Flavor Flav Arrested Leaving Las Vegas, Has Troubled Past Of Substance Abuse

William Drayton, Jr., better known as Flavor Flav from Hip-Hop group Public Enemy, was arrested this early morning in Las Vegas, Nevada. He now faces of total of six misdemeanor charges.

According to Nevada Highway Patrol spokesman Loy Hixson, the 56-year-old rapper was leaving the McCarran International Airport in a 2005 black BMW, when he was pulled over at around 12:30 a.m. for driving 73 mph in a 45 mph speed zone.

When asked for identification, the arresting officer learned that the speedster was driving on a suspended driver’s license. After searching the car further, the officer found an open can of beer and a small amount of marijuana. Flavor Flav now faces charges that include possession of marijuana, driving under the influence, speeding, and having an open container of alcohol while driving.

This isn’t the first time Flavor Flav has been in trouble on similar charges. In January of last year, he was pulled in New York after allegedly speeding to his mother’s funeral and was arrested on a felony charge of driving on a suspended license and a misdemeanor charge of possession of marijuana. Nassau County court records indicate that he was going 79 mph in a 55 mph zone. He is disputing the charges, which may land him in several years in prison if convicted.

In March, 2014, Flavor Flav was arrested once again after threatening his girlfriend’s son with a knife. He’s currently undergoing counseling and probation for the charge, which he successfully to a misdemeanor.

Flavor Flav’s issues with substance abuse stems back over numerous decades. In 1993, The Surreal Life star was arrested for possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, and an attempted murder charge after shooting at a neighbor. After a family intervention, the rapper checked into the Betty Ford rehabilitation center for a crack addiction. In 1997, however, he checked into the Long Island Center for Recovery center after breaking two arms while riding on a motorcycle while under the influence.

In 2002, Flavor Flav found himself in legal trouble again when he was arrested for driving on a suspended license and failing to pay numerous parking tickets. In 2011, the rapper admitted that he once spent around $2,600 a day to feed his crack habit.

Attorney Kristina Wildeveld didn’t comment on the recent arrest, but confirms she’s still working on his charges from last year’s New York incident. Flavor Flav was released on $7,000 bail this morning from Las Vegas’ Clark County Detention Center.

[Photos courtesy of Nevada Highway Patrol and Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images]