Harley Flanagan made news in 2012 after an altercation with his former bandmates in the New York hardcore band Cro-Mags, which resulted in a charge of felony assault, though he maintains that he fought back in self-defense. Flanagan has been living a quieter life since then, devoting much of his time to training young students at the Renzo Grazie Academy in jiu-jitsu. Check out this new video from Noisey:

Flanagan released his no-holds-barred memoir, entitled Hard-Core, Life Of My Own, back in September via Feral House Publishing.

The book details his beginnings in the drug and crime ridden New York City of the 1970's to the early days of punk rock, hardcore and beyond. As a homeless child prodigy and family friend of Andy Warhol and Allen Ginsberg, at a young age he became close to many icons of the early punk rock scene such as Joe Strummer of The Clash and was taught to play bass by members of the famed punk band Bad Brains. He went on to start the notorious hardcore band Cro-Mags.

Anthony Bourdain - famed chef, author, television personality and avid music fan - has been an outspoken Harley-supporter for years. He states, "Harley Flanagan's incredible story is not just the history of New York hardcore, of which he is a founding father, but a history of New York itself.  It's all here, an amazing series of unlikely coincidences, catastrophes, accomplishments, and associations.  Chances are if it happened in New York and it was important and interesting? Harley Flanagan was somewhere in the room.  If you care anything about music history, punk rock, hardcore or just a ripping good story, this is the punch in the face you want and need."