Funkmaster Flex facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Funkmaster Flex
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Funkmaster Flex in 2018
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Aston George Taylor Jr. |
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| Born | August 5, 1967 The Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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| Instruments | |
| Years active | 1987–present |
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Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1967), known professionally as Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, and record producer. He is also a popular radio host on New York City's Hot 97 radio station. In 1992, he started hosting the first hip hop radio show on Hot 97. At that time, Hot 97 was mainly a pop music station.
Contents
Early Life and Beginnings
Aston Taylor Jr. was born in the Bronx, a part of New York City. His parents were immigrants from Jamaica. His father, Aston George Taylor Sr., was also a professional DJ who worked with sound systems. Flex grew up in a strict, religious home. He began DJing at local nightclubs when he was 16 years old.
Radio Career Highlights
By the age of 19, Flex started working with another DJ from the Bronx, Chuck Chillout. They worked at WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York. He later moved to 107.5 WBLS-FM for a short time. In the early 1990s, Flex often performed at nightclubs.
Hot 97 and Hip Hop
A club owner named Vito Bruno helped Flex get live broadcasts from his club performances on Hot 97. When radio managers saw that hip hop music was becoming popular again, they added more urban music to their schedule. Because these broadcasts were so successful, Funkmaster Flex began hosting his own rap show on Hot 97 in 1992. This made Hot 97 the first pop station in New York to feature rap music. Flex has been with Hot 97 ever since. His show is now broadcast nationally during weeknights and weekends.
Signature Style
Flex is famous for his special "bomb drop" sound effect that he plays over songs. For example, on July 20, 2011, Kanye West and Jay-Z's song "Otis" first played on Flex's Hot 97 show. Even though the song was less than 3 minutes long, it took Flex over 22 minutes to play it completely. He restarted the song 25 times and played the bomb drop sound effect 63 times. Flex also helped mentor his friend and former coworker at Hot 97, Angie Martinez.
Online Presence
On August 3, 2010, Flex launched his news website, InFlexWeTrust.com. He shares exclusive audio, video, and MP3s of artist freestyles from his radio show on the site. The website also features news about entertainment, music, cars, models, sports, and technology. In September 2012, it joined the Complex media network. The site has even been mentioned in songs, like Fabolous' "So NY."
Music Production Work
By the mid-1990s, Flex signed with a major record label called Loud Records. He released a series of mixtapes titled 60 Minutes of Funk. All four of these mixtapes were certified gold, meaning they sold over 500,000 copies each. In 1995, he formed The Flip Squad with seven other respected DJs from New York City. This group included Biz Markie, Big Kap, and Mark Ronson. Their first album came out in late 1998.
Collaborations and Albums
In 1999, Flex released an album called The Tunnel with Def Jam Records. This album featured songs by famous artists like Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Eminem, LL Cool J, Method Man, DMX, Nas, and Snoop Dogg. He has also worked with other artists such as Yvette Michele, Pras, and Foxy Brown. In October 2020, Flex announced plans for a new album. In December of that year, he released the first song from the album, "Lurkin", with King Von. He confirmed that the album would include many artists, such as Juice Wrld, Kodak Black, Post Malone, Lil Baby, and Pop Smoke. The album was released through Flex's own label, IFWT Films and Records.
Television Appearances
Funkmaster Flex first appeared on television in the early 1990s on Yo! MTV Raps. This show was hosted by Fab 5 Freddy, Ed Lover, and Doctor Dré. He later did various hip-hop and car-related segments for MTV.
Car Shows and More
In 2003, Flex started his first TV series, Ride with Funkmaster Flex, on the Spike cable network. The show explored the world of custom cars popular in hip hop culture. Some memorable moments included a look at Diddy's private jet and a visit to Eminem's music studio. Flex later created a special race event for Spike TV called The Funkmaster Flex Super Series Invitational. This race featured 60 stock car drivers. Celebrities like LL Cool J and Lil' Kim came to watch the event.
ESPN noticed Ride with Funkmaster Flex and decided to create a show with Flex. This new show focused on custom cars and interviews with athletes from the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball. Guests included Danica Patrick and Terrell Owens. The show was called All Muscle with Funkmaster Flex and began airing in early 2007. Later in 2007, a second show called Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex premiered on ESPN. Car Wars challenged different car customizers to modify vehicles for cash prizes.
For Fast Machines with Funkmaster Flex, Flex returned to Spike TV. This show focused on customizing muscle cars and modern cars for celebrities. Examples included a 1955 Chevy Bel Air for Dale Earnhardt Jr. and a 1970 Chevy Chevelle for the U.S. Marines. In 2010, Flex returned to MTV with a new show called Funk Flex Full Throttle. This show featured Flex interviewing hip-hop artists and customizing cars. It also showed Flex directing his team of car customizers and gave viewers a look into the lives of hip-hop stars. In 2014, Funkmaster Flex appeared on VH1 as part of the reality show This Is Hot 97.
Car Show Tour
Taylor created and promotes an annual Funkmaster Flex Custom Car & Bike Show Tour. This tour visits eight cities each year. It has featured artists like Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Fabolous. Each stop showcases customized cars competing for cash prizes. There are also talent searches for models and recording artists. In 2010, he added the Funkmaster Flex Lifestyle Expo. This expo included sneaker and DJ battles, video game competitions, and skateboard demonstrations. Flex also displays some of his own collection of about 40 muscle cars at each stop of the tour.
Auto Design Work
In 2005, Ford Motor Company invited Taylor to their design studio. They wanted his ideas on how to customize their cars and trucks. Since then, he has customized several models for Ford.
Video Game Appearances
Funkmaster Flex has also been involved in video games.
- He was a voice actor in Quest for the Code in 2002.
- His name was used for the American release of the PS2 video game Music 3000, which was called FunkMaster Flex's Digital Hitz Factory in 2004.
- Flex is a featured DJ on The Beat 102.7 radio station in Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto IV: The Lost and Damned, and The Ballad of Gay Tony.
- He is a celebrity opponent and an unlockable player in the season mode of ESPN NFL 2K5. He also has an unlockable team called the Baurtwell Funkmasters.
- Flex was an unlockable character and the in-game narrator in Def Jam Vendetta.
- Flex is mentioned in the beginning of NBA 2K18 when talking to a computer character named ATM.
Discography
- The Mix Tape, Vol. 1 (1995)
- The Mix Tape, Vol. II (1997)
- The Mix Tape, Vol. III (1998)
- The Tunnel (1999)
- The Mix Tape, Vol. IV (2000)
- Car Show Tour (2005)
- Who You Mad At? Me Or Yourself? (2013)
