Does French Montana’s highly-anticipated, feature-heavy “Montana” move the needle for us?
STREAM
TOP 5
5. Writing On The Wall (Ft. Post Malone, Cardi B & Rvssian)
How the f**k is French Montana able to procure so many fire-ass features for his albums?
In my opinion, French Montana is the closest thing to DJ Khaled. On most of his albums, you get guest appearances galore, which tells me he is either very friendly or wealthy. That said, “Writing On The Wall” features infectious melodic contributions from French, Rvssian, and Post Malone, plus a killer verse by Cardi B in which she raps about balling and being ready to give up her booty in all circumstances.
When you give French Montana a song with a Caribbean beat, he is undefeated (“Writings On The Wall” features a Caribbean beat, folks).
4. No Stylist (Ft. Drake)
“No Stylist” and “No Shopping?” These n***as must not like looking nice.
Drake seems to have a tendency to collaborate with French Montana when there’s some conflict brewing. First, the showdown between the 6 God and Joe Budden escalated with “No Shopping.” Now, with “No Stylist,” it’s the 6 God facing off against Kanye West.
However, amidst the drama, “No Stylist” shines with its quality. French delivers a solid vocal performance, occasionally showcasing Mariah-esque vocals while asserting his indifference towards certain women. Meanwhile, Drake’s brief verse is refreshingly straightforward. Despite taking shots at his adversary, he provides us with something that’s both nod-worthy and vibe-inducing.
Drake and French’s friendship is dope.
3. Wiggle It (Ft. City Girls)
One of my favorite French Montana songs is “Freaks,” so you know I’m a fan of”Wiggle It.”
“Wiggle It” exudes pure ratchet energy. The track starts with a beat that strip-club-afies Rapper’s Delight’s classic “Push The Feeling On” instrumental. Over it, French Montana boasts about his wealth and player lifestyle, while Yung Miami embodies the persona of a boujee stripper who prioritizes money and shows disdain for those who can’t keep up with her high standards.
Honestly, if I’m going to pay for a lap dance, I do not want a chick dancing to “Wiggle It” on me. I don’t like my pelvis jerked all over the place.
2. Lockjaw (Ft. Kodak Black)
“Lockjaw” is a bonus track on “Montana,” so it’s fair game for being rated.
“Lockjaw” is the definition of trill. The song starts with a gritty yet melodic instrumental that can make a rapper feel conflicted about how they want to approach it. However, French Montana and featured artist Kodak Black dive headfirst into the track, delivering raw and unapologetic verses. Their lyrics touch on topics like dealing with snipers, indulging in intimate encounters, and amassing wealth.
I love the back-and-forth you get from Kodak Black and French Montana in this song. You can tell they encouraged each other to be savages on the track.
1. NO SHOPPING
“No Shopping” is also a bonus track on “Montana,” so it’s fair game for being rated.
If there ever is a contest for the braggiest song of all time, “No Shopping” would be near first place (Probably behind every song Puff Daddy made in the 90s). In “No Shopping,” French Montana and Drake deliver boastful verses about their lavish lifestyles, celebrity status, receiving top-notch services, and successful careers in the music industry. Drake’s verse, which includes subtle jabs at Joe Budden, stands out as a highlight of the track. However, French Montana’s energetic performance throughout the song shouldn’t be overlooked, as it adds a dynamic and captivating element to the overall vibe.
SONG BY SONG BREAKDOWN
1. Montana (3.5/5)
2. Suicide Doors (Ft. Gunna) (3/5)
3. 50’s & 100’s (Ft. Juicy J) (2.5/5)
4. What It Look Like (3.5/5)
5. Lifestyle (2.5/5)
6. Salam Alaykum (2/5)
7. That Way (2.5/5)
8. Say Goodbye (Ft. Belly) (3/5)
9. Coke Wave Boys (3.5/5)
1. Writing On The Wall (Ft. Post Malone, Cardi B & Rvssian) (4/5)
2. Out Of Your Mind (Ft. Chris Brown & Swae Lee) (4/5)
3. Wanna Be (Ft. PARTYNEXTDOOR & London On Da Track) (3.5/5)
4. Twisted (Ft. Juicy J, Logic & A$AP Rocky) (3.5/5)
5. Hoop (Ft. Quavo) (3.5/5)
6. No Stylist (Ft. Drake) (4.5/5)
7. Wiggle It (Ft. City Girls) (4/5)
8. Slide (Ft. Blueface & Lil Tjay) (3.5/5)
9. Saucy (3/5)
10. No Shopping (Ft. Drake) (5/5)
11. Lockjaw (Ft. Kodak Black) (5/5)
OVERALL RATING
(C-) (70%)
Believe it or not, French Montana has been making waves for seven years now, churning out numerous Billboard Top 100 hits within that time frame. Known for his knack for crafting obvious hit songs, French Montana’s latest album, Montana, offers a mixed bag of successes.
Let’s be clear: French Montana isn’t hailed as the next Tupac. His lyrical prowess has always been mediocre at best, and Montana doesn’t necessarily elevate his rap game. While there are moments of authenticity and engagement on tracks like “Montana,” overall, his rapping falls short.
Where French Montana excels, however, is in his ability to curate collaborations that result in catchy tunes. Tracks like “Slide” bring together gritty artists like Blueface and Lil TJay to create a raw club vibe, while “No Stylist” and “Writing On The Wall” showcase French’s talent for assembling hip-hop heavyweights for commercial hits. Yet, despite the star-studded features, French often finds himself overshadowed.
The production on Montana is undeniably strong, offering a diverse range of sounds from pop to strip club-inspired beats. Some tracks even have a quality that would appeal to rap connoisseurs. If I were to rate the production, it would easily earn a solid A.
Overall, Montana is an enjoyable listen but doesn’t leave a lasting impact. While it boasts hits, they feel somewhat contrived rather than natural. Perhaps French could take a page from Kendrick Lamar’s book on crafting organic hits in the future.
Quincy is the creator of Ratings Game Music. He loves writing about music, taking long walks on beaches, and spaghetti that fights him back.
This Post Has 21 Comments
I would give this album an B in my opinion. Here are my ratings for top 5 and bottom 5.
Top 5:
1. Salam Alaykum (100)
2. No Stylist (85+)
3. Say Goodbye (80)
4. Lifestyle (75)
5. Coke Wave Boys (70)
Bottom 5:
16. Wannabe (40)
17. Suicide Doors (35)
18. No Shopping (30)
19. That Way (25)
20. Slide (20)
I am absolutely shocked that you gave Salam Alaykum a 2/5 (In fact I thought it would be in your top 3). That was not only the BEST song I ever heard from French Montana, but that song is pure euphoria in a track and is definitely the 2nd best song i’ve ever heard in 2019 (the first being F&N). Definitely a banger that beat made me get out of my seat.
Man, I usually agree with you, but with this one, I can’t. Montana was too sloppy for my liking. Too much poor auto tune use, forgettable verses, and gimmickiness. I like the meaning behind Salam Alaykum, but I thought the song just featured way too much poor singing and useless lyrics.
In your reasoning, I still think that a 2/5 was too harsh. From your reasoning you should rate it 3 since you said you liked the idea of it plus the beat is dope.
I feel you. To me, 3/5 means the song is average; I don’t think the song is average, I think it’s below average to bad. I actually couldn’t stomach listening to it. Any song that I can’t stomach listening to is at maximum a 2/5. (I just think French was awful in the song)
You sleep. The album wasn’t even that bad.
JC, I really respect your opinion, but I respectfully disagree with it. This album is bad. It might get you hyped and all, but too much auto tune, too many bad verses, too many watered down songs are on it. Don’t get me wrong, jungle rules and please excuse my French were solid, but Montana is just pure sloppy ?????.
Lifestyle, Salam Alaykum, and 50’s and the 100’s are like the best songs though.
I hated Lifestyle, Salam Alaykum sounded way too auto tuned up, and 50’s and the 100’s was a stale club joint, to me ?????. I respect your opinion on the songs though and you made me listen to it again! Lol
No Guidence was my least favorite song lol.
What, No Guidance with Chris Brown and Drake is fire! lol Nah, No Stylist (I’m assuming you’re talking about this song) is a bit lazy, but I do think it’s one of the better songs on this album (Can you tell that I hate this album?) lol
I was talking about No Guidence. The beat was terrible and drake’s verse was bad.
C’mon, that’s a bit harsh… I thought Drake did really well on “No Guidance!”
NO! I mean’t “No Shopping” not “No Guidence” LOL.
Seeeeeee, that’s what I thought! Lol I still think the song is OK though. Drake’s verse was tough, to me.
Trash ass album. Everything was terrible except Salam Alaykum and Out of your mind. I don’t understand why he put a lot of old 2015 songs on this album.
You know what, when you have Drake on two old songs, you have to utilize that lol. But Yea, I agree with you, I thought the album was pretty bad. I’m still not feeling Salam Alaykum all that much, but i definitely get it. Thanks for reading it!
Slept on Salam Alaykum. That autotune is incredible and shit that beat is fucking dope.
Could you please review that song’s sample?
This is the sample of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuL5QeY8E6E
Faxx bro. The best song on the album.
Geez, everyone likes this song. I tried to listen to it and I just couldn’t get jiggy with it! I will tell you this, though, the beat is fire!
Interesting sample… It’s cool, serene, hypnotizing, almost therapeutic! I can see how French saw a potential to sooth our minds by taking the vibes of the sample you just showed me.
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