Check out some of the Ford Heritage Vehicle Collection in Dearborn
Ford Motor Co. shows some of its famous heritage vehicle collections located in the company’s headquarters building on Michigan Avenue, Dearborn on Wednesday, March 12, 2025.
Legendary New York Radio DJ and car enthusiast Funk Masterflex dropped a bomb on fans on a social media post on August 28th.
Flex’s news language led many to believe that “my next move will shock you!” in comments in his post, “I’m going to shock you!”, to believe that many are there, retired from Hot 97 after about 33 years.
Flex will be holding radio programs Monday through Thursday and Saturday from 7pm to late night, and Friday from 10pm to midnight. According to TMZ, Flex doesn’t leave, it just changes the time slot.
“TMZ Hip Hop has confirmed with multiple sources that Funk Flex will operate in slots from 5pm to 10pm after Labor Day holidays,” TMZ reported on August 29th.
USA Today contacted Hot 97 and requested an interview with Flex, but his representative did not respond immediately.
Young DJs become car enthusiasts
When Flex is not making “a signature move for “Dropping Bombs””, it lets listeners know that new music will arrive via explosive sound clips (the more bombs, the more heated the song).
According to NJ.com, Aston Taylor Jr., 58, from the Bronx, began DJing when he was 16 years old. However, in 2007, he told Motrend that “Music is my life, but cars are my passion. He’s excited to partner with Ford on his new show “Car Wars” with Funk Master Flex. I’m equally excited that fans get caught up in showing their passion, energy and dedication. ”
That year, Ford Motor Co. paired Flex from the second season of his reality TV series on ESPN’s “Auto War with Funkmaster Flex.” The new season will document the real-life drama of four customizers competing in six-week races to customize the 2007 Ford expedition, Motor reported at the time.
According to various social media posts, Ford Expedition only had 650 Funkmaster Flex editions.
For many years, Flex has hosted TV series on Spike Network, such as “Ride with Funkmaster Flex” and “Fast Machines with Funkmaster Flex.” According to NJ.com, he is headed for ESPN’s “All Muscles with the Funkmaster Flex,” as well as “Auto War with the Funkmaster Flex” and “Funk Flex Full Throttle.”
Become a respected car customizer
According to Curbside Classic, Flex had financial success in his DJing career and began purchasing and customizing classic cars. He founded a customization company called Team Baurtwell, which includes celebrities such as Ludacris, Queen Latifah and Shaquille O’Neal as clients.
His customised work and celebrity bonds led Flex to host several TV shows. On “Ride with Funkmaster Flex,” aired in the early 2000s, Flex visits a car show, hosts other celebrities and talks about customized cars. His other shows followed a similar format, and soon Flex was considered the top dog in the field of customization in city cars.
Curbside Classic writes that hip-hop and cars are always intimately aligned, saying by the mid-2000s Flex’s notable people in both arenas had attracted corporate sponsors to him. By 2005, he had gained support from Turtle Wax, Castrol and JL Audio, and signed a deal with Hot Wheels to sell a miniature version of the customised Baultwell.
The biggest deal came in 2005 when Ford partnered with Flex to collaborate with urban audiences when he initially focused on celebrity car shows. The show consisted of numerous tours featuring custom cars, celebrity cars and sometimes appearances by rap stars. Curbside Classic said that part of the Ford Partnership has something to do with offering a fusion of the F-150 and Flex, providing Fusion to bring customised show circuits.
This partnership has led Ford to reach a black audience and a younger man who followed Flex’s show. Ford created a targeted ad campaign, and the ad agency that processed the account integrated Flex into the promotion.
“Rap DJ/car enthusiasts have been able to inject the excitement they otherwise needed to have a stable vehicle. Or, as Ford Motor’s multicultural marketing manager said, Funk Masterflex “brings coolness to the line,” writes Curbside Classic.
I’m touching on Flex’s expedition
This article states that Ford announced in 2006 that Flex has a “official” vehicle produced with limited numbers. Flex worked directly with Ford Designer Melvin Betancourt to create the vehicle, and the end result had many similarities to Team Baurtwell’s distinctive project: unique paint, custom wheels, color-adjusted interiors, and suppressed ground effects.
“Essentially, this car was the automotive version of the mixtape. It’s a favorite compilation of its creator,” explained Curbside Classic. “Colorado’s two-tone red and black paint is the car’s most distinctive feature and prioritization, and we believe this car will quickly stand out as unique as it is, as the two-tones are barely available from the manufacturer.”
Flex said he wanted the vehicle to “issued a statement with a stoplight without overclosing.” Custom front and rear fascias and side skirts make the car seem to ride lower than a regular expedition. There were 20-inch chrome wheels that fit the larger frame of the Expedition, but the main clue to identifying the special edition was the chromed FMF fender logo.
The Funkmaster Flex Special Edition debuted at the 2007 New York Auto Show, with Curbside Classic writing, and was sold at the end of the year as a 2008 model. The starting sticker price was $40,910. The FMF edition was a rather modest $2,170 option.
Flex’s partnership with Ford lasted several years after his special edition of the expedition debuted, but no other FMF vehicles occurred.
For now, Flex is still a DJ on the Hot 97, and remains a notable number in car customization, posting frequent updates on social media about his latest projects. In November 2024, he performed the newly acquired 2025 BMW M4 Contest. He also regularly posts about his collection of vintage American muscle cars and hosts automotive events.
Jamie L. Larrow is a senior Autos writer covering Ford Motor Company for the Detroit Free Press. Please contact Jamie at jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @Jarouan. Sign up for our car newsletter. Become a subscriber.
