FunkyTown Pros: Reclaiming Hip Hop with 'Til Further Notice'

A group of four men posing together outdoors, smiling, with one member raising a finger in a gesture. They are dressed in stylish jackets and sunglasses, showcasing a confident and vibrant hip-hop aesthetic. — Funkytown Pros In Action. (From Left) K. Borne, Manslaughter, Devistatin’, H2Boss, FREEWOOD

LOS ANGELES — On a crisp Christmas morning in 1990 on 38th and Cimmaron, the story became legend. A group of young Hip Hop artists, newly signed with the Peace Posse imprint distributed by 4th & Broadway Records, were standing on their block when they witnessed a surreal scene: a limousine pulled up to a neighboring house, and out stepped a man who looked exactly like James Brown, the music icon often called the Godfather of Soul and a foundational influence on Hip Hop.

The artists, members of the collective FunkyTown Pros (FTP), were gathered on the porch of member Boi Wundah when the limo stopped. They instantly recognized the star, who was traveling alone.

“I believe he was visiting a family member next door, Ms. Matty.” Manslaughter, one of the group’s members, later recalled.

The encounter, when the legendary figure simply came to their block, served as a powerful spark of “funky rhymes, funky rhythm” for the group. They approached Brown, introduced themselves, shook his hand, and received a brief, yet unforgettable blessing, “Good luck, fellas.”

That spark ignited a fire that burned through the Golden Era of West Coast Hip Hop, survived the treacherous shifts of the music industry, and has now re-emerged from the ashes of tragedy. With their newest single, “Til Further Notice,” being released on March 21 of this year, FunkyTown Pros aren’t just returning for a nostalgia tour; they are reclaiming a legacy that began over three decades ago.

“We came up right after Gangsta Rap. We were a mind-boggling mix—West-East with a Southern Twist.” – Devistatin’

Two musicians sitting in a recording studio, both wearing black jackets. One is wearing a cap and has a serious expression, while the other is wearing glasses and looking directly at the camera. — *FunkyTown Pros: (From left) Boi Wundah (RIP) & Devistatin’. – Photo Credit: FTP*

The Level of Assassination

Long before the internet democratized fame in music, FTP was forged in the fires of LA’s competitive DJ culture. The lineup—Boi Wundah (DJ, emcee/battle rapper, producer), Devistatin’ (Fluctuator) (DJ, producer, engineer), Manslaughter (DJ, emcee, producer), FREEWOOD (emcee, keyboards), K. Borne (emcee/battle rapper) and H2Boss (emcee/battle rapper), who came on later on—wasn’t a manufactured band; it was a brotherhood built on turntables and crossfaders.

“[Some of us] started as DJs,” K. Borne, who originally worked with BobCat before getting involved with what became FunkyTown Pros, explains K. Borne, who not only emcees in the group but who has had ambitions to produce. “Boi Wundah and Dev had brothers who were dating sisters and through that connection, we found out we were both spinning. It grew from there.”

By 1991, they had coalesced into a sonic force. Their debut album, Reaching A Level of Assassination, arrived at a time when 2Pac was rising and the West Coast sound was crystallizing. But FTP refused to be boxed in. They weren’t making Gangsta Rap; they were a “mind-boggling” fusion of West Coast and East Coast Hip Hop with a southern twist, mixing conscious lyricism, heavily influenced by the cinematic soul of Spike Lee films, such as “She’s Gotta Have It” and “Do The Right Thing.”

The early releases, including the ‘white label’ tester “White Green,” and the single “Just Another Tossup” (1991, Island Records) were mixed in the Bahamas, where they stayed with Steve Marley’s family. They followed up with the independent track “Ghetto Harmony” in 1992.

They were battle-tested, quite literally. Boi Wundah was a battle rapper who mastered every element of the art form, while the studio sessions for the album were exercises in perfectionism.

“The atmosphere was fun,” Borne remembers, “but the booth was rigid. If you were standing next to me, you had to be ready, or your verse would be gone.”

The Wilderness Years

Despite securing major-label deals with heavy hitters like Island and courting interest from RCA and Def Jam, the group found themselves caught in the gears of an “unscrupulous industry.” Executive shifts—including a chaotic period in which KRS-One took over the Rap/Hip hop department of the label duties—turned their career into a game of “cat and mouse.” The group briefly adopted the moniker “The Professionals” (also known as The Hitmen) as a parody of the movie The Professional.

“It was an invasion of the industry,” Borne says, reflecting on the politics that stalled their momentum.

Like many groups of that era, life eventually took precedence. The members drifted into work outside of music to survive, but the “ink was in their blood.” They spent the ensuing decades living out a philosophy they now preach to younger artists:

“Emcees aren’t born, they’re crafted through transformative experiences,” FunkyTown Pros believes.

K. Borne’s solo hustle led to a major deal with Mike Tyson in November 1999, linked to Tyson Records (Def Jam) and Tyson (Warner Brothers). This personal highlight includes attending the Billboard Awards in December 1999.

“Emcees aren’t born, they’re crafted through transformative experiences that shape them into resilient and inspiring leaders.” – K. Borne

A Prophecy Fulfilled, A Brother Lost

In 2019, the silence broke. The group reconnected with a singular goal: to reclaim their status as “Gods” of the underground. But just as the momentum began to build, tragedy struck. On July 2, 2022, Boi Wundah passed away from health complications. He was more than a member; he was the group’s diplomat and anchor, serving as the crew’s diplomatic core.

Rather than letting the loss derail them, FTP used it as fuel. Their new single, “Til Further Notice,” is described not just as a song but as a “further prophecy.” Anchored by a verse from Boi Wundah that “reaches into the table of assassination,” the track is a critique of selling one’s soul and a declaration of independence.

“I was 38% when we recorded Til Further Notice. When Boi Wundah passed, we had to fulfill the balance.”
– K. Borne

FunkyTown Fridays & The Future

The accompanying music video of “Til Further Notice,” released March 21, 2025, promises to “take fans back,” blending the group’s vintage aesthetic with their hard-won modern wisdom. With Devistatin handling production and engineering and K. Borne managing the MC duties and the brand’s visual identity through ProApparel, the group is entirely self-sufficient. Their next single, “Prototype,” features a strong showing from the next generation, including Big Jet (Devistatin’s son). FunkyTown Pros plans to release more music videos on Mental Lab Recordings.

Look out for the launch of “FunkyTown Fridays,” a content series designed to bridge the gap between their 90s roots and the TikTok generation, featuring everything from archival footage to new freestyles, DJing and new music from the FTP archives.

For FunkyTown Pros, success in 2025 doesn’t look like it did in 1991. It isn’t about chasing a chart position; it’s about the integrity of the sound and the loyalty of the fans who stuck around.

“We want to be unapologetic,” K. Borne says. “We are uplifting the art and the culture. 1 Luv… Til Further Notice.”