French Montana
Moroccan-American rapper French Montana is one of the world's most successful African-born artists, with several platinum certifications and collaborations with numerous major hip-hop figures. He rose from the New York mixtape underground in the 2000s and built an indie empire with his Cocaine City imprint, then emerged as a pop-savvy hip-hop act in the 2010s. Starting with his 2013 debut album, Excuse My French, he became known for his high-profile collaborations and a handful of chart hits including the diamond-certified "Unforgettable" from his 2017 sophomore LP, Jungle Rules. 2019's double album Montana was another showcase for big-name guests that featured the hit singles "No Stylist" and "Writing on the Wall." He retained his tried-and-true formula in 2021 for another guest-heavy effort, They Got Amnesia, before collaborating with Harry Fraud on 2022's Montega and DJ Drama on 2023's Coke Boys 6. Continuing another mixtape series, Mac & Cheese 5 arrived in 2024.
Born Karim Kharbouch in Morocco, he immigrated to the U.S. while in his teens. He set up shop in the Bronx and began releasing his Cocaine City series of DVDs in 2002, mixing interviews with established hip-hop artists and unsigned talent. In 2009 he began releasing his own mixtape CDs with DJs like Evil Empire, DJ Drama, and Big Mike as his hosts. That same year, he would be signed to Akon's Konvict Musik label, but in late 2011 it was announced that they had parted ways and that Montana was signing to both P. Diddy's Bad Boy and Rick Ross' Maybach Music imprints in a unique joint venture. His 2012 single "Pop That" would be the first release for the united labels, while 2013 saw the arrival of his debut album, Excuse My French.
A series of mixtapes, each with an increasing R&B influence, brought Montana to 2016, when he released Casino Life 2: Brown Bag Legend. The mixtape included the hit single "Moses" featuring Chris Brown and Migos. A full LP -- MC4 -- was slated for the end of the year, but after the album was leaked by a retailer months before its official release, Montana scrapped the rollout entirely and issued it as a mixtape. MC4 (aka "Mac & Cheese 4") featured appearances by the Weeknd, Drake, Jeezy, A$AP Rocky, Kodak Black, Miguel, Nas, Kanye West, DJ Khaled, Beanie Sigel, Jadakiss, Styles P, the Alchemist, Max B, and Chinx. The following year, Montana returned with his official sophomore effort, Jungle Rules. The record included guests like the Weeknd, Travis Scott, Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Future, T.I., and Young Thug. Lead single "Unforgettable" with Swae Lee became a hit, topping the Billboard rap chart and climbing into the Top Three of the R&B and main singles list. The album itself, certified gold in the U.S., debuted at number three on the Billboard 200.
In 2018, Montana joined Diplo, Lil Pump, and Zhavia Ward for the bombastic single "Welcome to the Party" from the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, which returned him to the Hot 100. Additional singles "No Stylist" with Drake and "Slide" with Blueface and Lil Tjay were also chart hits, carrying Montana into 2019. Those latter tracks landed on his third effort, which was issued toward the end of the year on the same day he was released from hospitalization in the ICU. A double album, Montana, boasted an impressive cast of guests, including Juicy J ("50's & 100's"), Swae Lee (on the "Unforgettable" sequel "Out of Your Mind"), and Post Malone and Cardi B ("Writing on the Wall"). Upon release, the LP debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. The next year, he returned to his mixtape roots with Coke Boys 5.
2021 saw the release of Montana's fourth full-length, They Got Amnesia, which featured guests such as John Legend, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Doja Cat, and many more. In 2022, Montana teamed up with Harry Fraud on the joint project Montega, which included the singles "Drive By," "Blue Chills," and "Brick & Bags." Coke Boys 6, with DJ Drama, appeared in 2023 and reached the Top 20 of the Billboard 200. Mac & Cheese 5, another installment in a mixtape series running since 2009, was released in 2024. The ambitious effort was issued in a comprehensive "Versions" edition including sped up, slowed down, a cappella, and instrumental versions of every song.
© David Jeffries /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Yes I Do
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records on 11 Nov 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
You Are My High (Ty moy kayf) (Latin Version)
Dzharo & Khanza, Nicky Jam, French Montana
Latin America - Released by Sony Music Latin on 7 Apr 2021
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Cocaine Everything
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Evil Empire on 17 May 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Kind of Girl
French Montana, Harry Fraud, Rick Ross
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records on 23 Jun 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Welcome to the Party (Valentino Khan Remix)
Diplo, French Montana, Lil Pump
Film Soundtracks - Released by Columbia on 15 May 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Double G (feat. Pop Smoke)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Montana Entertainment, LLC - EMPIRE on 30 Oct 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Stay Schemin (Album Version (Edited))
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Def Jam Recordings on 1 Jan 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
They Got Amnesia
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Epic - Bad Boy Entertainment on 18 Nov 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Unforgettable (J Hus & Jae5 Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy Entertainment - Epic Records on 6 Jun 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
No Shopping
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Cash Money Records - Young Money Ent. - Universal Rec. on 16 Jul 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mac and Cheese, Vol. 3
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Platinum Town Records on 15 Aug 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Where They At
French Montana, Kanye West, Westside Gunn
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records under exclusive license to gamma. - Westside Gunn appears courtesy of Griselda Records - EMPIRE on 8 Feb 2024
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
If I Go Down (from the film National Champions)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Epic - Bad Boy Entertainment on 16 Nov 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Joanna (Drogba) (Remix)
Reggaeton - Released by Marathon Artists on 25 Jun 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Casino Life 2: Brown Bag Legend
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on 8 May 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Salam
$kinny, Swizz Beatz, French Montana
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Universal Arabic Music - Republic Records on 5 May 2022
24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Out Of Your Mind
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Epic - Bad Boy Entertainment on 3 Feb 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo