Funkmaster Flex
Funkmaster Flex | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aston George Taylor Jr. August 5, 1968 Bronx, New York City, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, rapper, record producer, radio personality |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Known for | Hip hop radio show on Hot 97, mixtape series 60 Minutes of Funk |
Aston George Taylor Jr. (born August 5, 1968), widely recognized by his stage name Funkmaster Flex, is an American DJ, rapper, record producer, and radio personality based in New York City’s Hot 97 station. In 1992, he pioneered the first hip hop-focused radio program on Hot 97 when it was primarily a dance music channel.
Early life
Taylor Jr. was born in the Bronx to parents who immigrated from Jamaica. His father worked as a sound system technician. Growing up in a devoutly religious environment, he started DJing at local nightclubs by the age of 16.
Radio career
At 19 years old, Flex began collaborating with fellow Bronx native Chuck Chillout at WRKS 98.7 Kiss-FM in New York City. He then had a brief tenure at 107.5 WBLS-FM. During the early 1990s, Flex performed in nightclubs run by Vito Bruno, who persuaded Joel Salkowitz, Hot 97’s regional vice president, to broadcast live club sessions. Spotting hip hop’s rising popularity, Hot 97 increased its urban music programming.
In the spring of 1992, Funkmaster Flex launched a dedicated rap show on Hot 97, marking the first time a New York pop station featured hip hop prominently. He continues to host shows on Hot 97, now nationally syndicated during weeknights and weekends. Flex is distinguished by his trademark "bomb drop" sound effect used during tracks. A notable moment occurred on July 20, 2011, when Kanye West and Jay-Z’s "Otis" debuted on his program; although the song is under three minutes long, Flex played it 25 times interspersed with 63 bomb drops, stretching the segment beyond 22 minutes. Additionally, he has served as a mentor to friend and former Hot 97 colleague Angie Martinez.
Website
On August 3, 2010, Flex introduced his news platform InFlexWeTrust.com, which features exclusive audio, video content, and mp3 freestyles from his radio show. The website covers topics including entertainment news, music, automobiles, models, sports, and technology. It became part of the Complex media network in September 2012 and has been mentioned in songs such as Fabolous' "So NY."
Music production
By the mid-1990s, Flex secured a deal with major label Loud Records for his mixtape series 60 Minutes of Funk, all four volumes receiving gold certification from the RIAA. In 1995, he assembled The Flip Squad, a collective of seven prominent New York DJs, releasing their self-titled debut album through MCA in 1998. The following year, he put out The Tunnel under Def Jam Recordings featuring artists like Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Eminem, LL Cool J, Method Man, DMX, Nas, and Snoop Dogg. Flex has also collaborated with artists such as Yvette Michele, Pras, DJ Kool, Foxy Brown, and Armand Van Helden.
In October 2020, he announced plans for a new album. Its lead single "Lurkin", featuring King Von, was released in December. The forthcoming album will include contributions from artists like Juice Wrld, Kodak Black, Post Malone, Lil Baby, and Pop Smoke. It will be distributed via Flex’s own label IFWT Films and Records; however, no official release date has been disclosed.
Television
Funkmaster Flex made his television debut in the early 1990s on Yo! MTV Raps. Subsequently, he produced various segments focusing on hip-hop culture and automobiles for MTV.
In 2003, he premiered his own TV series titled Ride with Funkmaster Flex on Spike TV that explored car culture within hip hop communities. The show featured exclusive access to Diddy’s private jet and Eminem’s recording studio.
Flex also organized a unique event for Spike TV called The Funkmaster Flex Super Series Invitational—a stock car race held at The Waterford Speedbowl involving 60 drivers alongside celebrity participants including LL Cool J and Lil' Kim.
ESPN collaborated with him on two programs: All Muscle with Funkmaster Flex (2007), which highlighted custom cars and interviews with athletes such as Danica Patrick and Terrell Owens; and Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex (2007), a competition among vehicle customizers judged by industry professionals like Ford’s Patrick Schiavone.
Returning to Spike TV, Fast Machines with Funkmaster Flex showcased muscle car modifications for celebrities like Dale Earnhardt Jr., featuring race driver Kathryn Minter.
In 2010, Flex returned to MTV with Funk Flex Full Throttle, combining interviews with hip-hop artists alongside car customization projects at events such as Spring Break and the New York Auto Show. The series incorporated reality TV elements focusing on his customization crew.
In 2014, he appeared on VH1’s reality series This Is Hot 97.
Car Show Tour
Taylor organizes an annual Funkmaster Flex Custom Car & Bike Show Tour that spans eight cities and features performances by artists such as Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Fabolous. Each stop on the tour showcases customized vehicles competing for monetary awards, alongside competitions for models and recording artists. In 2010, the event broadened its scope to include the Funkmaster Flex Lifestyle Expo, which added sneaker contests, DJ battles, video game tournaments, and skateboarding demonstrations.
At every venue, he also displays a selection from his personal muscle car collection, which numbers around 40 vehicles.
Auto design
In 2005, Taylor received an invitation from Ford Motor Company to visit their Dearborn design studio with the goal of exploring customization opportunities for their vehicle lineup and enhancing brand visibility. Since that collaboration began, he has modified multiple Ford models.
Video games
Taylor contributed his voice to Quest for the Code (2002) and served as inspiration for the U.S. release of the PlayStation 2 title FunkMaster Flex's Digital Hitz Factory (2004). He appears as a DJ on The Beat 102.7 radio station within Grand Theft Auto IV and its expansions. Furthermore, he is featured as a celebrity opponent and unlockable fullback player in ESPN NFL 2K5, where he also has an exclusive unlockable team named the Baurtwell Funkmasters. Flex acts as both an unlockable character and narrator in Def Jam Vendetta and receives mention in the introductory sequence of NBA 2K18.
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)