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
-
I'm Heated
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy Entertainment - Epic Records on Nov 4, 2016
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Lock Out
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on Dec 14, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Medicine (Steve Aoki from the Block Remix)
Jennifer Lopez, French Montana, Steve Aoki
Dance - Released by Craft Recordings on Apr 3, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Millionaire Row
Rick Ross, Meek Mill, French Montana
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Maybach Music Group under exclusive license to gamma. on Nov 9, 2023
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Jack Move
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on Mar 7, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Friday: The Mac & Cheese 2 Appetizer
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on Dec 11, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Cocaine Mafia
French Montana, Juicy J, Project Pat
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on Dec 20, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shot Caller (Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy - Interscope on Jan 1, 2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maquina de Dinero
El Alfa, French Montana, Braulio Fogon
Reggaeton - Released by EL JEFE RECORDS LLC on Apr 6, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Coke Boys Run NY
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Zaine Records on Sep 24, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Moses
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy - Interscope on Aug 21, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bad B*tch (Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy - Interscope on Dec 16, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bad B*tch
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Bad Boy - Interscope on Dec 15, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
New Thang (From the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack 'Uncle Drew')
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by RCA Records Label on Jun 12, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
Whipp'n It Slowly
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records on Oct 14, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Maghreb Gang (feat. French Montana, Khaled & HAMZA) (Saucegod Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Farid Bang - WM Germany on Jun 28, 2019
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
FWMGAB (Remix)
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Epic - Bad Boy Entertainment on Jun 10, 2021
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
RZA
French Montana, Benny The Butcher, Dj Drama
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records on Jan 5, 2023
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Keep It Real
French Montana, Harry Fraud, EST Gee
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Coke Boys Records on Jun 23, 2022
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo