IGNITION STYLE FUSION COMBUSTION WELL VAPORIZATION FROM MOROCCO TO NYC RAPPER KARIM KHARBOUCH A.K.A FRENCH MONTANA PHOTOGRAPHED BY RAUL MANDRU + MIHAI BOTAREL STYLED BY CALLIE ROTHERMEL LOUIS VUITTON suit NINH shirt VICTOR OSBORNE hat MUSIC 075 LOUIS VUITTON suit NINH shirt OLIVER PEOPLES sunglasses Karim Kharbouch was born in Morrocco, a third world country Spain from Morocco. It’s full of history from when France came where he grew up speaking a mix of Arabic and French, practiced and took it over.” Muslim beliefs and shared the dream that most people from such areas do about moving to the United States, which was to Moving to the United States was a dream come true for Montana. “move to the land of the free, where people have the opportunity And although his language may have changed, he has kept his to become the President, which is not the case when you come values and religious beliefs, which he still practices today despite from a third world country; you don’t have that same opportunity, his busy work schedule and the anti-American stigma that is and you minimize your goals to how everybody is living,” says attached to being Muslim. “I always believe that you have to believe Kharbouch, who most know as rapper French Montana. in the higher power, and if you don’t, you believe in nothing,” he says on his religious beliefs, once again in such a gentle tone. “My earliest memory is my playing in the street with all the Moroccan kids, and my father coming to get me. It’s beautiful, Montana’s fond love for Morocco is apparent. However, last year paradise, beaches a lot of culture and historical places that was the first time the artist has returned to his native home to people should go and see,” says Montana. When he begins to visit his father and family in fifteen years. It was a nice break for talk about his childhood in Morocco, you can hear a sense of the busy star who says the trip “was lovely and a beautiful thing.” innocence in his voice as it becomes softer and tender, a side of him you will not see in his music videos or hear in his songs. Suddenly, the topic changes to his music career, and a sense of childlike pureness floats away as he begins to talk career in After signing to Bad Boy Records in 2012, Montana released his a serious, more excited tone. He explains that he has always first album this year,Excuse My French, now one of the most had a love for music, and aside from creating it, he even used it talked about recording artists in the industry. Although many as a sense of comfort. When he wanted to be alone, he would fans are familiar with his number one song on the charts, “Pop just get in his car and drive aimlessly listening to music that that,” they probably don’t realize that Montana spent over a defined his life. For most of his youth, Montana spent his time in decade of his youth producing music before reaching this new recording studios producing and creating music. With a decade level of exploding fame. Notoriety came many years after the behind him, you can say that those tireless days have paid off, artist moved from Morocco to the Bronx, N.Y. in 1996, at which although the cycle continues. There will always be new projects time he was barely over the age of 10 and did not speak English. and challenging days ahead. “It’s a different look out there — the clothes, the religion. “I don’t think people understand what an extremely hard worker Everybody is Muslim,” says Montana reflecting on his homeland. French actually is,” says Sarah Cunningham, Montana’s publicist “There are mixed cultures. Some people are Arabic, French or and one of the people who knows him best. “He definitely has Spanish. Spain is literally right next to Morocco; you can see an amazing personality and is a funny guy, but he works! He is in 076 COMBUSTION TED BAKER LONDON suit DOMENICO VACCA shirt VICTOR OSBORNE hat photographers RAUL MANDRU + MIHAI BOTAREL stylist CALLIE ROTHERMEL stylist assistants NORA SCHAFFER + NYLE FISCHER MUSIC 077 “THE BEST PART ABOUT MY JOB IS THAT I LOVE IT EVERY DAY. WHETHER IT’S GOOD OR BAD, I LOVE IT.” the studio almost every night from dusk to dawn. And when he “When I first saw him perform live, it was April 2012, and he was is on tour, he does a full set to a packed house, and then goes performing at the NYC stop for the Monster Energy Outbreak to promotional club events post show and then calls into radio.” Tour featuring XXL Freshman Class 2012,” Cunningham continues. “A month later he performed at Summer Jam, by the For those who have been listening to him since before his “Pop summer he was opening for Drake on the Club Paradise Tour, That” track and all of his recent publicity, Montana recognizes and by the beginning of 2013 he was on his own sold out solo them as real fans; they know his music and understand his tour. Fans were literally singing along word for word to all of his history. However, becoming mainstream has not changed his big hits and the deep cut tracks. He went from being only known style. Instead, it has evoked an internal desire for Montana to by domestic hip hop media to being on the cover of Fader and prove himself to the entire industry. “There are people who RESPECT and appearing in fashion spreads in VMAN.” are just finding out about me after “Pop That,” and others will become fans when they find out I can make music after a while,” If we have learned anything about Montana’s work ethic, it will not says Montana with the long-term in mind. end here. “The best part about my job is that I love it every day. Whether it’s good or bad, I love it.” FrenchMontanaMusic.com Loyalty is a trait that Montana possesses. Even though he is a ASHLEY CAPUTO solo recording artist under Bad Boy Records, he is still writing and recording music for his original recording company with his Side note: After Montana finishes talking about music he begins to original group, Coke Boys. So, not only has he put his time into relax and bare yet another part of himself to me, his lighthearted- Excuse My French, Montana has been working to prepare for the joking side, and reminds me to buy his May release album. And if I release of the Coke Boys album, which will follow his. get the chance, buy him one too he says in a playful, boyish tone, which instantly makes me laugh. Before we hang up the phone, he Right now, Montana is all about work and music, and is not thanks me for the interview and opportunity so genuinely that I can letting anything stay in his way from becoming an “established feel it through the phone. This is the French Montana that I know. artist and entrepreneur.” Over the course of a year, his entire life changed after being thrown into the limelight in the blink of an eye. “He has truly developed from a respected rapper to a star,” says Cunningham..