Veteran rapper and DJ Funkmaster Flex announced on Thursday he’s leaving Hot 97 after 33 years with the New York hip-hop station.
Funk Flex — who began hosting the station’s first-ever hip-hop show in 1992, and later became known for his signature “bomb drop” sound effects — said his final show will air on Labor Day Monday.
“This Monday, Labor Day September 1st, (will) be my last show on Hot 97 at 7pm!” he wrote on social media. “All things come to an end! End of an era that I enjoyed very much! … I will make the last show a great one!”
Flex didn’t reveal why he’s leaving the station nor what he has planned for the future, but teased in another post that his “next move will shock you!”
The announcement was met by surprise and sadness from longtime Funk Flex listeners.
“We living in the end of times the Mayans were talking about wtf!” one fan commented on the news.
“EVERYBODY GO TO THE NEAREST CORNER STORE AND PUT YOUR HAND IN THE CASH REGISTER RIGHT NOW!” another replied, quoting a Funk Flex catchphrase.
Flex, whose legal name is Aston George Taylor Jr., has been a New York City music staple since even prior to joining Hot 97. He first worked with fellow Bronx native Chuck Chillout at 98.7 Kiss-FM, and briefly appeared on 107.5. He found his way to the Hot 97 airwaves when the station started live-streaming from the clubs where he performed.
Just this month, Flex was presented with a Key to the City by Mayor Eric Adams, who praised his “three decades of influence” and “his role in shaping the global reach of NYC’s hip-hop scene through his iconic platform.”
“I’m humbled and honored to receive the Key to the City I’ve always called home,” Flex said at the ceremony. “New York made me. Hot 97 gave me the mic and hip-hop gave me a voice. This moment means everything.”
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