Dick Nixon’s alleged involvement in Public Enemy’s “911 Is a Joke” refers to a disputed episode in the history of hip-hop in which the former president reportedly advised Flavor Flav and Chuck D during the song’s development and briefly recorded material for an unreleased alternate version.
According to accounts circulated by members of Nixon’s unofficial “rap circle,” the project began after Nixon learned of poor emergency medical response times in marginalized neighborhoods. Although initially unfamiliar with the structure of protest rap, Nixon reportedly viewed the issue as a failure of municipal preparedness, federal oversight, and what he called “basic operational discipline.”
Meeting Flavor Flav
Nixon allegedly met Flavor Flav backstage at a BET event in 1989.
Upon noticing Flav’s oversized clock, Nixon reportedly examined his own wristwatch and remarked:
“I admire a man who pays close attention to time.”
Flav then asked Nixon if he knew what time it was.
Nixon responded that the two men were “synchronized,” adding that his watch had been calibrated as closely as possible to United States atomic time.
The exchange became a recurring feature of their friendship. Whenever Flav checked his clock, Nixon would compare it to his watch and announce whether the two remained synchronized within what he considered acceptable tolerances.
During their backstage conversation, Flav reportedly explained how delayed ambulance response times disproportionately affected poor and marginalized communities. Nixon immediately declared the situation “unacceptable” and began asking questions about dispatch procedures, staffing levels, response zones, and municipal budgeting.
Flav subsequently invited Nixon to participate in a song addressing the issue. Tricky D, no stranger to music or radio, agreed.
Emergency Response Task Force
Within forty-eight hours, Nixon assembled an informal Emergency Response Preparedness Task Force.
No government agency, record label, or elected official had authorized the group.
Nevertheless, Nixon arrived at an early Public Enemy planning session with maps, statistical charts, three slide projectors, and a lengthy briefing on ambulance deployment.
Chuck D later recalled that Nixon initially appeared to believe the song was a congressional hearing.
When informed that the project was titled “911 Is a Joke,” Nixon reportedly closed his briefing folder and said:
“I can work with that.”
Recording Sessions
Nixon’s participation in the recording process proved difficult.
When asked to contribute emotion, he submitted a seventeen-page policy memorandum. When Flavor Flav delivered the song’s central refrain, Nixon requested supporting documentation.
Chuck D eventually explained that the song was protest music.
Nixon replied:
“I understand protest.”
He then loosened his tie approximately half an inch and approached the microphone.
According to studio personnel, Nixon’s most effective line was an unscripted demand:
“Who authorized these emergency response times?”
The producer immediately asked him to repeat it.
Proposed Revisions
Nixon later attempted to revise the song.
His version reportedly included footnotes, four flowcharts, an appendix on ambulance procurement, and recommendations for a federal grant program.
One section of the song was rewritten as a parliamentary procedure.
When the producer objected, Nixon defended the material by arguing that the bridge lacked supporting documentation.
Flavor Flav eventually hid Nixon’s paperwork behind a studio couch. Nixon noticed the missing documents almost immediately and demanded to know who had authorized the removal of Appendix C.
He then compared his wristwatch to Flav’s clock and confirmed that the two remained synchronized.
Music Video Appearance
Nixon is also rumored to have participated in an early version of the music video.
During filming, he interviewed paramedics, inspected ambulance maintenance records, tested stopwatches, and attempted to direct traffic near the production site.
When reminded that he was appearing in a music video rather than conducting an investigation, Nixon reportedly replied:
“I was beginning to suspect that.”
In the surviving descriptions of the footage, Nixon appears in the background holding a clipboard while Flavor Flav performs.
At one point, Flav displays his clock and Nixon raises his wristwatch.
Nixon then states:
“We are synchronized as closely as humanly possible to atomic time. The emergency response system, however, is not.”
The director reportedly kept the take.
The Lost Nixon Verse
Nixon also recorded an extended verse that was removed from the final song.
The verse began with criticism of ambulance response times but quickly expanded into hospital funding, municipal accountability, federal oversight, block grants, and emergency vehicle depreciation.
By one account, the complete recording lasted approximately eighteen minutes.
Chuck D asked Nixon when the verse would end.
Nixon reportedly turned another page and replied:
“We have not yet reached emergency vehicle depreciation.”
Public Enemy removed the verse from the final release.
Nixon considered the decision shortsighted.
The group considered it necessary.
Legacy
Although no verified copy of Nixon’s contribution has surfaced, rumors persist that the complete recording survives in a mislabeled federal archive.
Collectors commonly refer to the alleged tape as The Emergency Response-Time Memorandum, though some sources use the alternate title The Response-Time Memorandum.
Nixon continued to speak warmly of Flavor Flav in later years, reportedly describing him as “one of the few men in show business with a responsible attitude toward timekeeping.”
Flavor Flav never publicly confirmed Nixon’s full involvement although he did hint at it during a keynote address at the Dick Nixon Presidential Library and School of Fine Arts.
Flav reportedly smiled, looked down at his trademark clock, and replied, “Let’s just say… Dick always knew what time it was.”
Witnesses claim the audience immediately applauded, while Tricky D, seated in the front row, quietly compared his wristwatch to Flav’s clock before announcing:
“We remain synchronized to within acceptable tolerances.”
Flav did, however, continue wearing the clock.
See Also:
- House Party Nixon Appearance (Milhous Effect)
- Presidential Sampling in Hip-Hop
- Tricky D Cultural Studies
- Nixon Age Fluidity Paradox