Flex Kartel has previously performed with different genres that culturally make the Washington D.C. area.

Rapper Flex Kartel’s experience in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia music scenes have helped in cultivating his hip-hop sound and his career. Collaborating with the likes of Wale, and touring as opener for him and Nas and is quickly making a name for himself as a performer, songwriter, arranger, and composer.

Flex Kartel has previously performed with different genres that culturally make the Washington D.C. area. Starting in Go-go band Reflections with his cousin, he hadn’t rapped yet, but a friend from Atlanta had been visiting and encouraged him. They recorded that night, and from there Flex Kartel grew into a career writing and composing for other artists, entering the writers room with A&R executives after working on one of Wale’s albums.

“I think the very first point was being in a Go-go band. That was my first opportunity to be creative in my own realm of music that I never thought was possible,” tells Flex Kartel. The funk genre started influencing hip-hop in the ‘90s. For Flex Kartel, it’s helped him in composing tracks for himself and other artists in the industry. “With Go-go you have to sometimes re-create other songs into your own song. When I got into the industry It made me a better writer for other people because organically I always split other songs onto different beats,” says Flex Kartel. “So now I just know how to create any type of melody. I'm a music lover so I'm going to create melodies for rock, r&b, dancehall, or whatever jazz, because that's what has influenced me.

His latest single “Get A Bag” features Detroit rapper Sada Baby. The two connected in Los Angeles, when Flex Kartel was asked to write a song for their collaboration. He created a track in 45 minutes and sent it over. By the next day, Flex Kartel was set to collaborate on the track, and had Suit n Ty Cinematography looking to film its music video. His next project will include Houston rapper Peso Peso, while he continues to grow his production company of his own, and plans for a tour in 2023.