FRENCH MONTANA EXPOSES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY 🤯

Summary

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Earn Your Leisure Podcast: French Montana Exposes the Music Industry 🤯

Hosts: Rashad Bilal & Troy Millings
Guest: French Montana
Release Date: June 25, 2026
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts

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Episode Overview

In this candid and unfiltered conversation, French Montana sits down with Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings to deliver an exposé on the music industry — from major label deals and the realities of “advances,” to independence, ownership, wealth, and building a global legacy as a Moroccan-American artist. French shares personal anecdotes about losing millions in crypto, his path from street hustling to international stardom, and why he believes most artists don’t really own their music or wealth. The dialogue blends deep industry game with personal setbacks and lessons, making it essential listening for anyone curious about the business behind the music.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Exposing Record Label Deals: The Smoke & Mirrors of Advances

French Montana breaks down the predatory nature of major label advances and what artists really sign up for.

• Advances are loans, not jackpots:
  "There was a period of time where they brainwashed us... made you feel like getting an advance from a label was actually, oh, you hit the jackpot... Then you come to find out that's the worst mistake you ever made." (French Montana, 03:15)

• Hidden splits and recoupment:
  Even “50/50” deals aren’t what they seem due to added distribution fees (~16%), so a supposed "fair split" leaves artists with less:
  "They making their money untouched. Then your 50 come and every time they take out a 50, they got to recoup the money then plus whatever it is... it's really like a 30/70." (French, 08:28–09:48)

• The loss of ownership:
  "All this music that I made before I went independent, I wasn't making money. It was just like I get a check, then they tell you you never recoup." (French, 12:21)

• Audit limitations as a trap:
  “The trick they tell you is after three years, you can't audit them... when the record is selling more now than it sold when I first put it out.” (French, 04:04; 24:13)
  He references other artists who have won big with audits (Big Sean, Chamillionaire) and openly asks for a good auditor.

• Recouping Issues:
  Even with hit records, French claims he never saw residuals for his first album, despite having platinum singles:
  "I still haven't recouped and I only got a million dollar advance for that." (French, 13:01)

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2. Going Independent: 100-0 Splits, Full Control, and Newfound Wealth

French explains his transition to being a fully independent artist and the freedom — and risks — it brings.

• "All money in, no money out":
  “I'm doing 100-0. I take all the risk and reap all the award … you're doing it for you. You’re not doing it to make somebody else rich or build somebody else’s catalog.” (French, 03:30; 10:11)

• Building your own business:
  "It's almost like you're opening up a restaurant for yourself ... You being a CEO wearing many hats...all the money come to you, so it's no better." (French, 05:45)

• Ownership for generational wealth:
  “You figure you making a couple hundred thousand a month, that's going to last for the rest of your life, that's something you leave ... to your kids." (French, 12:21)

• Fake independence:
  Warns that many "independent" artists are actually signed to indie labels using major label contracts and advances:
  “You have an independent company that's trying to be a major … they're giving you a major deal and they still doing whatever it is with you.” (French, 11:19)

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3. Financial Discipline & Entrepreneurship

French discusses the mindset needed to survive and thrive, staying frugal, and putting money to work outside music.

• Early lessons on money:
  "If you ask somebody for money and they tell you they ain't got it and you don't got it, that should be a situation you never want to go back to." (French, 03:54; 21:58)

• On reinvesting:
  "Sometimes, like, the label don't move how you want them to move...even with Unforgettable, I spend my own money." (French, 10:14)

• Real estate and wealth-building:
  French shares buying properties in locations where he wants to live, and turning these into investments. He emphasizes stacking and being slow to splurge:
  "I've been a real estate heavy with this, you know, just just stacking it.” (French, 26:55; 27:41)

• Global charity and giving back:
  Outlines philanthropic efforts in Africa, including opening hospitals and schools:
  “Raised hundreds of millions over there, opened up a hospital...opened up schools in Morocco...” (French, 58:54)

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4. High Stakes & Losses: Crypto Crash and Risk-Taking

French opens up about high-profile losses and what he learned.

• Losing $5 million in FTX:
  “One morning I woke up and there was like, yo, nobody can log in... I'm telling you, bro, there's no feeling when you wake up and you try to log into some shit that you got $5 million in.” (French 04:16, 45:03, 45:53)

• What did he learn?
  “You can't learn nothing from it because you know what you're dealing with when you get into it … it's a gamble... you just got to put your money in things that's more sturdier than that.” (French, 46:54; 47:12)

• Cautious moving forward:
  “The more I tried to cut corners, the more ... I'd be realizing that if I just kept doing what I was doing, I'd be further than that... I'm into the slow and steady part of my life now, because I don't need it.” (French, 52:03; 52:19)

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5. Global Perspective & Identity: From Morocco to New York

French reflects on being an immigrant, the impact of language, and how his multicultural background shaped his career and worldview.

• Struggle as an undocumented immigrant:
  “You can't go to school...You have no opportunities. You're kind of, like, still in your country, but you're just here...for any immigrant that make it, I got so much respect for them.” (French, 42:42)

• Adapting to America & the Bronx:
  Recounts how not speaking English left him feeling isolated; music helped him adapt. Big Pun, Slick Rick, Fat Joe were all neighbors as he arrived in hip hop’s Mecca:
  "Big Pun used to come and play me capital punishment..." (French, 35:40)

• On international stardom:
  “I gained the opportunity of listening to music before I even understood the language...I know what a young African kid looking for in music.” (French, 33:00)

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6. Relationship-Building, Longevity, and Reputation

Surviving nearly two decades in the industry, French credits his clean reputation and ability to maintain relationships.

• Staying out of drama:
  “When you go through enough drama in your life...you want to do it for them, you want to stay out of it because it actually stops all the money.” (French, 29:59)

• On the power of humility and giving back:
  “When you humble yourself, [the creator] gives you more...just certain things you learn as you get older...” (French, 57:40)

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7. Feeling Underrated & The Myth of “Flowers”

Why French Montana isn’t chasing accolades anymore.

• No one gets their flowers while they’re alive:
  “Nobody get their flowers until you're not here...Name one that's getting their flowers.” (French, 52:59; 53:35)

• On focusing on wealth over recognition:
  "I don't fight for that. I fight on building my wealth, being well respected, not out here doing no goofy shit...get your money, save your money so your money can save you." (French, 53:44–54:00)

• The industry obsession with analytics:
  “They don’t even care about the album. These dudes are listening, analyze first week sales more than they analyze the album...It turned from being an art to studying analytics.” (French, 55:21; 55:44)

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Record Deals:
  “They brainwashed us … made you feel like getting an advance from a label was actually, oh, you hit the jackpot...Then you come to find out that's the worst mistake you ever made.” (03:15, French Montana)

• On Hustling & Independence:
  "I'm doing 100-0. I take all the risk and reap all the award ... You're doing it for you. You're not doing it to make somebody else rich or make somebody else catalog." (03:30, French Montana)

• On Never Recouping:
  “I still haven't recouped and I only got a million dollar advance for that...I just named you two records that sold 5 million.” (13:01, French Montana)

• On Financial Discipline:
  “If you ever ... ask somebody for money and they tell you they ain’t got it and you don't got it, that should be a situation you never want to go back to.” (03:54, French Montana)

• On FTX and Losing Millions:
  "There's no feeling when you wake up and you try to log into some shit that you got $5 million in. ... I couldn't eat for like two, three days, bro." (45:53, French Montana)

• On Philanthropy & Africa:
  “Every time there was any type of success, it always went back to Africa and helped in Africa.... opened up hospitals, schools in Morocco.” (58:54, French Montana)

• On the Importance of Wealth over Recognition:
  "Get your money. Save your money so your money can save you. Accolades, positioning, [these] transfer from today to tomorrow." (54:00, French Montana)

• On Being Underrated:
  "Nobody get their flowers until you're not here...name one that's getting their flowers." (52:59, French Montana)

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Notable Moment Timestamps

• [03:15] — French Montana on labels "brainwashing" artists with advances
• [04:04] — French explains record label audit tricks
• [13:01] — Admits to not recouping on first album despite massive sales
• [21:58] — The experience that shaped his lifelong saving habit
• [45:03 / 45:53] — Story of losing $5M in the FTX crypto collapse
• [58:54] — Philanthropy and giving back to Africa
• [52:59 / 54:00] — Reflections on accolades vs. wealth and “getting your flowers”
• [55:21 / 55:44] — On the cultural shift from artistic legacy to analytics

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The Earn Your Leisure Edge

Throughout the episode, the hosts balance sharp business analysis with tough, personal questions, giving French Montana space to share rarely-heard stories, hard-learned lessons, and the mindset that elevated him from Bronx battle rapper to global mogul. If you're an aspiring artist, entrepreneur, or just want to understand the realities behind the charts and headlines, this episode is a blueprint and a warning.

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Summary prepared for listeners who want real industry knowledge, inspiring stories, and no-nonsense business wisdom — straight from one of hip hop’s most business-minded survivors.

Transcript

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[French Montana]

There was a period of time where they brainwashed us, where they made you feel like getting an advance from a label was kind of actually, oh, you. You hit the jackpot because the label gave you the money. Then you come to find out that's the worst mistake you ever made.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What is it different now as far as you doing the music independent?

[French Montana]

I'm doing 100 0. I take all the risk and reap all the award. You know, you're doing it for you. You're not doing it to make somebody else rich or make somebody else catalog.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

When did you realize that you was getting a short end of the stick?

[French Montana]

One leverage you get is that they take all your shit, but they give you exposure. Now I'm stacking. What do you do when you get enough capital? Start backtracking. Like, if they're giving me this, what they making off my.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

You must have been good with money. So where did that come from?

[French Montana]

If you somebody that and you ask somebody for money and they tell you they ain't got it and you don't got it, that should be a situation you never want to go back to.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

With the recouping thing. How do you even know the numbers are real? They could just tell you anything.

[French Montana]

The trick they tell you is after three years, you can't order them. How you can't order somebody after three years when the record is selling more now than it sold when I first put it out.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You lost $5 million on crypto?

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What happened with that?

[French Montana]

I have my money in F dx. One morning I woke up and there was like, yo, nobody can log in.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Who's a guy that you're like, I could do that. I could be him.

[French Montana]

Honestly, what made me be an artist is when I was selling drugs, and I got locked up. And they was like, if you get locked up again, you're gonna get deported.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

All right, y', all, welcome. Welcome back. Welcome back. Special guest in the building.

[French Montana]

And what's up, big dog?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What's going on, man?

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I'm on the Knicks.

[French Montana]

My Moroccan brothers.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, the French Montana. What's going on, man? How you doing, man?

[French Montana]

Cooling, man. One day at a time.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That's it. That's it, man. Congratulations on everything. You know, you got a whole new wave with the music. Max is home. It feels like, you know, it's a resurgence of the wave.

[French Montana]

Felt like the next version of music.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, no music. We saw you out there. You shot the video with the. With the crowd. How's the energy in the city compared to anything you've seen?

[French Montana]

I honestly feel like it's gonna be bigger than winning the World cup because New York is such a big city, and it's, like, waiting for, like, 50 years. It's like you got this girl you've been dating for 50 years to try to knock her off. That's how I feel, bro. You've been waiting 50 years to get some box.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So now you.

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You.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What is it different now as far as you doing the music independent as opposed to you starting your career and working with. Having that experience? Like, how is it. How is the difference now?

[French Montana]

It's almost like you're opening up a restaurant for yourself and you're not working at McDonald's. It's like you open up your own restaurant, and you got to make sure everything is good. Like, you know, you back there checking with the chef. You back there doing this. You. You. You know what I mean? It's like you being. You wearing many hats, you being a CEO wearing many hats. And. And. And you control your own destiny. I mean, obviously, all the money come to you, so it's no better.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

You know, I'm saying, you see how everything. And when you go to interviews and. And when you do certain things, you know, you're doing it for you. You're not doing it to make somebody else rich or make somebody else catalog. You know what they say, if you don't build. If you don't build your business, somebody going to use you to build this. So I think the independent route is

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

the route you've come through a bunch of errors in music, Right. Mixtapes see DVDs, right. Screaming Independent. Major.

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[Co-Host / Interviewer]

How does that shape the perspective now? Being the boss. Boss. And see, in, like, making all the decisions and having the money come to you.

[French Montana]

It's like you get so many times to this, you, you know, like a little. Wayne said. I feel like there's no. And it's good to go to. I mean, go through all them stages of, of getting burnt so many times and learning from this, from that, from this, and watching all the OGs, how they did it, then doing your background and saying how Jay Prince and them did it and how E40 in them did it and how certain people just never actually went the other route and they put all, all the eggs in one basket and bet all their money on theyself. And you kind of be like, damn, I should have did it. But there's a thing with us with artists and all the artists coming up, it's like they. There was a period of time where they brainwashed us, where they made you feel like getting an advance from a label was kind of actually hitting a lick. You know what I'm saying? Or you hit the jackpot because the label gave you the money. Then you come to find out when you get that money and actually really get in position. You realize that's the worst mistake you ever made. I mean, obviously is the way they do it because they know all artists coming off the streets, everybody's broke. So just like somebody on Ramadan, somebody fasting is just like, you're younger. If you know real Muslim, you're gonna give him that little play of fishing and grits, like around 2pm he gonna hit that corner on you. Stuck for the law. But, you know, that's. That's what it is. It's just like they know artists ain't got no money coming up. So that's, that's, that's how they bamboozle you.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So explain that. So that, that's actually a loan.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Against the record sales. So it's not like they're giving you money that you act. They actually. You're just borrowing money from them.

[French Montana]

Yeah, it's. It's actually a loan. But also it's like, like, let's say you do a deal, right? The best deal back then, I mean, when I first came in, I did a 20% of royalties, right? So. And even. And even if you do 80, 20 with them or you do a 50, 50. Let's say you do 50. 50 was probably. It takes you years to get that. And if you do get that, you gotta be. You got to be somebody that come. Come into the label already with, with your moving. So they say you get 50, 50, they give you an advance. So now this, this is a trick that no artists know. Right. Besides the ones that actually been in the game long enough so when they do a 5050 deal with you, they automatically start making money off their 50%. And now they recoup the whole hundred percent off your 50. So they making their money untouched. Then your 50 come and every time they take out a 50, they got to recoup the money then plus whatever it is. Then even if you do have a 5050 deal with them, they still have an extra 16% on distribution fees. So it's really not a 5050 deal. It's really like a 30 70. You know what I'm saying?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

So in this era, I mean, this is crazy because now obviously you've done major and you have a catalog, but I wonder what it feels like now when you got a record. Like ever since you left me, I

[French Montana]

own all that and you own all

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

of that and now you're pushing it yourself. Yeah, the marketing plan is, you see,

[French Montana]

see, the thing with me is I'm doing 1000

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

business.

[French Montana]

All money in, no money out. I'm doing 100 0. I put all, I take all the risk and reap all the award. I'm cool with that. So I do 100 0. I go. I mean they, they, they, they outsource everything anyway. So I outsource everybody. Usually when I go, every label I went to, I didn't like everybody in there anyway. I would like the person that handled DSPs, but I won't like the radio person. So I always, I, I was used to spending my own money anyway. Like if you, if you heard a bunch of interviews I did, even with the Unforgettable, I spend my own money. Even like with certain things, I spend my own money sometimes, like the label don't move how you want them to move. You know what I'm saying? So I do, I do 100. Because like, let's say a lot of artists say they're independent and, and what I had to learn was this. You, you, you, you see, a lot of artists say they're independent, but they actually have a major label structure inside of independent.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

For distribution.

[French Montana]

For distribution. So inside of independent infrastructure, you have a major label deal. So what I mean, go in an independent label and you acting like you're independent, but you actually took out an advance and you still have a 5050 split with an independent company. So you have an independent company that's trying to be a major. I'm not going to call no company names and none of that, but they trying to be like the majors. So they're giving you a major deal and they still doing whatever it is with you. And they telling you we are independent company which actually you better off staying at a major label, you know what I'm saying? So me, I feel like independent is a, is a. You're not, you know, you don't need none of that. You go and ride.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I mean with the success of the record, obviously the success of your career, are they knocking like banging down your door, offering you deals and if the number was right, is it a possibility to say, all right, maybe we'll consider it again?

[French Montana]

Nah, not really because. Because you figure you making a couple of hundred thousand a month, that's going to be the last for the rest of your life, that's something you leave, that's what you leave to your kids, you know what I'm saying? Like all this music that I made before I went independent, I wasn't making money. It was just like I get a check, then they tell you you never recoup. I still didn't recoup off my first album. And you know how many singles I had my first album from pop that. So I ain't worried about none. I have at least like, like, like 10 platinum records on that.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Excuse my French. That's the name of the album. Yeah, the first one you say you still haven't recouped.

[French Montana]

I still haven't recouped and I only got a million dollar advance for that.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

They gave you a million dollar advance?

[French Montana]

I just named you just two records that sold 5 million.

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[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So you haven't made any money from the album?

[French Montana]

No.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

After the, after the first million, you haven't seen any other. Haven't seen no money, no residuals, nothing?

[French Montana]

Nothing.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Do you own publishing or masters at any point in time?

[French Montana]

No, I didn't own no map, but this is what I'm saying. This was the trick as coming in as a new artist, you know what I'm saying? You take the advance, you take the million dollar advance, you do, you do an artist deal. So I wasn't, I wasn't smart enough. They had an artist deal with like a 20, 20, 20 royalty, you know what I'm saying? So you don't really know. So I mean every, every artist that came, that came in the game around that generation with 90 of them all got the same deal.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

When did you win? Because we interviewed YG, he said his first, his first deal was five, five albums for $100,000. It was crazy.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

When did you realize that you was getting a short end of the stick, Paul? I said it,

[French Montana]

I, I realized that because I, I dropped my first album with Interscope. But they had changed everybody around. So I went to Epic when I got the Epic. And I mean, I remember I went there, I made Lock Jaw and made no Shopping. Then I made Unforgettable right after that. So it's like bang, bang. I'm not thinking like Lock drawer sold like 3 million. No shopping sold like 2 million. Then unforgettable just came into one diamond.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Diamond.

[French Montana]

Then I was just like, yeah, I was like, I thought, hold on now, okay. Because now you come in the game, right? So which, you know, sometimes you go through what you Go through. So you grab the first million, then I grab the first million. Now you're on the road. Because one thing, one, it's not all bad. One leverage you get is that they take all your shit, but they give you exposure because you become now the cash cow. So if you don't have exposure, you can't make them money. But it also worked to your benefit if you don't have a 360. So I was able to go grab all the shows. I was out. Me and Drake was on the paradise tour. I was out there. I was on festivals. I was getting all my money. So now I'm stacking. So when I got to Epic, Epic gave me another couple, couple millions. I think it gave me like a 10 million dollar deal then. Now I'm coming back. I grabbed the money. Now I have enough capital. What do you do when you get enough capital? You start backtracking. Like, if they're giving me this, what they making off my.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

We gotta order.

[French Montana]

So, yeah, so I started. So I started backtracking. I'm like, okay, work like this, this. Work like this, this, Work like this. So once I learned how everything worked, I'm like, oh. Then I start reading up on everybody that did it before CJZ was. It was, it was. It was unfortunate because nobody wanted to sign him, so he was. He had to go independent. And it worked out for him. You know what I'm saying? It worked out for him. I wish that would have happened to me, you know what I'm saying? So we got, we got the deals and, and, and we, we had to do it the hard way. Start from ground zero.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So the second album is Unforgettable.

[French Montana]

The second album? Yeah, the second album. Jungle Rules.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What's the other big songs on that album? Lockjaw.

[French Montana]

That's the third album.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That's third album.

[French Montana]

Yeah. So I forget. It was unforgettable. It was a lie with me in the weekend came after that.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Okay.

[French Montana]

It was Allow Me in the Weeknd. It was a bunch of them on there. It was a bunch of them.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But did you recoup from that album?

[French Montana]

Nah, I still didn't recoup from Now.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That was the same million dollars from the first album. Like 10 million for that album?

[French Montana]

Yeah, I got 10 million for the album.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Okay, but you didn't. But no, after the 10 million, you don't. You don't get any more money.

[French Montana]

No, you don't get any more money.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Here's a part though, right? Because outside looking in.

[Jacob Goldstein (Odoo Sponsor)]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

It's always been Like French has always been on.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

He's always been put together. He never looked like he going through something. Yeah. So it tells me. And even you saying it, I spent my own money. I spent my own money.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

You must have been good with money.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Empower)]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

So where did that come from? What did the discipline with. I have money. I'm not just blowing it. I'm not just buying that I don't need. I'm not being excessive with my spending.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I'm stacking it because eventually I might need it.

[French Montana]

Yeah. Well, I think that you. When you go through certain situations in your life, when you. When you actually, as the provider, ask somebody and, and, and. And you see, and they look at you like you got three eyes. And, and. And you know what I'm saying? They look at you crazy. And. And you. You just realize from that, if. If you ever. If you're a hustler and you ever went through that, or if you. Somebody that been in that situation and you ask somebody for money and they tell you they ain't got it and you don't got it, that should be a situation you never want to go back to. So ever since that happened to me when I was young and I was the provider, I was like, I'm never going back to that. And ever since, I just kept on stacking. It was just like a shock. It was like something that hit a nerve that I was like, I'm never going back to that point.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

How much of your own capital you think you've put into your career? Because most. I don't think most artists would be in a position where I didn't recoup. I'm trying to make a record. I'm gonna put my own money. Most people aren't in that situation, how much capital.

[French Montana]

But you gotta look at situations like. Even when I go through it, I look at situations like how Dr. Dre was able to walk away from the whole of Death Row catalog and just give it to him and walk away and look at what type of catalog that is. And he ended up building even a bigger catalog with Slim Shady and everybody else. So you look at situations like that, and you're like, if he could do it, I could do it. You know what I'm saying? So definitely I was like, I'll come back to that. I'll come back to the unforgettables and this and that. And. And even now I'm even looking in to try to re record some. Some of the records, because after. After 10 years, you're eligible to make

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

the music over the Taylor Swift play.

[French Montana]

Yeah, I don't think nobody's doing it with hip hop, so why not?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, another thing with the. With the re. With the recouping thing, how do you even know the numbers are real? Like, because they could just tell you anything. Right. Like, you have to get like a forensic audit to actually look to see, like, if the numbers are actually real.

[French Montana]

I'm looking for somebody that do great orders. If you out there and you're watching this, this camera right here, you out there, reach out to me. I want to order Endoscope and I want to order Epic. I want to make sure that. That they got my money.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That's. That's a real thing though, right?

[French Montana]

I saw something with Big Sean, ordered his label and got 6 million. I seen Chameleonaire did it. I haven't done it. Because the trick they tell you is, which I don't know if it's true or not. After three years, you can't audit them. Now how you go.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Grainger)]

How.

[French Montana]

You can't order somebody after three years when the record is selling more now than it's sold when I first put it out.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

And the IRS can do up to seven years.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

It'll make no sense. We've seen that. We see that in this space, the podcasting space. We see. I mean, there's so many spaces where you don't know the numbers. They're just being told to you.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

So you just gotta go with it.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But even that is a. Is a playoff of. It's like you give somebody who's not knowledgeable about something a situation where they have money, and then by the time that money runs out, which will probably be three years, and then they look back. You make it so they can't actually, like, you know. Yeah.

[French Montana]

I mean. I mean, because this. This how they figure. They figure after, after, after. That's why the five album thing is a real thing. Because they know nobody. Nobody want to hear what you. What you got to say. After five albums, only a certain artist,

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

we're gonna make it stay relevant.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Navy Federal Credit Union)]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

Stay relevant. You know what I'm saying? So they're like, okay, this is. This is the sweet spot. So let us do that.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

The. The re Record thing. Because now I'm thinking of it that when Taylor Swift did it, it was obviously Scooter had bought the. Scooter Braun had bought the catalog, and now he had control of it. Her business move was, I'll rerecord my albums, which he's done. And it's been labeled that way. I think Ashanti did it as well. So for you, it would be recording the entire catalog, or is it the singles to now go out as an independent? How would. How would it work for you?

[French Montana]

I just want to do the singles and do the best of. Just like how all the rock stars does it. All the pop stars, they just drop the best of. And I got. I got enough hits for that. Sure, I dropped the best of them. And that's the shit that. That when you tell somebody, okay, did you ever hear French Montana? What they going to go to? Not the album. They're going to be like, all right, let's go to the best of the essentials. Yeah, that's how. That's what we used to go to. When you go to Bob Marley, listen to Bob Marley. You go to the one that got all the best hits. You don't go to the albums.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So Rick Ross. You kind of remind me of Rick Ross in a way, because we've done a bunch of stuff for him, but he never really sold the most records.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

It's always a mystery of how much. How he gets so much money. Yeah, Like, I had the wingstops, but, like, he got, like, a $50 million house. He got the private plane. You've obviously had a lot of success, but from the outside looking in, it looks like you have a lot of money, right?

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Some people are saying, like, it's not like, the biggest musician ever.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Like, is that a fair set? Like, where'd the money come from?

[French Montana]

Where is this work, man? Yeah, just hustling, man. I feel like. I feel like just hustling, taking advantage and just. And like, you know, keep it real with you. I barely. I barely go out there and splurge and do crazy things. You know what I'm saying? And I always just put my money in the right places, Whether it's crypto, whether it's real estate. I've been a real estate heavy with this, you know, just. Just stacking it.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So it wasn't like any one behind the scene movie. It was just a bunch of.

[French Montana]

Just not like Rose, when he got the big my was just straight.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

I seen you got a place in Vegas, on a strip in Vegas.

[French Montana]

Yeah, yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What talk about your real estate journey.

[French Montana]

Well, the real estate journey was always. I always, like, we'll buy cribs where I want to stay at. Like, let's say Calabasas or, like a Malibu. Like, convenient. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or like golden beach and stuff like that. Or just, you know, I'll just. I'll. I'll get a crib where I want to stay at and then just end up turning into.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, Hit the snooze button.

[French Montana]

Hard work. Security store. Yeah.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Empower)]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

One of the things that you're great for, and I think it gets underrated, is the ability to keep relationships. I don't think there's never been a time in hip hop where there's, like, somebody doesn't like French.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

And you see, I see you with so many different people. I'm like, yo, that's his man. That's his man now. That's his man. You had to, you know, obviously the Ross and then pop.

[French Montana]

And I'm not like Rose, though. I always be telling Rose. I'm like, I would never show. Like, you know what I'm saying? I go to him like, yo, bro, when you talk about New York, I'm definitely top three.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Top three. What?

[French Montana]

Top three. Who made the most out of this? Ah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Oh. Out of every. Including excluding nobody.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Oh. That's a different conversation now. Top New York, period.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Money on a money chart. On the money chart.

[French Montana]

What's Jay Z said in that freestyle? Wrong chart, champ. The right chart.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But. But that's a lot. That's. That's a big. That's a big statement.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

That's hefty.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

It's a big statement.

[French Montana]

All right, well, look, you know what? You know what I like to say? Yeah, always. This is a marathon. Give it time.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Wasabi)]

Yes.

[French Montana]

Everything will always come out at the end. This ain't no competition.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

There's enough of everybody.

[French Montana]

We all here playing the game. We're gonna see when all the cards come out at the end. Obviously been doing it for 16 to 20 years, still looking young, still out here with the biggest records independently, and we'll see how this thing roll out.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I believe it, because that's what I was gonna get to, is the amount of relationships that you're able to foster and keep.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

And so people always want to work with you or do things with you. Was that something that you went into this game very intentional about, or is that just naturally who French is?

[French Montana]

When you go through enough drama in your life, when you go through enough. Enough crucial situations in your life and you still want to keep going through that, it just goes to tell me you ain't really go through that. You know what I'm saying? It just goes to tell me that you really were just acting like he was going through that to get into this, to go back to do that, because it does. It just doesn't make sense because we went through. We went through times where we lost chinks. We went through times when Max got 75 years. We went through times with my brother, Penthouse P got RICO charges for. For real situations. And just like, you go through trauma, your whole thing. We got people getting deported. We got. It's like, it's a whole lot of trauma when you get in the game. You're just kind of like you want to do it for them, you know what I'm saying? You want to stay out of it because it actually stops all the money.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

True. Yeah. I feel like your jacket's been clean in this, in this industry.

[French Montana]

Not always. Yeah, but, but, but, but, but when you get to the real money, yeah, it changes because you. Everybody come from Africa, bro. You go out there, you go out there, you'll be like, man, I'm never turning down $10 if I gotta do a walk through. When you see the people out there, you'll be like, hey, bro, we got. Man, we're taking this for granted, you know, but, but honestly, is. Is. We, we are. We are. When you, when, when, when you're able, when you're able to get your passport and travel the world, you'll understand when you come back here that you're taking a lot of things for granted. And, and, and, and when you make it to certain places in life, it's almost like you smacking your luck in the face and you smacking a law in the face and the creator face for him putting you in that situation, and you, and you trying to do things that, that, that, that don't even go with the situation you in, you know what I'm saying? So sometimes you just got to get to the back, because with the bag, you can save everybody.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You speak French? Okay, Arabic.

[French Montana]

Moroccan.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, the Moroccan version.

[French Montana]

Yeah. Okay.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

It's like French mix in there.

[French Montana]

Yeah, like French mix, but it's called Dead Asia, so it's not like, you know, like I speak Arabic, but, like, you speak to them. They don't understand that.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Building a house right now, my. My contract is Palestinian. So we just had this conversation about Moroccan. He said the Moroccan one is actually the hardest one to actually. He's like, he doesn't even understand sometimes he speaks Arabic, obviously. He's like, when he speaks to people from Morocco, they got to slow down how they talk because sometimes he can't fully understand what they're saying, or they might not even fully understand what he's saying. Yeah, but the reason why I ask you that is, like, as an International artist, right. You think obviously coming from the continent, that's helpful. Understanding cultures, understanding things. But just like from a language, there's a lot of language barriers when it comes to these things. You feel like that's helped you become. Because you are a big international star. You feel like your international exposure, knowing different languages, living in Africa in your childhood, that's helped you become a bigger international star.

[French Montana]

I just took what then helped me and made. And made it help me, you know what I'm saying? I felt like because you can't really attach yourself to. You ain't live nowhere long enough to attach yourself somewhere. So I was. I lived in. I lived in Africa and Morocco until I was 13. Then I came to New York and I was there to, you know, in the Bronx for. For a long time and just been moving all around the world after, you know, I got. I got famous. So it was, you know, I got the best of both worlds, but I think that I gained the opportunity of listening to music before I even understood the language. So I know what a young African kid looking for in music or what somebody that live in a different country look for in music.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You came to this country in 96.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So when you came to this country 96, you didn't speak English?

[French Montana]

Nah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You listening to. It was written. Book came out in 96. It was written All Eyes on Me.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Purple tape, All Eyes on Me. Machiavelli came out 96.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Score came out in 96.

[French Montana]

I was heavy into All Eyes on Me.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So you listening to this music when you first get to America, that's what you just listening to?

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

And you don't know.

[French Montana]

You don't understand nothing.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Not only you don't understand the English. You don't understand obviously that there's nuances of street shit that they talking about. You don't know nothing.

[French Montana]

Nah.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

In the Bronx.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But how quickly did you. How quickly did you catch. How quickly did you catch up? How long did it take you to catch up to be fully. Because obviously you caught up how?

[French Montana]

I just hated the feeling of seeing people talk about me and I don't know what they saying. And nobody did explain to me because obviously we came. My family nobody know English, so I had nobody to explain to me. And I had. And my family didn't know nothing. It was just us leaving Africa looking for opportunity. Then even now at this age, sometimes I'd be watching people documentaries. I'd be looking at like Beyonce, like Drake, and I be looking at like certain people. And I could actually see like, their parents was artists. And you just see, like, little videos of them when they're like 6 years old with the mic. Like, you see Travis Scott playing the drum. Like, at six years old, maybe I'm in Africa with cows and all type of. At six years old, I don't even know what the. Is going. I'm in the middle of the country somewhere, you know. Well, baby goats.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

No, it really is one of the most astonishing stories. Like, yeah, the Moroccan part for sure. And then coming to the Bronx, not

[French Montana]

just coming to the Mecca of hip

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

hop at the golden era. That's the best year.

[French Montana]

So I'm learning. And bro, mind you, like, Big Pun used to come and play me capital punishment. Like, play for us. Like. Like right there in the street. Like, you would hear stories about, you know, just Slick Rick. Oh, shit. He got caught with a gun right there to go. But he lived somewhere, like, around Gun Hill. And you hear just like, you know, KRS1 live right there. Fat Joe Live right here by Cypress Projects. And we're like five minutes away from each other. So it's like you next to all these. All these events and all these legends, and you're like, oh, shit, I'm really in.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

You immediately.

[French Montana]

Do you.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

No. So is that your first introduction to hip hop is when you come here and you immediately fall in love?

[French Montana]

I'm saying, as a fan. Yeah, my whole life.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Okay.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Oh, in Morocco.

[French Montana]

Morocco, if you're big enough. Pause. If you're big enough.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

In the States, I felt like Tupac was in Julio.

[French Montana]

Gangster Paradise.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Recipes of Coolio.

[French Montana]

Yeah, yeah. Like. Like, certain records are there.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Okay, okay.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Got you, Got you.

[French Montana]

Rolling Fujis there.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You were seeing visuals like, you. You had an idea of what hip hop culture was.

[French Montana]

Yeah, Got you. You hear it, you watch it on mtv. Boom. You're locked in.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Who's the. Who's a guy that, outside of pot and you gotta. I mean, the neighborhood is pretty crazy. You're like, I could do that. I could. I could be him.

[French Montana]

What was up. What was that back then? It was Pac, it was big, it was Jay, it was a fugees. Honestly, I didn't want to be like none of them. I just liked the music.

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[French Montana]

What made me be an artist is when I was selling drugs and I got locked up and I had just came with my mother and there was like, if you get locked up again, you're gonna get deported. And I was just like, let me look into something that's not gonna get me in jail because my mother just came here from Africa and she sat because my pops left. My pops came for like two, three years and he was like, hold on.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

I don't like it.

[French Montana]

This is not working for me. I live like a king in Africa with this little change. I gotta, I'm over here, I'm not even being respected, you know what I'm saying? Because they show you the whole skyline. So when you, when you get to New York City, they take your ass right to the back of Brooklyn, back in the Bronx. You're in the projects, you're on welfare, you're on weed checks you. And get real. Yeah, you go into business with a, with a couple of cats and they tell you, okay, look, give me this. Everybody put in. Then they all sneak each other. It happened to my pops like three times. He almost killed one of them. He's like, you know what? Let me go back to Africa. He went back. He told my mother, he's like, look, leave the two young ones because I got two little brothers. He's like, let's take them with us and leave him. She was like, I'm not leaving my son. So that's when they split up. He went back. She stayed here. So she stayed here. Like, there's a whole documentary we came out with. I called it For Khadijah. It's on Paramount plus. So when you Get a chance. Watch that. It's about Morocco. It's about the whole thing. So she stayed. And, you know, when I saw her, she had, like, a job or two. She was, like, in, like, a chicken spot. So I just. I walked in on her one day. She was praying, making salah. She was crying, and I was like, oh, I gotta. I gotta make a difference. And, you know, not having no papers, you kind of, like, can't get a job. You kind of, like, alienated.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

You're kind of locked up without being locked up. You can't go to school because you don't got no scholarships. You can't is. That's why for any immigrant that make it, I got so much respect for them. Because people think just because you here in America that you have the same opportunities that everybody got. You actually don't. You have no opportunities. You're kind of, like, still in your country, but you're just here, you know? I'm saying, hopefully you meet somebody to help you elevate.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Like, isolated.

[French Montana]

Yeah, so. So that's what happened to me. So when I was isolated, I just. I met. I met one of my cousins here. He already had an empire. I started dealing with dope. Then after that, got locked up, then got locked up again. There was like, look, man, about to get deported. And that was it. That was a turning point. I went to my man crib. He had a little studio in the living room. I did a freestyle I had in the headphones. I came back to my block. I let everybody hear it, and I was like, we fuck with this. You sound good. And that was that. Somebody signed me for my hood, and it was just like, okay, that's how it started.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

That's.

[French Montana]

This happened. Well, I was like 20 already.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

And then. And then the DVD part of it. Where does that come into play?

[French Montana]

You can't. How you gonna make it?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So it was to promote, you know,

[French Montana]

how many people rap in the Bronx.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

So you started it to promote you as an artist because you wasn't, you know, you wasn't.

[French Montana]

You know how many people rap in the Bronx, bro?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

It's like, how many people play basketball?

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, probably about the same.

[French Montana]

No, More, more, more.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Cause everybody can't play basketball. Everybody could rap or attempt to rap. Everybody can attempt to rap.

[French Montana]

Especially in the Bronx cafeteria, especially in New York.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

So both born in the Bronx. I taught in the Bronx. We lived in the Bronx, so we know the stories, like.

[French Montana]

But even remember back then in the Bronx, you. You just didn't have the rap. You had to Go and battle everybody.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That was that era.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

That's different.

[French Montana]

That was the era was just like smack.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

DVD era.

[French Montana]

Yeah. Now it's like, okay, you rap, just make a song, put it up in the no back. Then they need to come see what. They need to come see you. And you got to go round for round, like. Then you be like, okay, son nice over there. Oh, he nice over there. Okay, they nice over there. You had to earn your name. It's not like that.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You lost $5 million on crypto?

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What happened with that? That was. That was ftx.

[French Montana]

Yeah, ftx.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Explain that story.

[French Montana]

So I have my money in ftx and I was interested in this and that and certain people that was paying me, I was there, was paying me in crypto. And I want to put it in. In the bank. So I kept it in crypto and. And I had it in ftx. One morning I woke up and there was like, yo, nobody can log in.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

No, it's not a compliment.

[French Montana]

You talk about tears.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yo, Sam Bankman, we looking for you.

[French Montana]

Tears from heaven. Eric Clapton in the flesh.

[Jacob Goldstein (Odoo Sponsor)]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

I'm telling you, bro, there's no feeling when you wake up and you try to log into some shit that you got $5 million in. And then the camera. I'm telling him. And here with me, I'm like, yo, bro, go. We at the airport. I'm like, cancel the flight. We outside of the airport in the truck with the laptop open. I'm like, get in this now, bro. I was sick to my stomach. I couldn't eat for like two, three days, bro. I still. I booked another flight and I went. I stayed in the room for like 10 days.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Damn. Did you try to call? Like, what. I mean, it's nothing you can do, but it's like, do you try to get a lawyer to sue to try to see if you get some money back legally?

[French Montana]

Yeah, did all that.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

There's part of it. They had a class action, so there was. Were you able to recoup any of it? Because I think some. Some people got.

[French Montana]

Huh.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Damn.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

All right, what'd you learn from what. What did. What did you learn from that experience? Because that's pain. That's painful.

[Jacob Goldstein (Odoo Sponsor)]

What you.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

What you learn from that going forward?

[French Montana]

Actually, you can't learn nothing from it because you know what you're dealing with when you get into it, you know what I'm saying? And just like, you know, it's a gamble, you know, look how young the kid is. Look, look like, you know, I mean, it's just like you just got. You just gotta put your money in things. That's more sturdier than that.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Does it make you. Because, yeah, he is young, but I can understand why people did it.

[French Montana]

Right.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Like, it feels legit. I mean, Miami was about to name the arena after his company.

[French Montana]

Yeah, right. So let me just look at, look at the turn you made off. Look, it was about to happen with Elon Musk. It was like. It's like the same thing with the SpaceX stock. Yeah, that's. That's how FTX was. You go to F1, you see, you see it on the app?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, it was all over. It was all over. I'm saying the branding, the brand, the name recognition.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, yeah. This one's. That's. He's gonna be a little different. I wonder, does it make. How does it make you feel about.

[French Montana]

But it was a trend like that.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

A trend? Yes. It was marketed and promoted the same way.

[French Montana]

It was a trend. Put your money here. It was quite goof.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Woo.

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[Co-Host / Interviewer]

He's flip Crypto is a different space. This is publicly traded company. He turned into Trillionaire today.

[French Montana]

Man tell tell tell the people that was putting their money in it. Do you know how much money was in FTX?

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah, no, it's up to 32 billion now we very out does it make?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

He's trying to get a pardon. You seen that.

[French Montana]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Trying to get a part.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Do you. Does it make you speculative about investing outside of crypto, but, like, in the publicly traded market, like the stock market, things like that, based on your experience,

[French Montana]

it's just a risk you take. You know what I'm saying? That's a risk you take. I mean, I don't mind doing it, but I just feel like the. The. The more I tried to cut corners, the more. The more I'll be realizing that if I just kept doing what I was doing, I'd be further than that.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Boost Mobile)]

Okay.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Slow and steady.

[French Montana]

Yeah, I think I'm. I'm into the slow and steady part of my life now, because I don't need it.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

That's the lesson learned.

[French Montana]

Yeah. Yeah, definitely. Definitely.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Do you feel like you're not fully appreciated or you get overlooked? Because I saw you on the complex thing as far as the top rappers, then you said today that you're actually top three when it comes to money out of New York. So do you feel like. We just talked to Ja Rule yesterday. He felt like he was over. He's overlooked. You feel like you overlooked not just from a rap standpoint, but from a business standpoint, from a brand building standpoint, From a, like, mogul standpoint, you feel like people overlook you.

[French Montana]

Honestly, I'm a firm believer of that. Nobody get their flowers until you're not here.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Nobody.

[French Montana]

Nobody get their flowers. There's nobody. Look at what they're doing to Jay Z. Look what they did to Dre. Look, Michael Jackson just had the biggest biopic, right? The biggest biopic. A billion dollars. What they do, they put. They put up a whole movie about him and the kids on Netflix.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Netflix, dot.

[French Montana]

That dead man can't even get no peace. You know what I'm saying? So is everybody, bro. Everybody. Name one. Name one that's getting their flowers.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Hip hop.

[French Montana]

And if. And if you name one person again, they flowers, I name a thousand. That's not.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

That's true.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah, that's it.

[French Montana]

You know what I'm saying? I just feel like nobody get their flowers. I feel like nobody get their flowers. But even Bob Marley, they shot his ass up when he was trying to do the Revolutionary concert, right or wrong. And all he did was peaceful music, you know? So at the end of the day, I don't fight for that. I fight on building my. My wealth, being well respected. Not out here doing no goofy. Not out here on those stands. Not out here doing none of that. Living a life and I. And guiding the kids the right way. You know what I'm saying making sure my brothers are good, making sure I'm wealthy again, first and foremost, you know what I'm saying? At the end of the day, this is the best advice I give any young artist out there, man. Get your money. Save your money so your money can save you. Accolades, positioning, a transfer from today to tomorrow. Tomorrow you're number one.

[Sponsor Voiceover (Navy Federal Credit Union)]

The.

[French Montana]

The day after, you're going to be number 30. Day after you're gonna be number 100, you're gonna bounce back to number one. But if your bank account doesn't match your transition, you are you. And you, you're gonna stay in that ground zero. Because look at the legends. They contributed so much to the game because there was no money to be made in hip hop back in the days, you know what I'm saying? But now with the consumer today and with the audience, they look at you like you're only big because you have a billion. You have this. You know what I'm saying?

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Well, first, your first week sale.

[French Montana]

Yeah, exactly.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

That's all they care about.

[French Montana]

Like, exactly.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

They don't even care about the album. These dudes are listening. Analyze first week sales more than they analyze the album.

[French Montana]

That's what I'm trying to tell you. When it's all.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

When it's all farms and they made nothing off of their opinion.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But it's like, can you. What's the first week sales for Illmatic? What's the first week sale?

[French Montana]

Like, Illmatic's not a.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

It's not even a platinum album.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

But exactly. What I'm trying to say is that if it's an art, it turned from being an art to studying analytics. Nobody cares about the quality of the music. Nobody cares about the storytelling they care about.

[French Montana]

That's why they all be shocked when certain people win a Grammy, like when Killer Mike won a Grammy and when Nas won a Grammy, it's like they shocked, but they're like, why y' all shocked? Nobody care about what y' all care about. Like, nobody care about the first week sales.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

You know, certain people, they gotta have certain people that the labels put all their money on. They gotta have tricks for them.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I live by this mantra of stay low, keep firing. As you're talking. I feel like that's kind of what you've done is like, stay low, just grind, get your money. Yeah, keep making hits.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Not really low. You got the whole Moroccan in terms of the money flag on his chest.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

We don't get to that about Seven Flags, but we'll get to that at least. But it's the same pattern of make the money, keep firing. But I'm just saying, if you do that, how does the next generation follow those footsteps? Or do you even feel like a responsibility to.

[French Montana]

When I was first coming out, you would see me on smack, dvd. I would go in my pocket, I pull out a hundred thousand, I throw it on the floor. Every video you see me, I owe money even. I haven't touched cash in so long. But when you around certain people, bro,

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

we gotta just let that breathe for a second. I haven't touched cast in so long, it's crazy.

[French Montana]

Let me tell you something. When you're around, when you're around certain people, bro, that I've been around, yeah, you look at whatever you saved in your account. Why are you in the meeting with them? You're like, I'm gonna just throw this against the wall. I'm about to go somewhere and just burn this and just say a prayer. Because you were. And you will. You can't tell, bro. You can't tell. They low key, they don't have no problems. They don't have none of that. You know what I'm saying? I was able to be around the sheikhs of. The sheikhs of, of, of. Of the world, you know what I'm saying? Some people that control the world, like really control the world.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

Yeah.

[French Montana]

You know what I'm saying? I know artists sitting there telling me I went double platinum. Like they, they can have you coming just, you know what I'm saying? Sing for them in the empty pool, you know what I'm saying? With their kids. But look, I was able, I was, I had to have the privilege to be around some. So that's why I started like, okay, this is the way to move. This is the way to move. This is the way to move. And, and, and, and when you start reading, I started reading the Quran. It's just like, you know the creator, when you humble yourself, he gives you more. So just certain things you learn as you get older, but when you're young, you don't know it. So you don't get punished for it, but when you get the knowledge of it and you still keep doing stupid shit, then, you know, whatever, whatever you

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

get, you deserve the people who control the world.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

You deserve to be broke. Before we leave, talk about Africa, like, as far as, are you investing in the continent? What's your thoughts? Obviously you played a major part in the whole Afrobeats movement, but from a global standpoint, a lot of attention is on the continent of Africa. Right now, it's the youngest continent. I think they're gonna have 25% of the world's population in the next 20 years. Obviously, everybody knows it's the most rich continent when it comes to the minerals and resources, all that stuff. What's your outlook on the future of Africa?

[French Montana]

I mean, we did a lot in Africa. Shout out to mama Hope, shot the global citizens, shot the pencils of promise, raised hundreds of millions over there, opened up a hospital over there, opened up schools in Morocco. Like, always, every time there was any type of success, it always went back to Africa and helped in Africa, you know, a lot of things. A lot of things we put out there in the Internet, a lot of things we don't, you know. But yeah, for sure. Always, always Africa's is. But as far as making money, there is one thing I learned. You're gonna get scammed. You thought something positive was gonna come out.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

I definitely thought it was going a different way.

[French Montana]

No, you continue, though. No, it's just a thing of who can out scam the scammer. Out scammers. That's one thing that you're never gonna get over. Look, I'm sorry I was born there. I love everybody. Like, yo, we're not scammers. No, it's not you. If you're not a scammer, it's not you. But there's some real scammers there that you don't even see it coming. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. And I love it. I gave nobody. Nobody gave back more than. More than what we did besides, you know, diplomats and things of that nature. But as far as artists, I go head to head with anybody, you know,

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

how's the reception when you're in Morocco? I feel like the face of the country is like, I think you and Hakimi.

[French Montana]

And then, oh, shout out to Hakimi, man.

[Co-Host / Interviewer]

After that, it's like, when you're there on the ground, what's the reception,

[French Montana]

Man? Morocco is just so culturally like, like, rich. It just. They just satisfy what they got, and they just like. It's so spiritual over there. And when I get there, it's. It's just I go see the fam and I chill out, you know, and I just be chilling. I'll be catching up with everybody because, remember when I came here when I was 13, my whole family was left over there, so I was kind of like, just, like, snatched away from, like, the tree. So when I came here, like, I was forced just to grow up, up. So when I go back, I see them. It's kind of be like, like, you know, like sad. I ain't see them in so long, but I'm catching up and it just like. So it'd be. Yeah, it'd be a whole lot of that.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Well, French, my brother. It's a pleasure, man.

[French Montana]

Thank you.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

Any last words? You want to plug anything Feel just. Yeah. Tell the people what's going on.

[French Montana]

The hottest single out, man. Go listen to it. Ever since you left me, I went deaf with the Knicks.

[Interviewer (Podcast Host)]

All right, y'.

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[Jacob Goldstein (Odoo Sponsor)]

Thanks,

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