See some of Ford’s Heritage vehicle collection in Dearborn
Ford Motor Co. shows some of its famous Heritage vehicle collection at the company’s headquarters building in Dearborn, Michigan.
Legendary New York radio DJ and car enthusiast Funkmaster Flex dropped a bomb on his fans in an Aug. 28 social media post saying he would host his final show at 7 p.m. on New York’s Hot 97 radio station on Labor Day.
The wording of Flex’s news, along with the statement, “My next move will shock you!” in the comments of his post, led many to believe he was retiring from Hot 97 after some 33 years there.
Flex hosts his radio show Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight and on Friday from 10 p.m. to midnight. Well according to TMZ, Flex is not leaving, but rather merely shifting time slots.
“TMZ Hip Hop confirmed with multiple sources that Funk Flex will operate on the 5 PM to 10 PM slot after the Labor Day holiday,” TMZ reported on Aug. 29.
USA TODAY reached out to Hot 97 requesting an interview with Flex, but his representatives did not immediately reply.
A young DJ turns car enthusiast
When Flex isn’t doing his “signature move of ‘dropping bombs'” to signal to listeners the arrival of new music through explosive sound clips — the more bombs, the hotter the song — he is a notable car enthusiast.
A Bronx native born Aston Taylor Jr., Flex, 58, started DJ’ing when he was 16, according to NJ.com. But in 2007, he told MotorTrend, “Music is my life, but cars are my passion. I’m excited about partnering with Ford on my new show ‘Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex.’ I’m equally excited about getting the fans involved to show their passion, energy and dedication.”
That year, Ford Motor Co. teamed up Flex for the second season of his reality TV series on ESPN, “Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex.” The new season would chronicle the real life drama of four customizers competing in a six-week race to customize a 2007 Ford Expedition, MotorTrend reported at the time.
According to various social media posts, there were only 650 Funkmaster Flex editions of the Ford Expedition, and occasionally someone spots one and posts a photo of it, such as this one Facebook.
Over the years, Flex has hosted TV series such as “Ride with Funkmaster Flex” and “Fast Machines with Funkmaster Flex” on the Spike network. He’s headed ESPN’s “All Muscle with Funkmaster Flex” and “Car Wars with Funkmaster Flex,” along with “Funk Flex Full Throttle” on MTV, NJ.com reported.
Becoming a respected car customizer
According to Curbside Classic, once Flex achieved financial success with his DJ career, he started buying classic cars and customizing them. He started a customization firm called Team Baurtwell, which included celebrities such as Ludacris, Queen Latifah and Shaquille O’Neal as his clients.
His customizing work and celebrity ties led Flex to host several TV shows. On “Ride with Funkmaster Flex,” which aired in the early 2000s, Flex would visit car shows, host other celebrities and talk about customized cars. His other shows followed similar formats and soon Flex was considered a top dog in the urban car customization field.
Hip hop and cars have always been closely aligned, Curbside Classic wrote, noting that by the mid-2000s, Flex’s prominence in both arenas drew him corporate sponsors. By 2005, he had endorsements from Turtle Wax, Castrol and JL Audio, and a deal with Hot Wheels to sell miniature versions of Baurtwell customizations.
The biggest deal came in 2005 when Ford partnered with Flex to reach an urban audience initially focusing on his celebrity car show. The show consisted of a multicity tour showcasing custom cars, celebrity cars and sometimes appearances by rap stars. Curbside Classic said part of the Ford partnership involved Ford providing an F-150 and a Fusion for Flex to customize and bring on the show circuit.
The partnership increased Ford’s reach to Black audiences and to young men, who followed Flex’s shows. Ford created targeted ad campaigns, and the ad agency that handled the account merged Flex into the promotions.
“A rap DJ / car enthusiast could inject some needed excitement in otherwise staid vehicles. Or, as Ford Motor’s Multicultural Marketing Manager put it, Funkmaster Flex ‘brings coolness to the line,'” Curbside Classic wrote.
Flex’s touches to the Expedition
The article states that Ford announced in 2006 that Flex would have an “official” vehicle produced in limited numbers, which ended up as the 2008 Funkmaster Flex Expedition. Flex worked directly with Ford designer Melvin Betancourt to create the vehicle and the end result had many similarities to Team Baurtwell’s characteristic projects: Unique paint, custom wheels, color-coordinated interior and subdued ground effects.
“In essence, this car was an automotive version of a mixtape — a compilation of its creator’s favorite things,” Curbside Classic described. “The Colorado Red-and-Black two-tone paint was this car’s most distinctive feature, and one that Flex prioritized, figuring that since two-tones were largely unavailable from manufacturers, this car would immediately stand out as something unique.”
Flex said he wanted the vehicle to “make a statement at a stoplight with no overkill.” The custom front and rear fascias and side skirts makes the car appear to ride lower than a regular Expedition. It had 20-inch chromed wheels to fit the Expedition’s large frame, but the main cues to identify the special edition was the chromed FMF fender logos.
The Funkmaster Flex Special Edition debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, Curbside Classic wrote, and it went on sale at year-end as a 2008 model. Its starting sticker price was $40,910; the FMF Edition was a rather modest $2,170 option.
Flex’s partnership with Ford lasted for several years after his Special Edition Expedition debuted, but no other FMF vehicle resulted.
As of now, Flex is still DJ’ing on Hot 97 and remains a notable figure in car customization, frequently posting updates on social media about his latest projects. In November 2024, he showcased a newly acquired 2025 BMW M4 Competition. He also regularly posts about his collection of vintage American muscle cars and hosts car-related events.
Jamie L. LaReau is the senior autos writer who covers Ford Motor Co. for the Detroit Free Press. Contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. To sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
