1987),  It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (1988),  Fear of a Black Planet (1990), Apocalypse 91... The Enemy Strikes Black (1991), and several more.

A pioneer in reality TV, Flav appeared in The Surreal Life, Strange Love, and in three seasons of his popular shoe Flavor of Love.

For his latest endeavor, Flav is serving as the official sponsor of the Women and Men’s USA Water Polo team. In this capacity, the rap legend will make appearances at USA Water Polo events and use his social media following to bring more attention to the sport.

During the Paris Summer Olympics, Flav made his presence known as the team's biggest cheerleader and was seen supporting other American athletes in their various competitions as only he could.

BET.com spoke with Flav about partnering with the USA water polo team, his favorite Olympic experiences, and his commitment to empowering women in sports.

“I never thought that I would ever be at the Olympics. It was a dream to me that came true, man. The only time I watched the Olympics was on television and I always wanted to know what it feels like to be at the Olympic games. So God granted me the opportunity to be able to go and see what that feels like,” Flav told BET.com. “When I was over in Paris, I had the most amazing experience of my life to be there watching the athletes perform.”

When an Instagram post about the struggles of the water polo team came to his attention. Flav decided to take action and help them get to Paris to compete.

“It all started with Maggie Steffans, the captain of the water polo team who shared a post on Instagram about how hard they work when they're not competing in the Games,” Flav said. “When they're home, they’re living active lives, working two or three jobs. They're out there busting their ass to make the United States look good.”

“So I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to see if I could help and give them that little extra push so they could go and compete for that fourth gold medal,” he continued. “Even though they didn't get the gold medal this year, I’m still proud of them and I commend the girls. That’s how I became the sponsor of the United States Olympic water polo team. 

After learning the dynamics of the game, Flav gained an even greater appreciation for water polo players.

“Water polo is one of the hardest sports played in the Olympic Games. When I first saw water polo on TV, it looked like they were running around the pool. But they are swimming in seven-and-a-half feet deep and their feet can’t touch the floor,” he said. “They have to tread water the entire time. The one who really treads water is the goalie Ashley Johnson so my heart goes out to her because that girl did her thing.”

In Paris, Flav even got a chance to practice with the team and try his hand at water polo.

“Let me tell you something, I jumped in the water with the girls. and I was in that water for a total of seven minutes. It was like the hardest seven minutes in the water in my life [Laughed]. Oh, They even gave me the opportunity to try to score a goal on Ashley. They said I did good, because your boy Flavor Flav, scored two goals,” Flav said.

As an official sponsor, Flav's vision is to increase the visibility of water polo and to galvanize support for the team beyond their appearance in the Olympics.

“I really wanted to bring more attention to this sport. The team just wants to be recognized for what they do. We know it's not big like basketball, baseball, soccer, or rugby,” Flav explained. “But I want people to remember water polo, not just when the girls or the guys are in the water but when they’re out of the water. I'm just trying to make the sport a little bigger than it is.”

After learning that Jordan Chiles would be stripped of her bronze medal due to a controversial technicality, Flav offered to give her a bronze clock to show the gymnast how much he appreciated her. He shared how much he admires Chiles.

“Jordan, Chiles is an incredible athlete. That bronze medal was well deserved. It's a really messed up feeling to go out there, earn that medal, work as hard as she worked, and for her to be stripped of that, I know that has to be one of the most devastating feelings that an athlete could feel,” Flav said. “As a kind gesture, I wanted to give her a bronze clock, which I know will never, ever take the place of a gold medal. We all know that. But I wanted to show her where my heart is.”

Flav is also creating a song and allocating the revenue from the sales to Chiles who lost out on the money associated with a medal win because she was stripped of the medal.

“We're taking He Got Game, and we're turning it into, She Got Game which is a new women's empowerment record that we're working on,” he continued. “We're going to release a song and part of the proceeds will go to Jordan Chiles to make up for the money that she would have made for that bronze medal. I'm going to make sure she gets that money in her pocket and her just-due. “

Flav got to meet tennis legend Billie Jean King, and Casey Wasserman, the chairman of the 2028 Olympic Games in LA. During his time at the Olympics, Flav met many more enthusiasts who were inspired by his passion for sports. Flav shared some of his favorite moments with BET.com.

“I watched Simone Biles win that gold medal. On her way to the podium, I yelled down to her and she looked up and waved to me. That was amazing,” Flav said. “I saw the Women's rugby game when they won the bronze medal. After the game, I got to meet the team and they gave me love. I was able to try on one of their medals.”

“First Lady Doctor Jill Biden requested to meet me and I didn't even know this woman had any idea who Flavor Flav was. Her wanting to meet me and to embrace her grandkids was one of the greatest moments in my life,” Flav continued. “Also the incredible Spike Lee came through supporting his boy, Flavor Flav, and the water polo team.”