A Moroccan-American rapper who built an indie empire with his Cocaine City imprint, French Montana rose from the New York mixtape underground in the 2000s to emerge as a pop-savvy hip-hop artist in the 2010s. Starting with his 2013 debut album, Excuse My French, he became known for his high-profile collaborations and a handful of chart hits including "Unforgettable" from his platinum-certified 2017 sophomore LP, Jungle Rules. 2019's double album Montana was another showcase for big-name guests that featured the hit singles "No Stylist" and "Writing on the Wall." He retained his tried-and-true formula in 2021 for another guest-heavy effort, They Got Amnesia, and collaborated with on 2022's Montega. Born Karim Kharbouch in Morocco, he immigrated to the U.S. while in his teens. He set up shop in the Bronx and began releasing his Cocaine City series of DVDs in 2002, mixing interviews with established hip-hop artists and unsigned talent. In 2009 he began releasing his own mixtape CDs with DJs like , , and as his hosts. That same year, he would be signed to 's label, but in late 2011 it was announced that they had parted ways and that Montana was signing to both 's and ' imprints in a unique joint venture. His 2012 single, "Pop That," would be the first release for the united labels, while 2013 saw the release of his debut album, Excuse My French. A series of mixtapes, each with an increasing R&B influence, brought Montana to 2016, when he dropped Casino Life 2: Brown Bag Legend. The mixtape included the hit single "Moses," featuring and . A full LP -- MC4 -- was slated for the end of the year, but after the album was leaked by a retailer months before its official release, Montana scrapped the rollout entirely and issued it as a mixtape. MC4 (aka "Mac & Cheese 4") featured appearances by , , Jeezy, , , , , , , , , , , , and Chinx. The following year, Montana returned with his official sophomore effort, Jungle Rules. The LP included guests like , , , , , , and . Lead single "Unforgettable" with became a hit, topping the Billboard rap chart and climbing into the Top Three of the R&B and main singles list. The album itself, certified gold in the U.S., debuted at number three on the Billboard 200. In 2018, Montana joined with , , and for the bombastic single "Welcome to the Party" from the Deadpool 2 soundtrack, which returned him to the Hot 100. Additional singles -- "No Stylist" with and "Slide" with and -- were also chart hits, carrying Montana into 2019. Those latter tracks later landed on his third effort, which was issued toward the end of the year on the same day he was released from hospitalization in the ICU. A double album, Montana, boasted an impressive cast of guests, including ("50's & 100's"), (on the "Unforgettable" sequel "Out of Your Mind"), and and ("Writing on the Wall"). Upon release, the LP debuted at number 25 on the Billboard 200. The next year, he returned to his mixtape roots with C.O.K.E. Boys 5. 2021 also saw the release of his fourth full-length, They Got Amnesia, which featured guests such as , , , , and many more. In 2022, Montana teamed up with on the joint project Montega, which included the singles "Drive By," "Blue Chills," and "Brick & Bags." ~ David Jeffries