45 Facts About French Montana

Karim Kharbouch, better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper.

French Montana is the founder of Coke Boys Records and its predecessor Cocaine City Records.

French Montana released his debut studio album Excuse My French on May 21,2013.

In July 2017, Montana released his second studio album, Jungle Rules, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200.

French Montana grew up at the family estate outside Casablanca where he lived for the first 13 years of his life.

French Montana's mother was pregnant with his youngest brother at the time, who was born in the United States shortly after his father departed for Morocco.

French Montana began his career as a battle rapper in his teens under the name Young French.

In 2003, French Montana suffered a gunshot to the head when he was confronted by two armed gunmen as he was leaving a recording studio in the Bronx.

In 2007, French Montana released his debut mixtape French Revolution Vol.

Fraud recalls recording a song for someone which French Montana happened to have a guest feature on.

In later interviews, French Montana revealed that he had a "shopping deal" with Akon for a six months to a year period.

Akon, whom French Montana refers to as "big brother", would continue to maintain a relationship with French Montana, collaborating on songs together despite the unsuccessful deal between the two.

French Montana had met Akon through their mutual friend Gaby Acevedo.

Acevedo, whom French Montana had befriended during his time working on the Cocaine City DVDs, had put his music on to Akon who then approached French Montana inviting him to meet him in Florida.

French Montana released his tenth mixtape Coke Boys on September 15,2010, which included collaborations with Three 6 Mafia, Gucci Mane, Akon, Fat Joe, fellow Coke Boys, among others.

On November 18,2010, XXL magazine reported on French Montana having signed with Atlanta-based management firm Mizay Entertainment, headed by Debra Antney.

French Montana, who admits having been a fan of Ross' music, was invited to come "at like three in the morning" where he listened to his upcoming MMG collaborative album Self Made Vol.

Diddy would appear that night as part of his "Bad Boy Takeover" campaign, whereon the two officially announced that French Montana had signed to Bad Boy Records.

However, on January 4,2012, while in the studio with Rick Ross, the two announced French Montana's new signing to a joint-venture between Bad Boy Records and Maybach Music Group, making him a part of both labels.

French Montana was featured on XXL's Freshman Class of 2012 alongside Future, Kid Ink, Danny Brown, Macklemore, Don Trip, Hopsin, Iggy Azalea, Roscoe Dash, and Bad Boy labelmate MGK.

French Montana later revealed to host Sway Calloway on MTV's RapFix Live in August 2012 that he almost turned down the cover opportunity feeling he deserved it a year or two prior.

In September 2012, French Montana was featured on the cover of the 82nd issue of The Fader magazine, who joined French on his first homecoming to Morocco after seventeen years since his family moved to the United States in 1996.

French Montana was accompanied by manager Gaby Acevedo, and youngest brother Ayoub, in addition to Zach Baron and Michael Schmelling of The Fader.

In January 2013, French Montana announced his second single "Freaks", featuring Nicki Minaj, from his upcoming album to be a remake of Lil Vicious' 1994 song of the same name.

French Montana, who is close to producer Young Chop, had previously collaborated with Durk on his recent mixtape and with Chief Keef on his debut album the year before.

In 2014, French Montana collaborated with Diddy on Ross' track "Nobody" released on February 19.

French Montana joined Ross for a live performance on the television program Late Night with Seth Meyers on March 5,2014.

French Montana would collaborate with fellow-Bronx native Jennifer Lopez on her comeback single "I Luh Ya Papi".

French Montana joined Ross, Meek and veteran Jay-Z on DJ Khaled's summer hit "They Don't Love You No More".

French Montana released his second single "Bad Bitch", featuring Jeremih, in December 2014, with the music video premiering on February 23,2015.

French Montana later stated that he's planning to start a new record label with Max B when he is released.

On November 5,2016, French Montana unexpectedly released the album as a mixtape instead and premiered it on Drake's Beats 1 radio show, OVO Sound radio later that night.

French Montana revealed in an interview with Zane Lowe on his Beats 1 radio show that the first and second single from his upcoming project is ready to be released.

French Montana announced a collaborative track with Chance the Rapper and Quavo, produced by Ben Billions, a collaboration with Swae Lee that is "just like 'Unforgettable'", as well as a song called "No Stylist".

On July 14,2017, French Montana released Jungle Rules as his second album.

On December 6,2019, French Montana released his third studio album Montana, which includes the song "Writing on the Wall", a collaboration with Cardi B, Post Malone and Rvssian.

In March 2020, French Montana was accused of raping an incapacitated woman at his former home in Hidden Hills, California.

In 2018, French Montana was named an Ambassador for Global Citizen following his charitable donation of $100,000 for a hospital in Uganda.

French Montana cites being a father as one of his driving inspirations.

French Montana has been a resident of the Pompton Plains section of Pequannock Township, New Jersey.

French Montana was investigated for the incident, but the case was eventually dismissed.

In early 2013, French Montana visited the site of the shooting with a camera crew from Life+Times as he recalled the near-death experience and his life growing up in the Bronx.

French Montana has been the owner of a number of pets, ranging from dogs to exotic animals such as tigers and a monkey.

The picture was of French Montana outdoors holding two tiger cubs, one on each arm.

Since late-2014, French Montana became the owner of a pet monkey named Julius Ceasor.