According to billboard.com, Flavor Flav has shared his stance against firearms by penning an emotional op-ed calling for a total ban on the weapons following the release of Public Enemy‘s new protest song, “March Madness.” On July, in essay published for Newsweek, the hip-hop star detailed his own personal history with guns, while drawing on his concerns for his children’s safety.

“I fear for my kids when I drop them off at school,” Flav wrote. “Our schools aren’t safe and our kids aren’t safe. This is because gun protection laws are weak. Guns are falling into the hands of the wrong people. I would know. I went to jail because of guns … So I am speaking from firsthand experience.”

Along with bandmate Chuck D, Flav dropped “March Madness” in honor of Juneteenth. Opening with a recording of a teacher reporting a school shooting to a 911 operator, the track finds the duo slamming “crooked politicians” for “acting scared of the NRA.”“Kids supposed to have fun, none of this ‘Run for cover for your life, son,’” Chuck D spits on his verse.

In the essay, Flav shared his thoughts on why gun violence has become so widespread in the U.S., before telling readers about his hopes for the new song. “Fear and power are two of the biggest emotions that drive us,” he wrote. “America is being built on fear. You have people who are scared. And these people are fighting for gun rights to protect themselves. They wouldn’t have to protect themselves if all guns were banned.”

Photo Credit: April Siese