French Montana

French Montana, the Moroccan-American rapper, ranks among the planet’s most accomplished artists born on the African continent, amassing multiple platinum certifications and teaming with many leading names across hip-hop. Emerging from New York’s underground mixtape scene during the 2000s, he established an independent operation through his Cocaine City label before transitioning into a commercially oriented hip-hop performer throughout the following decade. His 2013 debut full-length Excuse My French launched a string of prominent guest appearances and several charting tracks, among them the diamond-certified “Unforgettable” from his second studio effort Jungle Rules, issued in 2017. The 2019 double album Montana again spotlighted high-profile contributors and yielded the singles “No Stylist” and “Writing on the Wall.” Montana adhered to his established approach for the guest-laden 2021 release They Got Amnesia, then paired with Harry Fraud for 2022’s Montega and with DJ Drama for 2023’s Coke Boys 6. Extending his longstanding mixtape series, Mac & Cheese 5 surfaced in 2024, accompanied by tracks such as “One More Chance.”

Born Karim Kharbouch in Morocco, he relocated to the United States during his teenage years. Settling in the Bronx, he launched the Cocaine City DVD series in 2002, blending segments with established rappers and unsigned acts. Beginning in 2009 he issued his own mixtape CDs hosted by figures including Evil Empire, DJ Drama, and Big Mike. That year also brought a signing to Akon’s Konvict Musik, though late 2011 announcements revealed the departure and a joint deal with P. Diddy’s Bad Boy and Rick Ross’ Maybach Music. The 2012 single “Pop That” marked the first output under the combined imprints, with Excuse My French arriving the next year.

An ongoing sequence of mixtapes displaying growing R&B leanings positioned Montana for the 2016 drop of Casino Life 2: Brown Bag Legend, which contained the charting “Moses” alongside Chris Brown and Migos. A planned studio album MC4, scheduled for year’s end, leaked months early via a retailer; Montana abandoned the original plan and instead distributed the project as a mixtape featuring 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. Jungle Rules followed in 2017 as his official second LP, incorporating the Weeknd, Travis Scott, Pharrell Williams, Quavo, Future, T.I., and Young Thug. Its lead single “Unforgettable” with Swae Lee topped the Billboard rap chart and reached the top three on both the R&B and Billboard Hot 100 lists; the gold-certified set itself entered the Billboard 200 at number three.

Montana joined Diplo, Lil Pump, and Zhavia Ward on the 2018 single “Welcome to the Party” from the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, returning him to the Hot 100. Further 2018–2019 releases “No Stylist” with Drake and “Slide” with Blueface and Lil Tjay also charted, leading into his third album Montana. Issued on the same day he exited ICU hospitalization, the double-disc project contained Juicy J on “50’s & 100’s,” Swae Lee on the “Unforgettable” follow-up “Out of Your Mind,” and Post Malone and Cardi B on “Writing on the Wall,” debuting at number 25 on the Billboard 200. He revisited mixtape territory the next year with Coke Boys 5.

They Got Amnesia, Montana’s fourth studio album, appeared in 2021 and included John Legend, Rick Ross, Ty Dolla $ign, Doja Cat, and additional guests. Montega, the 2022 collaboration with Harry Fraud, supplied the singles “Drive By,” “Blue Chills,” and “Brick & Bags.” Coke Boys 6 with DJ Drama arrived in 2023 and reached the Billboard 200 top 20. Mac & Cheese 5, the latest chapter in the mixtape series begun in 2009, emerged in 2024 in an expanded “Versions” format encompassing sped-up, slowed-down, a cappella, and instrumental renditions of every track. Montana kept releasing singles and joint efforts such as “Skyami” with Skilla Baby, “To the Moon” with Fivio Foreign and Fabolous, and “One More Chance.”