Conway The Machine has clarified his issues with Funkmaster Flex after calling out the Hot 97 DJ on Instagram Live earlier this week.
The Griselda rapper returned to the social media platform on Wednesday (July 13) and explained his frustration stems not from Flex not playing his music on the radio, but the veteran DJ’s comments about him during an interview on Wallo and Gillie Da Kid’s Million Dollaz Worth of Game podcast.
“I just want to make a few things clear,” he began. “I don’t care about a n-gga playing me on the radio, bro. That never was my premise. I’m not tripping about you playing on the radio, I’m not complaining about that. I’m not asking or crying out for why you don’t play me.”
Conway The Machine Calls Out Funk Flex & NY DJs For Gatekeeping: ‘We Gotta Get Rid Of Y’all N-ggas’
He added, “N-ggas sent me a video of Flex and Wallo with Gillie and them n-ggas, and Wallo was on that n-gga body like, ‘Yo, what about them Griselda n-ggas?,'” he said. “[Flex] was like, ‘Yo, I fuck with them n-ggas, I like what they doing, but it ain’t my vibe, I don’t listen to that shit. I don’t listen to it, personally.’
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“My premise is like… bro, you Funk Flex, my n-gga! Why you have to do that, bro? Y’all n-ggas bring us up, bro. Not even us — artists everywhere, but y’all shit on n-ggas. You don’t know what that shit could potentially do, y’all opinions and shit like that. Keep that shit to yourself, bruh.”
Conway clarified he doesn’t have “beef” with Funk Flex, but he is bothered by gatekeepers going “out [their] way” to say unflattering things about artists they don’t like, potentially costing them opportunities.
“I have no beef with Flex or none of those n-ggas,” he added. “It ain’t no beef! You ain’t say nothing wrong. But it’s where you say these things and how you say it. Sometimes your opinions, man — especially when people can hold stock in [your opinions] – like, ‘Well shit, if Flex say he don’t listen to it, why should we give them n-ggas a $2 million bag?’
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“‘Shit, if Flex — the guy of the hottest radio station for the last 30 years in the Tri-State — if he not listening to it or fucking with it, why should we?’ You see what I’m saying? Like bro, don’t do that to n-ggas! You ain’t gotta like our shit, bro. It’s all love, that’s your opinion. You never offended me, never threatened me, it’s no smoke on that type of time.”
Funk Flex Chooses Violence As He Responds To Conway The Machine's 'Gatekeeper' Comments
The Buffalo, New York native also made clear that his original rant wasn’t aimed at all New York City DJs and he has love for those who’ve been spinning his music and supporting his career since the beginning.
“It was never a shot at Hot 97 or DJs in New York,” he added. “I fuck with a lot of them DJ n-ggas and they’ve been fucking with me since the beginning … Like my n-gga Statik [Selektah], Sway, Ron Mills, Gray Rizzy, Lord Sear, Peter Rosenberg, Ebro, Megan Ryte, DJ Clue, Superstar Jay. Man, I could name a gang of them n-ggas.”
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In his original Instagram Live rant, Conway The Machine aired out Funk Flex and other unnamed New York gatekeeper DJs for being old and out of touch.
“New York, in my opinion, you gotta get them old n-ggas up out the way like Flex and them n-ggas, man,” he said. “We gotta get rid of y’all n-ggas, man. Let some new, young, tapped in, really tapped in with the streets ass n-ggas be the DJs and run that shit up there at Hot 97 and all that shit.
“You weirdo DJ n-ggas think that you run New York, n-gga. Y’all is lame clowns. I hate muthafuckin’ the media. I hate you DJ n-ggas. Not all of ’em. Just some of y’all n-ggas in New York City, man. Y’all n-ggas just be doing weirdo shit bruh…like for real y’all gotta move out the way, man.”
Flex fired back with a scathing Instagram post ridiculing Conway for being a “40 plus ‘bars rappers'” with the backing of Hip Hop heavyweights like Eminem, JAY-Z and Kanye West, yet having a plateauing career.
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“@whoisconway hahahaha!” he wrote. “Soooo? Let’s begin! Your managed by ROCNATION (JAY-Z), Signed to SHADY RECORDS (EMINEM), Distributed by INTERSCOPE RECORDS? (MAJOR LABEL). YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAVE HAD A FEATURE FROM JAYZ, EMINEM, LIL WAYNE, JCOLE, JADAKISS, TRAVIS SCOTT, FRENCH MONTANA AND MORE???
“WASN’T U ON KANYE/DONDA ALBUM? IM GONNA GIVE YOU THE ADVICE PAUL ROSENBERG SHOULD OF GAVE U! YOU’RE A 40 PLUS ‘BARS RAPPER’ SORRY LYRICIST THAT HAS HAD EVERY RESOURCE POSSIBLE! IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY WITH YOUR ‘CAREER’ AS OF TODAY? WITH ALL THEM CO-SIGNS? I THINK U HAVE PEAKED MY GUY? WHAT U THINK (YOUR ONLY GONNA TAKE THIS AS DISRESPECT BECAUSE TRUTH MIGHT BE A BIT MUCH FOR YOU?”
Conway responded in his comments section by writing, “This y’all king?” After Flex replied with laughing emojis, Conway asked, “@funkflex we doin internet posts or we gon chop it?? Lol you’re 60 years old bruh tell me when I’m wrong.”
Legendary producer Pete Rock also got dragged into the squabble after defending Conway The Machine and accusing Funk Flex of suppressing so-called “real Hip Hop” on the radio. In response, Flex mocked the Petestrumentals beatsmith for losing his jobs at Hot 97 and WBLS and told him to “get off the drugs and liquor,” despite being complimentary of his music.
