MONTANA X FRENCH MONTANA

And we are back with our eleventh official review! As promised, the below are our metrics for our reviews. To see our previous review of SURVIVAL X DAVE EAST, click here.

FEEL- What type of feelings does the music evoke? What does it make you want to do?

LYRICS- Are there bars?

PRODUCTION- Does the artist ride the beats? Does their cadence match the production? Does the production fit well with the project?

OVERALL- How many tracks do we like compared to the number of tracks on the project?

Feel free to use the above for your own reference as you go through the music and let us know what you think! 

MONTANA X FRENCH MONTANA

Release Date: 12.6.2019

Number of Tracks: 20

Duration: 1HR 7 MINS

Favorite Track: COKE WAVE BOYS

I first learned of French Montana back in 2009, through a few features with the popular duo of Curren$y and Wiz Khalfia. This helped him gain traction in the rap game throughout the ensuing years, where he would continue to make waves with a joint signing on the Bad Boy and MMG labels under Diddy and Rick Ross respectively. By 2012, Montana was flooding the market with a feature in the form of a verse or a hook, right up to his debut album release in 2013, Excuse My French. From there, French Montana wasted no time in building his own brand and label, Coke Boys, along with his friend and founding member, Chinx Drugz, from whom he was sure to secure a decent amount of exposure. Chinx was a staple in their widely successful label album, Coke Boys 3 in 2012. I was a huge fan of the pair and checked for all of their drops, as they became personal favorites of mine. The New York rappers were primed to expand on their success, until Chinx Drugz was tragically murdered in 2015 (RIP).

After the murder of his best friend, Montana really appeared to lose his way, and understandably so. He was soon given new purpose, however, as a new trend in the rap game appeared around 2016. Suddenly, rap became less about traditional bars or stories and more about melodies. French’s style and cadence was perfect for this new melodic form of rap, and he was able to capitalize along with fellow rappers Quavo, Travis Scott, and Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd, just to name a few. With the release of Montana, French finds himself up next for review, so we will get right into it.

FEEL

For the longest time, there was a huge debate about his actual talent level, but thanks to this new wave of rap, it is clear that French Montana simply makes good songs. Montana feels like the soundtrack to a party with great times ahead. Be it the pre-game or the actual party itself, Montana fits right in with your party mix. And while this is a departure for the more amp, aggressive Excuse My French from 2013, it fits right in with the rap music of today. The next time I get ready to host a party, or someone passes me the aux for a good time, Montana will be heavy in the rotation.

LYRICS

Really the only inhibitor of the entire album, Montana is not meant to picked a part bar for bar. French, though he is one of my personal favorites, will never find himself on an all-time lyrist list. Many of his features on the album follow this trend as well, with appearances from Juicy J, Swae Lee, Cardi B, and City Girls just to name a few. The afore mentioned Chinx Drugz makes a posthumous appearance, along with the indefinitely incarcerated Max B, providing a little balance to the first set of names. In short, Montana will be held back from any AOY nominations as a result of what is left to be desired in this area.

PRODUCTION

One of my favorite producers of all time, Harry Fraud, plays a significant role in the production of Montana. Over the years, he and French have formed a unique chemistry that has elevated both of their careers. A sample-heavy producer, with his popular tag, “La Musica De Harry Fraud,” Harry’s tracks are smooth and melodic, and when paired with Montana’s corresponding cadence, the pair makes music to ride to. For the more upbeat, party-heavy tracks, the production varies, but the album’s strengths are in the production from La Musica.

OVERALL

Montana is an excellent project that highlights the strengths of its artist, while masking any short comings in an album that just sounds good. French Montana knows how to make good songs and those who are fans of music in general can find something to enjoy here. The album is lined with thoughtful, personal tracks as well, as he laments the death of his friend while paying his proper respects. There are not many 20-track albums that are released anymore, so its length is refreshing, especially since 13 out of the 20 tracks SLAP. And so, after review, Oracle Rap Reviews would certainly recommend Montana making its way into your late 2019 rotation.

The album in a word: Melodic

12.19.2019 – The Oracle

Edited by Michael Strong