Heds & Dreds: A History of Funkmaster Flex + Dancehall

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April 29, 2013


Words by Jesse Serwer—

Funkmaster-Flex

New York radio don Funkmaster Flex recently dropped his first mixtape in a decade, Who You Mad At? Me or Yourself? and he saved the best for last, unleashing a pair of new dancehall riddims from Massive B called Boom Bap (voiced by Mavado, Popcaan and Sean Paul) and Worldwide (voiced by Konshens, Mr. Vegas and Mavado) to close out the tape. Boom Bap, a dancehall-meets-hip-hop hybrid with a ’90s feel to it, is the standout and Popcaan, in particular, comes strong with his contribution, called “Gangsta Way.” Stream “Gangsta Way” below and download the full mixtape at DatPiff.com.

You might not associate Flex with dancehall, but the DJ has repped his Jamaican heritage (he was raised in the Bronx by parents from JA) to varying degrees over the years. Scroll through for a look at some of the highlights.