Funk Flex has challenged The Roots to drop some new music, as the New York DJ continues to put pressure on notable rappers to feed fans with fresh tunes.
The veteran Hot 97 DJ issued the challenge during his nightly radio broadcast on Thursday (October 20), where he called out every single member of the legendary Philadelphia group by name.
“Did I challenge The Roots to get me two songs?” Flex asked. “Yeah! Ohhh yeah. DJ Questlove, you ready? Black Thought, you ready? Philly, are you ready? Cosmic Kev, are you ready?”
Questlove or Black Thought have yet to respond to Flex’s challenge.
Funk Flex challenges The Roots to drop two new songs ? @funkflex @theroots https://t.co/FoC4kxW3kg pic.twitter.com/CruC8ZQJpp
— HipHopDX (@HipHopDX) October 20, 2022
The last time The Roots released a full-length project was in 2014 with their 11th album …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin, which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200.
Since then, Black Thought has dropped numerous solo projects, including his Stream of Thought trilogy and Cheat Codes in August, which was produced entirely by Danger Mouse.
As for Questlove, he released his Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) in 2021 and is currently working on films about J Dilla, James Brown and Sly Stone.
In a recent interview with HipHopDX in August, the 51-year-old drummer confirmed The Roots are still working on a new album, which he revealed was “60 percent” finished.
“We’ve been working on this album for six years, so I’ll say that we’re 60 percent done,” Questlove said in August. “And the fact that it still sounds good, even after six years of starting and stopping, that’s how timeless it is, and it’s a return to form.”
DX also spoke to Black Thought in August, with the veteran lyricist saying Danger Mouse has already heard the new Roots project.
“The Roots album could be done whenever we need it to be,” Thought said. “We got enough songs, and I feel like it’s cohesive. It’s not like a, ‘We’re about to start,’ so it boils down to just that refinement, which songs are actually completed. We have hundreds of compositions, a couple hundred ideas, because it’s been a minute.”
Danger Mouse chimed in: “Yeah. There’s lot of stuff there. I’m not sure about finished. I don’t know myself.”
Funk Flex has been on a tear challenging rappers to drop new tunes lately, and most have stepped up the plate. In September, Flex challenged A$AP Ferg to end his musical drought and return with something new, and the Harlem native obliged.