The view from the top is definitely wavy. In less than 10 years, French Montana has gone from drug-dealing, to being known for hustling his enthralling Cocaine City DVDs, to being an international superstar (as he’s currently on tour overseas). He performs on mainstream power shows (check Live With Kelly & Ryan); he’s linked to some of the sexiest women in Tinseltown (“Name a Hollywood bitch I ain’t rack up,” he raps on his new album); and has been one of hip-hop’s most consistent presences on heavily-rotated radio records and street anthems.
“This is what I’m supposed to do,” French told REVOLT TV about making Jungle Rules, what he promises is the best project of his career.
The top Coke Boy raps about debauchery on the road on “Hotel Bathroom” and then sings about falling in love and wanting to be the only star in his relationship on “Famous.” He admits that his girl deserves the world, but he selfishly wants to shield her from the trappings of the spotlight. But life under the lights ain’t all bad as French and Travis Scott convey on the melodic “Jump.” “White bitches on me like I’m Kobe,” Scott testifies.
Diddy’s Bad Boy and Ciroc signee has had enormous collaborations in his career with everyone from Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Bobby Shmurda, Drake, Migos, Jennifer Lopez, Nas, Kanye West, Chris Brown, O.T. Genasis, Busta Rhymes, A$AP Rocky and, of course, his Bronx brethren Fat Joe and Remy Ma. French’s single “Unforgettable” featuring Rae Sremmurd’s chorus savant Swae Lee was just certified platinum less than a month ago and is still climbing.
As endless as his resources seem, you know that the most important guests to secure on Jungle Rules were the two toughest to get: Chinx and Max B. With Chinx tragically slain two years ago and Max incarcerated, verses by the two are rare commodities and have to be handled with care.
“My homie Chinx got murdered, murdered,” French sings on “Formula,” which features an uptempo beat and features reggae kingpin Alkaline. “Nobody seen, nobody heard / They left us on the corner, wanna kill us here / Now, Nino in the Carter with the Cartier / My homie Max caught a hundred years / His mama body dry, can’t cry no tears / Now I’ma ride for my dawg, you know.”
French has promised to make sure he reps for his friends’ legacies. Chinx opens the LP on “Whiskey Eyes.”
“Devil held me up, figured that I’d convert to God,” he raps crisply, sounding like he recorded the rhyme yesterday. “Took my ground from the pavement and aimed it at the stars /Swag drippin’ by the liter, four ounce of purp’ / The game ain’t for the weak, go and play the church / Off the Mary Jane, pills, syrup, thick smoke, coughing / Ridin’ on these suckas that opposed it / Ballin’, took the whistle from the ref and made my own calls.”
Max shares mic time with French and The Weeknd on the Harry Fraud-produced “A Lie.” The Weeknd addresses unrest in Toronto, relationships, and his transcending fame.
“Girls really love me like a mothafuckin’ six pack,” Weekend sings. “No time for restin’ / My life’s a mess, end up bein’ a fuckin’ legend /An icon, tryna cement it (‘ment it) / I’m treatin’ every year like it’s game 7 /I feel like problems in my city been deaded /I feel like me and my niggas are unthreatened /My new girl hate it when I’m always spendin’.”
Max plays clean up hitter with his patterned charismatic charm. “I got in a little too, baby, so come and play / Daddy’ll pay the cab, maybe stay for a day,” Tye Wave God proclaims. “Knowin’ I gotta make / Bitches, they call me whore, son, more buns / Mami bent over for hum / Give her, what she want and let her get it good.”
Future appears on “No Pressure,” Young Thug pops up on “Black Out,” “Bring Dem Things” features a very aggressive Pharrell, and “Stop It” has bars from T.I.