--- title: #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Classical Music description: Future's hit song "Mask Off" is getting a new life thanks to talented classical musicians who are covering the song in their own style. canonical: https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/ author: Raisa Bruner article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-04-04T21:57:56.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:42:32.050Z og:title: #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Classical Music og:description: The hit rap from Future is getting a viral new life online. og:url: https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: TIME og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Classical Music twitter:description: The hit rap from Future is getting a viral new life online. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- # The New Viral #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Masterful Classical Music > Sponsored content. 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Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ca8ac037-d3fc-454a-9969-7e7474f03e3e&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1)  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Apr 4, 2017 9:57 PM UTC  by [Raisa Bruner](https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/)  ## Raisa Bruner Apr 4, 2017 9:57 PM UTC When [rapper Future](http://time.com/4682544/5-songs-you-need-to-listen-to-this-week-8/) dropped his tune “Mask Off” in February, the haunting track produced by [Metro Boomin](http://time.com/4165144/kanye-west-new-single-facts/) became an instant hit. Part of its immediate catchiness comes thanks to the use of a live, spare flute sample, over which Future easily rhymes. As it turns out, that melody is actually from the little-known 1978 musical _Selma,_ [as Vice ](https://noisey.vice.com/en%5Fuk/article/a-brief-history-of-that-kickass-flute-sample-on-futures-mask-off)and others have pointed out. And talented musicians around the internet decided to bring it back big time, turning the acoustic tune into a viral trend called the #MaskOffChallenge, which has gained momentum since getting its start [in early March](https://twitter.com/ThatTrumpetGuy%5F/status/838983735504691200). In the challenge, musicians cover the rap track with live classical renditions of their own, masterfully playing everything from flutes to violins, saxophones, cellos, and trombones. Like the [Mannequin Challenge before it](http://time.com/4565174/mannequin-challenge-ranking/), there’s plenty of flexibility for artists to transform the song into a whole new experience for viewers (and listeners). Here are some of the best versions so far: > [](https://twitter.com/iamezinma/status/849076226425794561) > [](https://twitter.com/iRoyaltyDopex3/status/848727379757477890) > [](https://twitter.com/TJ%5FBass316/status/849031078857908225) > [](https://twitter.com/ShoMeStringz/status/847241105364066304) > [](https://twitter.com/Tony%5FAmani/status/849114453857665024) > [](https://twitter.com/tehdago/status/849095855521116162) It’s also gotten a pitch-perfect a cappella treatment. > [](https://twitter.com/jyndonce/status/849285483444260864) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/"},"headline":"The New Viral #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Masterful Classical Music","datePublished":"2017-04-04T21:57:56.000Z","dateModified":"2026-04-13T07:42:32.050Z","description":"The hit rap from Future is getting a viral new life online.","url":"https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Music","viral"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Raisa Bruner","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/raisa-bruner/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4725237/future-mask-off-challenge/","name":"The New Viral #MaskOffChallenge Turns Future's Rap Into Masterful Classical Music"}}]}] ```