Hip-Hip Game Changer: Funkmaster Flex

In the beginning of hip-hop the DJ was always part of the background and rarely mentioned. Over the years such groups as Whodini, Run DMC, and A Tribe Called Quest gave their DJ's more focus and attention, but still nothing close to a headliner. As rap evolved DJ's became more prevalent and displayed their skills on mixtapes. Funkmaster Flex brought the underground mixtape phenomenon to the mainstream. He was one of the first DJ's to showcase his talents without being part of a hip-hop group. This independence allowed him to work with various artists and use beats in a more creative fashion. Funkmaster Flex established the theory that a good DJ can take someone's original work and enhance it by blending different vocals and changing the tempo. Funk Flex was one of the first DJ's to be a marquee name and the predecessor to such DJ's as DJ Clue, Tony Touch, and DJ Khaled. The mixtape concept still lives on, but like most other things hip-hop related it is no longer underground. Funkmaster Flex is a big reason why.