Earlier this week, Conway The Machine criticized New York City DJs in an Instagram Live video. In particular, the Griselda lyricist and Drumwork Records founder knocked DJ Suss One and Funkmaster Flex by name for their failure to support Hip-Hop music like his—despite being reported fans. As Funk Flex responded to Conway with jabs of his own, a Hip-Hop legend entered the discussion. Pete Rock, whose career began on radio, called out Funk’ Flex for failing to support Rap, especially from New York. Flex then lashed out at Pete Rock in response. While praising his work as an artist, the HOT 97 DJ attacked Pete’s character, including suggestions of substance abuse, being out of touch, and failing to make meaningful music over the last half-decade.

Since midweek, Funkmaster Flex responded to Conway (who later clarified his motives and remarks). The DJ issued a challenge, offering a beat to the Buffalo, New York MC. Flex promised that if a song is completed, he will use his radio platform to let the fans decide next week. Conway appears to have accepted the challenge, according to an Instagram story. As for Pete, the Big Apple DJ/producer went on-air Thursday night (July 14) and laid out even stronger accusations against the heralded producer for Nas, Run-D.M.C., Kanye West, and others.

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On-air, Flex suggested an alliance with Pete Rock’s on-again, off-again musical partner. “C.L. Smooth, I appreciate you, I respect you and I love you, my brother,” said the DJ, who also shouted out Pete’s late cousin and mentor, Heavy D. Then, Flex made it a point to announce that Pete is suing Heavy D & The Boyz member DJ Eddie F as well as Nas—two people who he previously worked with. “I’m going to tear you apart tonight. Yes! Don’t get it twisted, New York,” chided the mainstream personality, according to a report by HipHopDX.

Flex complimented his verbal opponent, before getting into it. “Pete Rock is a Top 5 greatest producer of all time, and this is one of my Top 5 favorite albums [Mecca and the Soul Brother].” He added, “Before Heavy D passed away, Pete Rock did not want to do any beats for him. He wanted to get his advance early—before he did any beats for the person that put him on.” Pete Rock produced and co-produced numerous songs for Heavy D & The Boyz throughout the 1990s. The four later solo albums by Heavy D did not include Pete tracks. However, Pete has stated that he has unreleased material with his cousin, who died in late 2011 at 44 years old.

Pete Rock Blasts Funkmaster Flex For Not Supporting Real Hip-Hop

The DJ then moved onto C.L. Smooth, siding with Pete’s former musical partner. “C.L. Smooth is the reason you even exist,” he jabbed. Flex then accused Pete of supplying outside artists with his best material. “Producers always gave the best material to they groups. You, bozo, gave it out as remixes to be spiteful. What happened now in 2022? Guess who’s broke? You wanna sue the people who helped you like Nas and Eddie F. This guy also went to the precinct on C.L. Smooth. His partner that he’s known for 30 years went to the precinct, filled out a report, went on record.” In 2019, C.L. Smooth appeared on Sway In The Morning. He suggested a chasm in the relationship with Pete, following mid-2010s reunion tours and reports of a third album.

While Pete and his team went public in early 2022 about suing Nas over unpaid royalties tied to Illmatic, the allegations are new surrounding C.L. Flex charges, “The police came to arrest C.L. [Smooth]. Due to a technicality, they could’n’t arrest him. He did this in the U.K. He did not care if he was put in a jail overseas where the rules are totally different from New York. He went to the precinct, filled out a report and cooperated. What type of guy is that? And you talk to me about the game and integrity? You have none. You have zero. Don’t you ever, you hear me, bozo?” He then added, “You say that you want to upkeep Hip-Hop and you are all for Hip-Hop and preserving the culture, but you didn’t write your own bars. You, my friend, are a buffoon.”

C.L. Smooth Drops New Music & Opens Up About His Relationship With Pete Rock (Video)

Flex, who was a central figure in Meek Mill’s 2015 attack on Drake over using songwriting from Quentin Miller also called out Pete for using writers on songs. Namely, the DJ pointed to Brand Nubian’s Grand Puba and C.L. Smooth writing material. Earlier in the week, Flex had praised Pete’s rapping.

Flex finished his diatribe attacking Pete Rock’s loyalty as a matter of character. “Your friend DJ Eddie F is the one that put you in power. All of those remixes that you got were really for Eddie F; he passed them to you. Now you’re suing them,” Flex stated. “Allegedly. That’s what I heard. So you’re suing Nas [too].” The alleged dispute between Pete and Eddie F is unknown. Eddie has previously worked in radio, much like Flex and Pete.

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Flex finished by pointing out Pete Rock’s decline in popularity. The DJ then played Craig Mack’s “Flava In Ya Ear,” appearing to suggest that Bad Boy’s reign signaled the end of Pete. “This song should explain what happened to your career,” he said of the 1994 video single produced by Easy Mo Bee. “This song right here is the reason, you sir, you were finished, [and you] no longer mattered and weren’t relevant.” Pete Rock worked on demo material with The Notorious B.I.G. in the early 1990s, including the basis of “Juicy.” Pete’s original version later became the 1994 hit’s official remix. However, unlike DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Buckwild, and others, Pete was never given placements on either of Biggie’s albums made while he was alive. Last month, Pete called out Diddy in an Instagram post after the mogul called Bobby Brown “The Chocolate Boy Wonder” during his BET Lifetime Achievement Award acceptance speech.

DX contacted Pete Rock for comment following Funkmaster Flex’s attack. “I don’t respond to f*ck sh*t,” wrote the Mount Vernon, New Yorker.

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#BonusBeat: The most recent episode of Ambrosia For Heads’ What’s The Headline podcast revisits the Top 20 Hip-Hop albums of all-time, as decided by our readers. That list includes Nas’ Illmatic, an album that Pete Rock co-produced as well as The Notorious B.I.G.’s Ready To Die: