FRENCH MONTANA EXPOSES THE MUSIC INDUSTRY 🤯

25 Jun 2026 · 47 min · 33 chapters

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In short

French Montana discusses music-industry “recouping” and label advances, why independence/ownership matters, his strategy for building wealth, and lessons from crypto losses (FTX). He also touches on his international background (Morocco/New York), early hip-hop influences, and his real-estate investing.

Guests

French Montana (rapper/artist; Moroccan-American; grew up in Morocco until age 13, then moved to the Bronx; has major-label history and later independent control). Host: Malcolm Glaubel (Medal of Honor Stories of Courage; iHeart Podcast host).

Key claims

Label advances are effectively loans; artists often don’t recoup royalties even after big sales. “Independent” can hide major-label-style structures (distribution/advances/splits). After enough capital, he “backtracks” to understand how deals work and chooses ownership. He says he never recouped major-album earnings and later focuses on stacking via real estate/crypto. He argues nobody gets “flowers” until they’re gone.

Notable examples

FTX collapse—he had up to $5M in FTX and couldn’t log in; class action followed. Music deals—he cites Interscope/Epic, million-dollar and ~$10M advances, and ongoing non-recoup. Re-recording idea—compares to Taylor Swift’s re-record strategy, but says he’d release singles/best-of. Real estate—buys homes where he wants to live, including a Vegas strip property.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Navigating the Music Industry

0:05 to 0:33

Discussion on artists' financial struggles in the music industry and the challenges of recouping money.

“Look, building wealth isn't just about making money.”

Navigating the Music Industry

2:55 to 4:14

Discussion on artists' financial struggles in the music industry and the challenges of recouping money.

“you get is that they take all your shit, but they give you exposure.”

The Independent Route

4:14 to 6:13

Exploration of the benefits and challenges of being an independent artist in today's music landscape.

“You know, you got a whole new wave with the music.”

The Reality of Contracts

6:13 to 8:10

Insights on music contracts, advances, and how they impact artists' earnings.

“through a bunch of errors in music, right?”

Financial Lessons Learned

8:10 to 12:44

Discussion on the harsh realities artists face regarding financial management and royalties.

“but also it's like, let's say you do a deal, right?”

The Importance of Ownership

12:44 to 13:20

Emphasis on ownership of one’s music and assets in the industry.

“I just named you just two records that sold five million.”

The Importance of Ownership

13:24 to 14:43

Emphasis on ownership of one’s music and assets in the industry.

“We talk a lot about ownership and one of the most important assets you can own is your digital real estate.”

The Importance of Ownership

14:47 to 15:17

Emphasis on ownership of one’s music and assets in the industry.

“Sky Pop Protein Soda delivers the refreshing taste you want from a real soda.”

Struggles with Music Industry Deals

16:26 to 18:04

French Montana reveals his financial struggles with album deals.

“After the first million, you haven't seen any other money?”

Realizations About Financial Control

18:05 to 20:16

French discusses gaining awareness about financial deals and royalties.

“so So, once you know, sometimes you go through what you go through.”
Show all 33 chapters

Building Capital and Learning the Business

20:17 to 22:31

He shares how he built capital and learned about the music business.

“But after the ten million, you don't get any more money?”

Re-Recording Music for Independence

22:32 to 24:54

French discusses the strategy of re-recording music to regain control.

“Another thing, with the recouping thing, how do you even know the numbers are real?”

Strategies for Financial Success

24:55 to 27:36

French explains his financial strategies and maintaining relationships.

“When you tell somebody, okay, did you ever hear French Montana?”

The Importance of Relationships in Hip-Hop

27:37 to 28:00

He emphasizes the importance of maintaining good relationships in the industry.

“When you talk about New York, I'm definitely top three.”

The Journey of Persistence

28:00 to 28:37

Learn about the importance of patience and relationship-building in the music industry.

“Everything will always come out at the end.”

Navigating Trauma in the Industry

28:37 to 29:28

Discover how trauma shapes the experiences of artists in the music industry.

“is the amount of relationships that you're able to foster and keep.”

Cultural Perspectives on Success

29:28 to 30:43

Understand how traveling and cultural experiences influence an artist's perspective on success.

“When you see the people out there, you be like, hey, bro, we got, man, we taking this for granted, you know, but honestly, we are.”

Language Barriers and Music

30:43 to 31:55

Explore the role of language in connecting with international audiences as an artist.

“the Moroccan version yeah okay it's like French mixed in there yeah like French mixed but it's called Derizia.”

Growing Up in Two Worlds

31:55 to 34:04

Hear about the contrasts between life in Morocco and New York, shaping an artist's journey.

“I felt like, because you can't really attach yourself to, you ain't live nowhere long enough to attach yourself somewhere.”

The Influence of Hip-Hop Culture

34:04 to 36:11

Learn how hip-hop culture impacts artists across the globe, reflecting their aspirations.

“I'm in Africa with fucking, with cows and all type of shit at six years old.”

The Influence of Hip-Hop Culture

37:18 to 37:51

Learn how hip-hop culture impacts artists across the globe, reflecting their aspirations.

“Ask yourself, what are your best people spending their time on right now?”

Turning Points and Realizations

38:35 to 41:56

Hear about pivotal moments in French Montana's life that led him to music.

“Loan subject to approval in available locations.”

The Bronx Hip-Hop Scene

42:00 to 43:14

Discussion on the rap culture and competition in the Bronx.

“You know how many people rap in the Bronx?”

Experiencing the FTX Collapse

43:14 to 44:32

French Montana recounts his experience losing money in the FTX collapse.

“So I have my money in FTX and I was interested in this and that and certain people that was paying me.”

Lessons from Financial Losses

44:32 to 46:38

Discussion on the lessons learned from the FTX experience and financial risks.

“what I mean it's nothing you can do but it's like do you try to get a lawyer to sue to try and see if you could get some money back legally.”

Lessons from Financial Losses

47:05 to 47:35

Discussion on the lessons learned from the FTX experience and financial risks.

“Ask yourself, what are your best people spending their time on right now?”

Lessons from Financial Losses

47:39 to 48:35

Discussion on the lessons learned from the FTX experience and financial risks.

“Sky Pop Protein Soda delivers the refreshing taste you want from a real soda.”

Thoughts on Wealth and Recognition

49:10 to 52:39

Discussion on wealth, recognition in the music industry, and personal philosophies.

“Man, tell the people that was putting their money in it.”

Investing in Africa

52:39 to 56:00

French Montana discusses his investments and philanthropic efforts in Africa.

“Nobody cares about the quality of the music.”

Investing in Africa: Potential and Challenges

56:00 to 58:52

Explore the investment landscape in Africa, its rich resources, and challenges like scams.

“As far as are you investing in the continent?”

Closing Thoughts and New Music

58:52 to 59:02

French Montana shares his final thoughts and promotes his latest music project.

“Any last words you want to plug anything?”

Closing Thoughts and New Music

59:06 to 59:33

French Montana shares his final thoughts and promotes his latest music project.

“It's about knowing where your money is working for you.”

Closing Thoughts and New Music

59:58 to 1:01:01

French Montana shares his final thoughts and promotes his latest music project.

“Sky Pop Protein Soda delivers the refreshing taste you want from a real soda.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human Earners, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partnered with Empower. Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little. Their free Empower personal dashboard gives you a complete view of your financial life in one place. Track your net worth, monitor your budget, analyze your investments, set retirement goals, and more. You've worked hard for your money. Now make sure it's working hard for you. Download the Empower personal dashboard or visit Empower.com.

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3:21you get is that they take all your shit, but they give you exposure. So 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 shit? You must have been good with money. So where did that come from? If you're 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. With the recouping thing, how do you even know the numbers are real? They could just tell you anything. The trick they tell you is after three years, you can't audit them.

3:47How you can't audit somebody after three years when the record is selling more now than it sold when I first put it out. You lost five million dollars on crypto? Yeah. What happened with that? I had my money in FTX. One morning, I woke up and there was like, yo, nobody can log in. Who's a guy that you're like, I could do that. I could be him. 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 going to get deported. All right, y 'all. Welcome back. Welcome back. Y 'all special guys in the building. What's up, big dog?

4:19What's going on, man? I'm on the Knicks. My Moroccan brothers. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. French Montana, what's going on, man? How you doing? Man, coolin', man. One day at a time. 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. Felt like the Knicks version of music. Knicks version of music. We saw you out there. You shot the video with the crowd. How is the energy in the city compared to anything you've seen? I honestly feel like it's going to be bigger than winning the World Cup.

4:55Because New York is such a big city and it's like waiting for like 50 years. It's like you've got this girl you've been dating for 50 years to try to knock off.

5:07That's how I feel. I feel like you've been waiting for 50 years to get some box. so now you you what is it different now as far as you doing the music independent as opposed to you starting your career and working with majors and having that experience like how is it how's the difference now um 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 you got to make sure everything is good like you know you're back there checking with the chef you're back there doing this you know what I mean? It's like you're wearing many hats.

5:41You're being a CEO wearing many hats and you control your own destiny. I mean, obviously, all the money comes to you, so it's no better. You know what I'm saying? You see how everything... And when you go to interviews 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 your business, somebody's gonna use you to build this. So I think the independent route is the route. You've come through a bunch of errors in music, right? Mixtapes, DVDs, right? Streaming, independent, major.

6:23How does that shape the perspective now being the boss boss and making all the decisions and having the money come to you? It's like you get fucked so many times so just fuck you, you know? Like Lil Wayne said. I feel like there's no and it's good to go to I mean go through all them stages of getting burnt so many times and learning from this from that from this and watching all the OG's how they did it then doing your background and seeing how J Prince and them did it and how E40 and 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 they self and you kind of be like damn I should have did it but there's a thing with us were artists and all the artists coming up.

7:09It'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 hit in 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 it's 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 a Filipino real Muslim you're gonna give him that little plate of fish and grits like around 2pm he gonna hit that corn on you stuck for the lot but you know that's what it is it's just like they know artists ain't got no money coming up so that's how they bamboozhe you.

7:58So explain that so that's actually a loan against the record sales. So it's not like they're giving you money. You're just borrowing money from them. Yeah, it's actually a loan, but also it's like, let's say you do a deal, right? The best deal back then, I mean, when I first came in, I did 20 % of royalties, right? So, and even if you do an 80-20 with them, or you do a 50-50, let's say you do a 50-50, It takes you years to get that. And if you do get that, you got to be somebody that come into the label already with your shit moving. So they say you get 50-50. They give you an advance. So now, this is a trick that no artists know, right?

8:50Besides the ones that actually been in the game long enough. So when they do a 50-50 deal with you, they automatically start making money over their 50%. and now they recoup their whole 100 % 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 50-50 deal with them, they still have an extra 16 % on distribution fees. So it's really not a 50-50 deal. It's really like a 30-70, you know what I'm saying? 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 own all that and you own all of that and now you're pushing it yourself the marketing plan is you see the thing with me is I'm doing 100-0

9:51Rest in peace rest in peace Nipsey all money in no money out I'm doing 100-0 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 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 won't like the person that handled DSPs but I won't like the radio person so I was used to spending my own money anyway like if you heard a bunch of interviews I did even with the Unforgettable I spent my own money even with certain things I spent my own money sometimes the label don't move how you want them to move you know what I'm saying so I do 100 because let's say a lot of artists say they're independent and what I had to learn was this you see a lot of artists say they're independent but they actually have a major label structure inside of independent.

10:57For distribution. For distribution. So inside of independent infrastructure, you have a major label deal. So what I mean by is this. You go in an independent label and you're acting like you're independent, but you actually took out an advance and you still have a 50-50 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 or none of that. but they trying to be like the majors. So they 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.

11:36You know what I'm saying? So me, I feel like independent is a, you don't need none of that. You go and ride. 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 alright maybe we'll consider it again? Nah not really because because you figure you making a couple of hundred thousand a month that's gonna 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're never recouped I still didn't recoup off my first album.

12:25You know how many singles I had my first album? From Pop Dad to I Ain't Worry About Nothing to Platinum. I have at least like 10 Platinum records on that. Excuse my French. That's the name of the album? Yeah, the first one. You said you still haven't recouped. Still haven't recouped. And I only got a million dollar advance for that. They gave you a million dollar advance. I just named you just two records that sold five million. What's up, Ernest? Look, Empower is all about helping you invest well so you can go out and live a little and their free empower personal dashboard shows you your full financial life in one place you're able to see your net worth monitor budgets analyze your portfolio set retirement goals and so much more whether you're saving for something big want to treat yourself friends or family members or just trying to reach long-term goals empower helps you see where you stand you work hard for your money and power can help you make the most of it.

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16:25So you haven't made any money from that album? No. After the first million, you haven't seen any other money? Haven't seen no money. No residuals, nothing? Nothing. Do you own publishing or masters at any point in time? No, I didn't own no masters, but that's 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 an artist deal. See, I wasn't smart enough to get an artist deal with like a 20 % royalty. You know what I'm saying? So you don't really know. So, I mean, every artist that came in the game around that generation with 90 % of them all got the same deal.

17:06When did you, because we interviewed YG he said his first his first deal was five albums for $100 ,000 it was crazy yeah when did you realize that you was getting a short end of this stick pause I said it I know I ain't know if it's going to I just did it you know what I mean I realized that because 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 Lockjaw and made No Shopping then I made Unforgettable right after that so it was like bang bang I remember thinking like Lockjaw sold like 3 million No Shopping sold like 2 million then Unforgettable just came and then went Diamond then I was just like I only got yeah I was like I started looking around like no hold up hold up now cause now you come in the game right so So, once you know, sometimes you go through what you go through.

18:09So you grab the first million. Then now you grab the first million. Now you're on the road. Because one thing, 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 works 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 a 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 of millions.

18:46I think it gave me like a$10 million 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 shit we gotta order this yeah so I started backtracking I'm like okay this work like this this work like this this work like this so once I learned how everything worked I'm like oh shit then I started reading up on everybody that did it before CJZ 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 the deals and we had to do with the hallway stuff from ground zero so the second album is unforgettable the second album yeah the second album what's the other big songs on that album Lockjaw that's the third album yeah so it was unforgettable It was a lie with me in the weekend.

19:57That came after that. It was a lie on me in the weekend. It was a bunch of them on there. It was a bunch of them. Did you recoup from that album? No, I still didn't recoup from that album. That was the same million dollars from the first album? No, no, no. You got a million and ten million. Yeah. Ten million for that album. Yeah, I got ten million for that album. Okay. But after the ten million, you don't get any more money? No, you don't get any more money. Here's a part, though, right? because outside looking in, it's always been like, French has always been on. He's always been put together.

20:32You never look like he's going through something. So it tells me, and even you saying it, I spent my own money. I spent my own money. You must have been good with money. 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 shit that I don't need, I'm not being excessive with my spending. I'm stacking it because eventually I might need it. Yeah. Well, I think that when you go through certain situations in your life, when you actually, as the provider, ask somebody, and they look at you like you got three eyes, and you know what I'm saying?

21:06They look at you crazy, and you just realize from now. If you were hustling, you ever went through that, or if you're 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 how much of your own capital you think you've put into your career because 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 going to put my own money most people aren't in that situation how much of your own capital but you got to look at situations like even when I go through it I look at situations like how Dr.

21:56Dre was able to walk away from the whole 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 Unforgettable and this and that and And even now, I'm even looking in to try to re-record some of the records because after 10 years, you're eligible to make the music over. The Taylor Swift play. Yeah.

22:31I don't think nobody's doing it with hip-hop, so why not? Yeah. Another thing, with the recouping thing, how do you even know the numbers are real? Because they could just tell you anything, right? You have to get a forensic audit to actually look to see if the numbers are actually real. I'm looking for somebody that do great orders. If you're out there and you're watching this, this camera right here. If you're out there, reach out to me. I want to order Andescope and I want to order Epic. I want to make sure that they got my money. That's a real thing though, right? Because it's like, even if they say...

23:07I saw someone big, Sean ordered his label and got six million. I seen Chameleon there, 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 can't audit somebody after three years when the record is selling more now than it sold when I first put it out? And the IRS can do up to seven years. It don't make no sense. We see that in this space, the podcast space. I mean there's so many spaces where you don't know the numbers, they're just being told to you. You just gotta go with it. But even that is a play off 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 I mean this is how they figure they figure that's why the five album thing is a real thing because they know nobody want to hear what you got to say after five albums only a certain artist stay relevant.

24:17You know what I'm saying? So they're like, okay, this is the sweet spot. So let us do that. The re-record thing, because now I'm thinking of it, when Taylor Swift did it, it was obviously Scooter had bought the catalog, and now he had control of it. Her business move was, I'll re-record 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 it work for you? 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 does it.

24:54They just drop the best of. And I got enough hits for that. Sure. I drop a best of. And that's the shit that... When you tell somebody, okay, did you ever hear French Montana? What are 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 what we used to go to. When you go to Bartmott, listen to Bartmott. You go to the one that got all the best hits. You don't go to the albums. So Rick Ross, you kind of remind me of Rick Ross in a way because we've done a bunch of stuff with him, but he never really sold the most records.

25:24Yeah. There's always a mystery of how much, how he gets so much money. Yeah. Like I think he 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? Yeah. Some people are saying, like, it's not like the biggest musician ever. Yeah. Like, is that a fair sense? Like, where'd the money come from? Where is this? What do we want? Just work, man. Just hustling. Just hustling, man. I feel like just hustling, taking advantage and just, and like, you know, keep it real with you, I barely go out there and splurge and do crazy things.

26:07You know what I'm saying? and I would just put my money in the right places, whether it's crypto, whether it's real estate. I've been a real estate heavy, whether it's, you know, just stacking it. So it wasn't like any one behind the scene movie. It was just a bunch of just... Not like Rose when he got the big Bel Air. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nah, my shit was just straight real estate. I didn't get into real estate. I seen you got a place in Vegas on a strip in Vegas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Talk about your real estate journey. Well, the real estate journey was always, I always like will buy cribs where I want to stay at.

26:41Like let's say Calabasas or like Malibu or like Cabin. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Or like Golden Beach or stuff like that. Or just, you know, I'll just, I'll get a crib where I want to stay at and it just end up turning to Yeah. Hit the snooze button. Hard work. How you got money. All night. With your own security in the store. That's an all-nighter. Yeah. Yeah. 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. And you see, I see you with so many different people.

27:27I'm like, yo, that's his man, that's his man now, that's his man. You had the, you know, obviously the Ross and then Pop. But I'm not like Rosé though. I always be telling the Rosé. I'm like, I will 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. Top three what? Top three who made the most out of this. Oh, out of every, including, excluding nobody. Hold on, hold on. That's a different conversation now. Top three New York, period. Money. On a money chart? On a money chart. What's Jay-Z saying? That freestyle? Wrong chart champ?

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28:00Wrong chart champ. The right chart. But that's a lot. That's a big thing. That's a big statement. That's hefty. That's a big statement. All right. Well, look. You know what? You know what I like to say? Yeah. Always. This is a marathon. Give it time. Yes. Everything will always come out at the end. This ain't no competition. There's enough of everybody. We all here playing the game. We're going to see when all the cards come out at the end. Obviously, we've been doing it for 16 to 20 years. Still looking young. Still out here with the biggest records. Yeah. Independently. and we'll see how this thing roll out.

28:36I believe it because that's what I was going to get to is the amount of relationships that you're able to foster and keep. And so people always will 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? When you go through enough drama in your life, when you go through 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 just doesn't make sense because we went through times where we lost chinks we went through times when Max got 75 years we went through times when my brother penthouse P got record charges for real situations and it's 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 true yeah I feel like your jacket has been clean in this industry not always but but when you get to the real money yeah it changes because everybody come from Africa bro you go out there you go out there, you be like, man, I'm never turning down $10 if I gotta do a walkthrough.

30:05When you see the people out there, you be like, hey, bro, we got, man, we taking this for granted, you know, but honestly, we are. We are. 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 when you make it to certain places in life, it's almost like you're smacking your luck in the face and you smacking Allah in the face and the creator in the face for him putting you in that situation and you and you trying to do things that that that don't even go with the situation you in you know I'm saying so sometimes you just got to get to the back because with the back you can save everybody you speak French petit peu okay Arabic Moroccan yeah the Moroccan version yeah okay it's like French mixed in there yeah like French mixed but it's called Derizia.

30:56So it's not like, you know, I speak Arabic, but like, you speak to them, they don't understand that. I'm building a house right now. 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.

31:40You feel like that's helped you become, because you are a big international star. You feel like your international exposure, learning different, knowing different languages, living in Africa in your childhood, that's helped you become a bigger international star? I just took what didn't help me 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 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 a long time. Just been moving all around the world after, you know, I got famous.

32:23So, 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 lived in a different country looked for in music. You came to this country in 96? Yeah. So when you came to this country in 96, you didn't speak English? Nah. You listening to, it was written, what came out in 96? It was written Purple Tape. All Eyes On Me Machiavelli came out in 96 The Score came out in 96 I was heavy into All Eyes On Me So you listening to this music when you first get to America that's what you just listening to and you don't understand 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 in the Bronx but how quickly did you catch up how quickly did you catch up how long did it take you to catch up to be fully because obviously you caught up.

33:23I just hated the feeling of seeing people talk about me and I don't know what they're saying. And nobody there to explain to me because obviously we came, my family, nobody know English. So I had nobody to explain to me and my family didn't know nothing. It was just us leaving Africa looking for an opportunity. Then even at this age, sometimes I'd be watching people's documentaries and I'd be looking at Beyonce, like Drake, and I'd be looking at 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 six years old with the mic.

34:00Like you see Travis Scott playing the drum like at six years old. I'm in Africa with fucking, with cows and all type of shit at six years old. I don't even know what the fuck is going on. I'm in the middle of the country somewhere. You know, or baby goats. it really is one of the most astonishing stories the Moroccan part for sure and then coming to the Bronx not just coming coming to the mecca of hip hop at the golden era 96 that's the best year 95 next year so I'm learning and bro mind you Big Pun used to come and play me Capital Punishment play for us right there in the street you would hear stories about you know, just Slick Rick, oh shit, he got caught with a gun right there.

34:48He lived somewhere like around Gun Hill and you hear just like, you know, Karras 1 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 events and all these legends and you're like, oh shit, I'm really in. And you immediately, do you know, so is that the first introduction to hip hop is when you come here and you immediately fall in love? I'm saying, as a fan, my whole life. Oh, in Morocco. Morocco, yeah. They had... If you big enough, pause. If you big enough in the States, you're in Morocco. For like Tupac that was in...

35:30Julio, Gangsta Paradise. That's a piece of Julio. Yeah. Like certain records are there. Okay, got you, got you. Roland, Fuji's there. You were seeing visuals. You had an idea of what hip-hop culture was. Yeah. Got you. You hear it. You watch it on MTV. Boom. You're locked in. Who's a guy that, outside of Pac, and you got to, I mean, the neighborhood's pretty crazy. You're like, I could do that. I could be him. What was up? What was up back then? It was Pac. It was Big. It was Jay. It was the Fugees. honestly I didn't want to be like none of them I just like the music we talk a lot about ownership and one of the most important assets you can own is your digital real estate too many entrepreneurs rely on social media platforms they don't control your website should be the center of your business Framer helps you build a professional website without all the friction it's more than a website builder it's a complete website platform your entire team can collaborate in real time make changes instantly, and publish updates in minutes instead of days.

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39:10What 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 it was like, if you get locked up again, you're going to get deported. And I was just like, let me look into something that's not going to get me in jail because my mother just came here from Africa and she's because my pops left. my pops came for like two three years and he was like hold on i don't like it this shit is not working for me i live like a king in africa with this little change i got i'm over here i'm not even being respected you know 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 to the bronc you're on the projects you're on welfare you're on weed checks you and watch the shit 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 that 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 cause 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 Khadija 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 got like a job or two she was like in like a chicken spot so I walked in on her one day she was praying making slides she was crying and I was like oh shit 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 you kind of locked up without being locked up you can't go to school cause you don't got no scholarships you can't that's why that for any immigrant that make it, I got so much respect for them because people think just because you're here in America that you have the same opportunities that everybody got.

41:05You actually don't. You have no opportunities. You're kind of like still in your country, but you're just here. You know what I'm saying? Hopefully you meet somebody that'll help you elevate. Like isolated. Yeah. So that's what happened to me. So when I was isolated, 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 they 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 a in the headphones I came back to my block I let everybody hear it if 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 it.

41:53This happened when I was like 20 already. And then the DVD part of it, where does that come into play? You can't. How you gonna make it? So it was to promote you. You know how many people rap in the Bronx? So you started it to promote you as an artist. Because you wasn't, you know, you wasn't. You know how many people rap in the Bronx, bro? It's like how many people play basketball. Yeah. Probably about the same. No, more. More, more. Because everybody can't play basketball. Everybody can. Everybody can rap. or attempt to rap. Everybody can attempt to rap. Especially in the Bronx. Especially in New York.

42:27Both born in the Bronx. I taught in the Bronx. I lived in the Bronx. So we know the story. But even remember, back then in the Bronx, you just didn't have the rap. You had to go and battle everybody. That was that era. That's different. Era where it's just like, Smack DVD era. Yeah, now it's like, okay, you rap, just make a song, put it up in there. No, back then, they need to come see you. you gotta go round for round like then you'll 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 you lost five million dollars on crypto yeah what what happened with that that was that was ftx yeah ftx explain that stories.

43:15So I have my money in FTX and I was interested in this and that and certain people that was paying me. I was paying me in crypto and I didn't want to put it in the bank so I kept it in crypto and I had it in FTX. One morning I woke up and there was like yo nobody can log in. No it's not a compliment.

43:47You talking about tears? Yo, Sam Bankman, we looking for you, bro. Tears from heaven?

43:59Eric Clapton in the flesh. 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 there's the camera. I'm telling him. 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 shit 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 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 and see if you could get some money back legally.

44:42Yeah, they did all that. They had a class action. So there was. Were you able to recoup any of it? Because I think some people got. Huh? Damn. All right. What did you learn from that experience? Because that's painful. What did you learn from that going forward?

45:04Actually, 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 like like you know me It's just like you just got you just got put your money in things. That's more sturdier than that That does it make you Because yeah, he is young, but I could understand why people did it right like it feels legit I mean Miami was about to name the arena after his company. Yeah, right so look at look at the um No, you made off look at what's about to happen with um, Elon Musk is it was like it's like the same thing with the um SpaceX stock.

45:41That's how FTX was. You go to F1, you see it on F1. Yeah, it was all over. The name recognition, yeah. He's going to be a little different. I wonder how does it make you feel about... But it was a trend like that. Yes, it was marketed and promoted the same way. It was a trend. Put your money here, it was quite... We talk a lot about ownership, and one of the most important assets you can own is your digital real estate. Too many entrepreneurs rely on social media platforms they don't control. Your website should be the center of your business. Framer helps you build a professional website without all the friction.

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47:02That's Framer.com slash earn for 30 % off. Framer.com slash earn. Rules and restrictions may apply. Ask yourself, what are your best people spending their time on right now? Expense reports, receipt chasing, month-end close that takes weeks. You become what you spend on, and that's not what you're building toward. Brex is the intelligent finance platform that eliminates that work before it starts. AI agents that handle the manual stuff automatically, so your team can spend their time on what actually compounds. It's time to get Brex AF. Learn more at brex.com slash AF. Wait, this is a soda? Yeah.

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48:58Upfront payment of$45 for three-month plan equivalent to$15 per month required. Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Default terms at mintmobile.com. He's purple. Flip. Crypto is a different space. This is a publicly traded company. He turned a trillionaire today. Man, tell the people that was putting their money in it. Do you know how much money it was in FTX? Yeah, no, it was up to$32 billion. You know what I'm saying? He's trying to get a party. You seen that? Yeah, yeah, yeah. He's trying to get a party. Does it make you speculative about investing outside of crypto, but in the publicly traded market, like the stock market, things like that, based on your experience?

49:41it's just a risk you take you know what I'm saying it's just a risk you take I mean I don't mind doing it but I just feel like the more I try to cut corners the more I'll be realizing that if I just kept doing what I was doing I'd be further than that slow and steady I think I'm into the slow and steady part of my life now because I don't need it that's the lesson learned yeah definitely definitely 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 jarul yesterday he felt like he was over he's overlooked you feel like you're overlooked not just from a rap standpoint but from a business standpoint from a brand building standpoint from a mogul standpoint, you feel like people overlook you?

50:37Honestly, I'm a firm believer that nobody get their flowers until you're not here. Nobody. Nobody get their flowers. There's nobody. Look at what they do in the Jay-Z. Look at what they did to Dre. Look, Michael Jackson just had the biggest biopic, right? The biggest biopic. A billion dollars. What'd they do? They put a whole movie about him and the kids on Netflix. Netflix not. A dead man can't even get no piece. You know what I'm saying? Everybody, bro. Everybody. Name one. Name one that's getting their flowers. Hip-hop? And if you name one person getting their flowers, I'll name a thousand.

51:19That's not. That's fair. 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? Fact. That's a fact. And all he did was peaceful music. You know what I'm saying? So, at the end of the day, I don't fight for that. I fight on building my, my, my wealth, being well respected, not out here doing no goofy shit, not out here on no stands, not out here doing none of that living the life and I, and guiding the kids the right way. You know what I'm saying?

51:59Making sure my brothers are good. Making sure I'm wealthy again.

52:07First 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. The day after, you're going to be number 30. The day after, you're going to be number 100. You're going to bounce back to number one. but if your bank account doesn't match your transition 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 your first week sales exactly that's all they care about exactly they don't even care about the album these dudes are listening analyze first week sales more than they analyze the album that's what I'm trying to tell you when it's all when it's all farms and they made nothing off of their opinion but it's like can you what's the first week sales for Illmatic what's the first week sales Illmatic's not it's not even a platinum album but exactly what I'm trying to say is that if it's an art it turned from being an art to studying analytics.

53:28Nobody cares about the quality of the music. Nobody cares about the storytelling. They care about... 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. Nobody care about the first week sales. Yeah. You know, certain people, they gotta have, certain people that the labels put all their money on, they gotta have tricks for them. I love about 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 keep making hits not really low you got the whole Moroccan flag on his chest 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 them When I was first coming out, you would see me on Smack DVD.

54:27I would go in my pocket. I'd pull out$100 ,000. I'd throw it on the floor. Every video, you'd see me owe money. Even if I haven't touched cash in so long. But when you're around certain people, bro. We got to just let that breathe for a sec. I haven't touched cash in so long. It's crazy. Let me tell you something. 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 going to just throw this shit against the wall. I'm about to go somewhere and just burn this shit and just say a prayer.

55:00You can't tell, bro. You can't tell. 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 sheiks of the sheiks of the world. You know what I'm saying? Some people that control the world, like really control the world. You know what I'm saying? I know artists sitting there telling me I went double platinum. For conversation. like they can have you come and just you know what I'm saying sing for them in an empty pool you know what I'm saying with their kids but look I was able I had the privilege to be around some shit so that's why I started like okay this is the way to move this is the way to move and when you start reading I start reading the Quran and it's just like you know the creator when you humble yourself he gives you more so it's 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 you get you deserve.

55:58The people who control the world. You deserve to be broke. Before we leave, talk about Africa. As far as are you investing in the continent? What's your thoughts? Obviously, you played a major part in the whole Afro beats movement, but from a global standpoint, a lot of attention is on the continent of Africa right now. The youngest continent, I think they're going to 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 like the minerals and resources and all that stuff. What's your outlook on the future of Africa? I mean, we did a lot in Africa.

56:34Shout out to Mama Hope. Shout out to Global Citizens. Shout out to Pencils of Promise. Raised hundreds of millions over there. Opened up a hospital over there. Opened up schools in Morocco. like we 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 on the internet a lot of things we don't you know but yeah for sure always always Africa is but as far as making money there is one thing I learned you're gonna get scammed

57:09look look you thought something positive was gonna come out I definitely thought it was going a different way no Continue, though. It's just a thing of who can out-scam the out-scammers with. That's one thing that you're never going to get over. Look, I'm sorry. I was born there. I love everybody. I'd be like, yo, we're not scammers. No, it's not you. If you're not a scammer, it's not you. But there is some real scammer there that you don't even see it coming. I'm telling you. I'm telling you. and I love it and 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 how's the reception when you're in Morocco I feel like the face of the country is like I think you and Hakimi and then oh shout out to Hakimi man after that it's like when you're there on the ground what's the reception when you're um man Morocco is just so culturally like rich it's just they just satisfy what they got and they just like it's so spiritual over there and um when I get there is just I go see the fam and I chill out you know and I just be chilling I'll be um catching up with everybody because remember when I came here when I was 13 my whole family was left over there mm-hmm so it's kind of like just like snatched away from like the tree so when I came here like I was forced just to grow up so when I go back I see them, it's kind of be like, you know, like sad.

58:45I ain't see them in so long, but I'm catching up. And it's just like, so it'd be, yeah, it'd be a whole lot of that. Well, French, my brother, it's a pleasure, man. Thank you. Any last words you want to plug anything? Just, yeah, tell other people what's going on. Got the hottest thing go out, man. Go listen to it. Ever since you left me, I went deaf with the Knicks. All right, y 'all. Thanks for your time. See you next week. Peace. Ernest, what's up? Look, building wealth isn't just about making money. It's about knowing where your money is working for you. That's why we partner with Empower.

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From the publisher

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 Label Advance Trap
00:23 Going Fully Independent
01:17 Welcome French Montana
01:48 New York Energy Surge
03:17 Indie vs Major Lessons
05:03 How Advances Really Work
06:36 100 Zero Strategy
08:51 Never Taking Deals Again
10:37 Recouping Horror Stories
11:27 Realizing The Short End
12:51 Stacking Then Auditing
14:50 Money Discipline Mindset
16:46 Audits And Re Recording
19:27 Where The Money Comes From
22:49 Relationships And Trauma
24:01 Gratitude And The Bag
24:56 Languages And Darija
25:37 International Roots To Stardom
26:53 Learning English Through Rap
28:28 Bronx Hip Hop Immersion
30:29 From Hustling To Rap Breakthrough
33:14 Smack DVD Battle Era
34:23 Losing Millions On FTX
37:40 Slow And Steady Investing
38:20 Flowers Money And Legacy
42:29 Wealth Mindset And Humility
44:12 Giving Back To Africa
46:08 Morocco Homecoming And Farewell

French Montana sits down with Earn Your Leisure for one of his most revealing conversations yet. He shares the untold story of coming to America without speaking English, how avoiding deportation pushed him into rap, and the journey from the Bronx to becoming one of hip-hop’s biggest global stars.

He breaks down the realities of the music business, explaining why he went independent, why he’ll never sign another record deal, how record deals are structured, why many artists aren’t truly independent, and his plan to re-record his biggest hits to regain ownership. He also shares why even successful artists can’t always count on recouping from music sales.

Beyond music, French opens up about building wealth through investing, losing $5 million in the FTX collapse, the lessons he learned from spending time with sheikhs, and why he believes Africa has a massive future. This is a masterclass on ownership, business, legacy, and long-term thinking.

#EarnYourLeisure #FrenchMontana #HipHop #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist #Ownership #Investing #Entrepreneurship #Wealth #Africa #FTX #Podcast #FinancialFreedom


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