I am sure that at some point KRS has claimed you can trace the origins of the mixtape back to Sub-Saharan Africa. But for me, having never really been up on my mixtape game, my first experience of the phenomenon was Funkmaster Flex’s ‘60 minutes of Funk Volume 1.’ And having never heard a state-side hip hop radio program, it was also my first experience of a DJ yelling incessantly over the track. As a kid, I remember thinking how weird it was that this guy kept screaming his name over and over again. But I kept listening.
Over a decade later, with the help of the Internet and the infamous (and whether anybody wants to admit it or not, irrelevant) Napster, DJ’s yelling their names and things like “Exclusive!” and “Newshit!” became the norm. It also became a parody of itself – in the same way that MC’s mentioning at the onset of a song, how “genius” or “crazy” the beat maker was for that particular track.
But by this point, Flex was trying new things, namely, hosting MTV’s ‘Ride With Funkmaster Flex.’ The show, which featured the Funkmaster checking out various celebrity’s whips, made the New York radio personality a household name. Although there were some awkward moments (usually the result of some daft sports figure giving Flex a tour of a bunch of stock luxury vehicles – save the oversized rims), the program had some unforgettable moments too. My favourite episode included Flex jumping on the wheels (of steel), while Travis Barker pounded on the drums, in his usual skin-breaking fashion.
In an age when mixtapes are becoming indistinguishable from albums, and DJ’s are fighting for a spot in a saturated mash-up market, Funkmaster Flex continues to grind. He remains an important voice and hip hop taste maker. He also continues to tour. Flex is playing tonight , July 29, in Vancouver at Bar None. I guarantee that all night he’ll have you raising your hands in exclamation about the mix he just dropped. And hopefully, if we’re lucky, he’ll yell some shit over a track or two.
– A. Vice
