"Everybody's got to have a flavor every single day… this is a flavorful campaign right here," Flav told PEOPLE exclusively of LOTTO's "Legends Begin" launch
Credit: Anthony Mandler
For Flavor Flav, style is the motto for his team up with LOTTO.
The hip-hop legend is kicking off the World Cup season with the iconic Italian sports and lifestyle brand for its 2026 global brand campaign, "Legends Begin with LOTTO," and spoke with PEOPLE exclusively about how he's bringing his legendary aura to the soccer-centric scene.
"It's a total honor," Flav, 67, tells PEOPLE exclusively ahead of the campaign launch on Thursday, May 7. "First of all, the style that I have is my own, and it's been a very big part of my legacy — and the style is going to always be in even after I'm gone."
Credit: Anthony Mandler
"One thing about Flavor Flav, he brings style to the situation," he makes clear, adding, "I think that's why Lotto picked me for the campaign, because they want to pick somebody that got style."
To celebrate the launch, the Public Enemy member stars in the brand's 90-second film, which brings together a cross-generational cast of athletes, tastemakers and cultural voices to highlight how soccer continues to shape and connect cultures around the world.
"Everybody's got to have a flavor every single day… this is a flavorful campaign right here," he tells PEOPLE of the Anthony Mandler-directed spot, which is uniquely structured like a cinematic relay, following a soccer ball as it moves across generations, geographies and creative disciplines.
Among the diverse group of talent featured in the film are Seattle Reign FC defender Sofia Huerta, FOX Sports soccer analyst Stu Holden, Canadian DJ Eva Shaw, fashion model Khristian Jasper, owner of famed Brooklyn and Miami pizzeria Lucali Mark Iacono and more.
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Credit: Anthony Mandler
"It felt like I was shooting a movie," Flav recalls of the production, which was vibrantly shot in Mexico City.
Each pass of the soccer ball from one person to the next symbolizes a moment of connection, linking individuals through shared ambition and creativity, while illustrating how ideas and influence travel across cultures.
Credit: Anthony Mandler
"It's all about unity. It's all about unity," Flav shares. "My goal in life one day is to take all nationalities of the world, unite them together as one — because at the end of the day, there's only one race, and that's the human race."
"And we should all stick together and build a wall of unity," he continues. "We're all brothers and sisters. No matter what race we come from, no matter what language we speak, no matter what part of the world we come from, no matter what religion we study.
"That's what it's about," he says of LOTTO's "Legend's Begin" campaign. "That's what sports do. They bring unity. You got our nationalities playing against each other. They're coming together, and having fun."
Credit: Anthony Mandler
As for whether Flav considers himself a legend today?
"That's a good question because it's a question that was never asked," he tells PEOPLE. "It's something that I never thought about. I mean, I just live day to day. Everybody considers me a legend. Everybody tells me I'm a legend. It feels good to be a living legend."
"Most legends are dead," he adds. "But I'm alive. I'm alive. I'm a legend. I feel blessed that God has been preserving me to be around this long to even talk about it. So yeah, it's real big to me in 2026."
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