Funkmaster Flex / Cipha Sounds "Big Dawg Vol.1" (Mixtape, 1998)

Another Tape Kingz release, from 1998, with Funkmaster Flex presents Cipha Sounds, Big Dawg Vol.1. Nothing exceptionally rare or anything, but a nice mix of East Coast flavors from the late 90s. Joints from Busta Rhymes, DMX, Cam'ron, Smif-N-Wessun, The LOX, The Notorious B.I.G., Mad Skillz, Charlie Baltimore, Gang Starr, Jay-Z, Black Rob, Mase, The Firm, and more. I've been feeling a lot more lately how nostalgia is a true mindf#ck, because it's not necessarily fond memories of the music itself, but those Tunnel days were just so important to what was happening on the streets and in the mixtape culture. Flex and Ciph were tearing it down and these are just some of the records that were blasting off. Noreaga credits "I'm Leaving" -- off The Firm Album -- as the track that jumpstarted his entire solo career. "All For The Love" by Jadakiss (The Lox) was so serious, not to mention "Stop Being Greedy" by DMX and "Black Trump" by Smif-N-Wessun and Raekwon. When you listen to these tracks through that lens, it adds another layer to the music/memories. Dig in...

State Property "The Roc-A-Fella Takeover" (Hot 97, 1/12/01)

Hot 97 was an ally, a safe space, a platform to break records. It was where Jay Z turned to for both promotion and to share professional dirt.... Hot 97 was Jay Z’s home for the six straight summers he ran rap.... Flex’s nightly show was also where Jay turned when he wanted to introduce his new artists. In the early days, Roc-A-Fella had a scant roster: mixtape legend DJ Clue; a ferocious rapper from South Philadelphia named Beanie Sigel; Jay Z’s longtime protégé Memphis Bleek; and Amil.... With the label’s next wave of artists on deck—a handful of Philly MCs in Sigel’s mold—Jay needed a platform. On the morning of January 12, 2001, he called Funkmaster Flex. Following a conversation between Flex, Jay Z, and then-Def Jam VP Mike Kyser, it was settled: Jay would appear on Flex’s show later that evening, new acts in tow. And though he wouldn’t rap, he instructed Flex to “get the beats ready.” The Roc’s untested squad of battle rappers—Freeway, Oschino, Sparks, and Young Chris—also prepared for a potentially career altering event. Freestyles during Flex’s nightly primetime shift reached audiences beyond Hot 97’s broadcast range. DJs often packaged the rhymes onto mixtapes and compilations, while newfound peer-to-peer file-sharing services such as Napster spread the music online. The freestyles also lived on at Hot 97—a peerless self-aggrandizer, Flex often replayed highlights from his own show.... The mood was celebratory inside Hot 97’s downtown Manhattan studios on that evening. Freeway and the future members of what would become Philly rap group State Property, along with Beanie Sigel and Memphis Bleek, popped bottles, and rhymed over classic boom-bap productions for nearly an hour of gripping radio. “It was the spark to their careers,” Cipha Sounds remembers. “Everybody was wondering about these guys afterwards. Everybody wanted to hear more from them.” Jay Z executed the hardhat duties of a hype man throughout, chuckling at the hottest lines and punctuating verses with cries of “It’s the Roc!” He then thanked Flex and Tracy Cloherty for permitting what was dubbed “The Roc-A-Fella Takeover,” a talent showcase for the label that doubled as free advertising. “That was a little unusual for me to have a bunch of unknown rappers freestyling,” Flex says. “I probably wouldn’t have done it if it weren’t for Jay Z.” - Props to Pitchfork, and DJStepOne for the audio.

Funkmaster Flex "Best Of 1995" (Mixtape, Hot 97)

Mixtapes are amazing, but if you truly wanna relive the experience of back in the day, sometimes revisiting old radio shows captures the full energy of the times. While Funk Flex was hard to stomach at times, his aggressive, over-the-top delivery was still infectious in New York City, and when he blasted off, we were tuned in, LIVE! In November, 1995, Flex did a Best Of 1995 mix on Hot 97; it was reissued in Japan on CD over a decade later. The mix includes tracks from Ill Al Skratch, King Just, Redman, Naughty By Nature, The Notorious B.I.G., AZ, Channel Live, Raekwon, Keith Murray, Grand Puba, Ten Thieves, Frankie Cutlass, Da Bush Babees, Brooklyn Zoo, Nine, D&D All Stars and more! It's radio so expect that vibe, but it's still quality music and very nostalgic. Enjoy...

Funkmaster Flex "Return Of The Tunnel #11" (Mixtape, 2000)

Return of the Tunnel #11 is a double-CD mixtape from Funkmaster Flex. It was released in 2000 and features a mix of Hip-Hop & RNB tracks from artists like 112, Biggie, Faith, Mase, Mary J. Blige, Dru Hill, Case, Foxy Brown, Christion, Jay-Z, Jodeci, Raekwon, Carl Thomas, Prodigy, Shyne, Aaliyah, DMX, Mya, Jadakiss, Dr. Dre, LL Cool J, Donnell Jones, Ruff Endz, The LOX, Eve, Memphis Bleek, The Murderers, Cam'ron, Mobb Deep, Big Pun, Ruff Ruders, Kurupt, Rah Digga, Busta Rhymes, and more! I think this mixtape may've been more Big Kap than Flex, but I'm sure Flex's name attached to anything to do with The Tunnel helps it move more units. Revisit these classic tunes below...

Royce Da 5'9 Freestyles on Funk Flex (Video, Hot 97)

We've talked it before, but every now and again, there are moments that make everyone stop what they're doing and collectively shift their attention... In hip-hop, one of those recent moments was Royce Da 5'9 up at Funkmaster Flex's radio show for his Freestyle series. On the back of freestyles from Black Thought and Joe Budden, I knew Royce would comewiddit when he finally made his appearance. Joined by the legendary DJ Premier, celebrating their upcoming release of PRhyme 2, Royce overdelivered! Again. This is a man with decades in on this game, yet still elevates, grows and opens up new chambers within himself to bring us something new and refreshing. "I transcend like Wu-Tang to all eras, cash rules / Now I'm just dead nice, the pallbearer of bad news..." + "I shit on every artist on the charts and leave a diaper on the jukebox..." and "I'm happy at platinum but I was happier / Back when 500 thousand was sold / My proudest accomplishment now / Was when I got quiet to get sober / And silence is gold" are just a few of the BARS that caught my attention. What more can I say? ... Dig into Royce Da 5'9's freestyle below and cop that PRhyme 2 on the 16th!

Black Thought Freestyles On Funk Flex (Hot 97, Video)

10 minutes of absolute BARS from the legendary Black Thought of The Roots. Last year, I touched on Funk Flex's freestyle series after Joe Budden was up at Hot 97. There's since been a few other dope freestyles, but none have shifted perspective and made fans rethink their T5DOA and had artists questioning their pen game as much as Black Thought's freestyle. There's so many quotables to shine a light on here, but some of my favorites are: "Gun fire and flares, sirens glare / I'm in a iron chair where people who care don't get the lion's share / When I don't give a f#ck then I ain't fair" and "Same cadence as D.O.C. pre-accident / Maybe my acumen's on par with Kool G. Rap and them / Give me the proper respect, mothaf#cka, we back again..." and "Go through the vein to the brain, fabulous and strange / My journalistic range is a catalyst for change / It got anybody that listen pissing flame / And ’cause the Hall of Fame got so many missing names." Black Thought blazed the mic up at Sway a couple months back, he's at it again ... Rappers were put on notice, give Black Thought his proper respect and watch this freestyle below with a pen and a pad in your hand.

DJ Riz "5 Minutes of Funk" (Video)

DJ Riz puts it down on the turntables as a guest on Funkmaster Flex's latest viral web-series, 5 Minutes of Funk. True hip-hop heads know how nasty DJ Riz has been since the early days of College Radio, MC Serch and more. DJ Riz touches the original samples, manages to pay tribute to DJ Premier and Guru of Gang Starr, and puts it down for the culture all at the same time. Shouts to DJ Eclipse; I trust they compared sets before they blessed it, lol. Let us DJs have this moment! Other originals represent tracks from De La Soul, Das EFX, Jay-Z, Frank N Dank, Ed O.G., The LOX, The Beatnuts, Group Home and more ... DJ Riz put it down real mean on this one, watch below...

DJ Eclipse "5 Minutes of Funk" (Video)

Watch this video below of DJ Eclipse tearing it up on Funkmaster Flex’s turntables and you might guess he has a superstar attitude to go with his massive skills, but E is truly the nicest dude in the world. We met him at Fat Beats in the 90s, the brick and mortar epicenter of underground hip-hop, where he was the manager. Despite burning the candle at both ends, co-hosting The Halftime Show and DJing for Non Phixion, Eclipse always greeted us with a smile and a pound, and 20 years later, he’s still that humble, friendly guy. You can still catch him burning up the airwaves with the best hip-hop records you’ve never heard before, on Sirius’ Rap is Outta Control radio show. - ItsTheRub. I can't say it much better than that, sentiments I can echo word-for-word - much love to the OG!

Capone-N-Noreaga "Ya Heard! Vol.1" (The Penalty Mixtape)

A dope promo tape from Capone-N-Noreaga in '98, featuring released and unreleased tracks from "The War Report," as well as tracks from Noreaga's "N.O.R.E" album and a few other joints thrown in. The tape is awkwardly called "Ya Heard! Vol.1: The Penalty Mixtape;" mixed by Cipha Sounds & hosted by Funkmaster Flex who comes loud as can be on the mix, lol. Pics by me, but fortunately DJ Step One already has a nice copy of it on Mixcloud, so props to him for saving me the time ripping it, head over to his page for lots more content. Blast off with Funk Flex & Capone-N-Noreaga, enjoy "Calm Down," "Married To Marijuana," "Blood Money" and other dope throwbacks. Listen to it below...

This was one of my favorite promo tapes at the time.

Its Overture "The Hot 97 Tapes" (Summer Of '96 Mix)

Well said by Its Overture, "An unauthorized fever dream remixing memories of Hot 97 in the summer of 1996." The mix features tracks from Nas, Royal Flush, Jeru The Damaja, Nine, Wyclef Jean, A Tribe Called Quest, Monica & Treach, Common, Lil' Kim, Real Live, Jay-Z, Big  Noyd, Heltah Skeltah, Artifacts, O.C., INI, Mobb Deep, The Dogg Pound, 2Pac, Outkast, Junior Mafia, Shadez Of Brooklyn & so many dope chops from Hot 97 ads, drops, tags, and lots more lol. A truly unique concept, gotta give props to Macabee & Riverse for putting it together as a kid that grew up listening to Hot 97. Listen to the mix below, "The Hot 97 Tapes," the summer of '96 mix ... reminisce with it below...

Joe Budden Freestyles on Funk Flex (Video, Hot 97)

By now, it's pretty clear that I'm an album guy -- I don't post a lot of singles, loose tracks or videos. That said, there are moments that impact the culture that don't land on an album, ie: performances, freestyles, interviews, etc. I try to make mental notes and tie that into related content, but some shit ultimately stands on its own. Enter the Funk Flex freestyle series on Hot 97. Flex has been embracing the battle scene of late, and has always recognized the value of beef in hip-hop. Plus, to give the man his flowers, he has definitely championed classic hip-hop for decades. I don't imagine I'll appreciate all the artists he brings up to his show - after-all, it's 2016 and this is Hot 97, but I've been a career-long fan of Joe Budden and with all his detractors on standby, it's important to celebrate when it just comes down to the music, because that's where you can hardly discredit the man's skills. Lines like "No argument, follow in the blueprint that my hood wrote / So every footnote put my foot in that quote," or "Play superhero here, might lead to a dead pool," showcase his lyricism, and we can't forget that Drake sent shots in Joe's direction first, so the bars "Besides you jabbed first, but both knew my jab back harder / A tad fast like Zab at the sparring" are well placed in the session. With retirement looming in the background - even with the Rage And The Machine album on the way - it's dope to see Joe just get back to pure rhyming, check it out...

Friday Night Street Jam (February 4, 1994)

"I know pretty much every Flex show I've posted starts with the Cold Crush intro, but I will NEVER get tired of hearing that. The way they took their old routines and incorporated Flex into it was so classic. Should have been a hit record. Speaking of classic, Flex hooks up with Mr. Magic to discuss Magic's early beginnings in Hip Hop, stepping away from music, coming back and how he connected with Marley Marl and the Juice Crew. Flex also had Shyheim The Rugged Child as a guest (35:40) who after talking about his connection to Wu-Tang jumps into a freestyle." - via DJ Eclipse.

Funkmaster Flex "Friday Night Street Jam" (March 18, 1994)

"As usual, Flex rocks a nice set of Hip Hop, R&B and Reggae which were all popping in NYC during the 90s. Not sure where else you would have heard an SWV record mixed into a Kool G Rap record let alone a 1982 live performance from the Cold Crush Brothers. Played on commercial radio?!? Now that's good radio. New York had the Palladium in full effect as well as the Source Awards. Flex mentions that Nas will be stopping by tomorrow (I think I have that freestyle taped) and Mister Cee appears near the end for a guest blend set (171:38). Here's just over 3 hours of the 4 hour show. If only they made hi bias tapes longer back then. Oh well." - via DJ Eclipse's Mixcloud

Funkmaster Flex & The Ghetto Celebs "Nuttin But Flavor" (1995)

I always give props to Nervous Records/Wreck Records, even Weeded Records. When you saw the logo, you knew what it was, 100%. As for Funkmaster Flex - in his position at Hot 97, Flex has held it down for 20+ years, not including mixes, his role in breaking artists, etc etc. Admittedly, I've had more than a fair share of gripes with how he moves, especially in today's clickbait culture ... but from the beginning, you can't deny his place in Hip-Hop history. Don't get me started on The Tunnel. And for the nostalgia, I dig the old packages labels would send to DJs and tastemakers, as promo, for feedback and support on upcoming records. The above kit says "No feedback, no product, no joke!" If you wanted that free product, you hit them back with the feedback, believe it... lol.

DJ Premier "Guru 1 Year Anniversary Mix" (Live On Hot 97)

To honor the memory of his partner in rhyme, Guru, Gang Starr's DJ Premier set up shop in Hot 97 on the 1st anniversary of Guru’s passing and played a 2-hour tribute to the late, great Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal on Funkmaster Flex‘s show. The legendary producer/DJ rolled through a plethora of Gang Starr's classic anthems, remixes and harder to find joints. Years later, we still miss Guru's presence and Gang Starr as a group, so dig back into this live mix from DJ Premier. Gifted Unlimited Rhymes Universal, Keith "Guru" Elam, Rest in Peace .... Gang Starr forever! Dig in below...

Funkmaster Flex "Special Delivery" (Part 1-3, 2001)

A student of Red Alert and Chuck Chillout, Funkmaster Flex got his break filling in at New York's KISS-FM ... that job led to a job at WBLS and then his current gig of 20-odd years at Hot 97. Never known to be a "mix tape" DJ per se, Flex did release several mixes when they reached mass popularity on the streets and, of course, we're all familiar with the retail releases he put on Loud Records, as well. Back in 2001, he released these 3 street mix tapes as part of a "Special Delivery," series, as he did with the "Big Truck Series" and other joints to hype his car shows and what-not. Featuring a blend of what was hot at the time, with exclusive freestyles, they're still a solid listen today. I'd originally uploaded Part 1 to Soundcloud, but I noticed they took it offline. Fortunately all 3 mix tapes were available on Mixcloud, so this post has been updated to include all 3 parts below...