--- 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  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"}}]}] ```