French Montana, known as Karim Karbouch, is a well-regarded Morrocan-American rapper. Born in Morrocco, France, Montana, he went to the United States of America as a 13-year-old and spent the rest of his teenage and young adult life in the South Bronx of New York. According to French Montana, music has always been a big part of his life, and moving to the South Bronx inspired his passion for Hip Hop and Rap. His song “Hard Life” describes the hardships he has endured despite the success he has achieved. As an immigrant from an African country who moved to the South Bronx, French Montana, has not had the easiest life.  

In the early 2000s, French Montana’s career started to take off. Before signing a record deal with Puff Daddy’s Bad Boy Records and Rick Ross’s Maybach Music Group in 2012, French Montana was putting out his name and art by releasing underground songs that gained much traction. His solo debut album “Excuse My French” was released in 2013 and featured one of his most famous and favored songs, “Pop That,” with Rap Mogules Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne. Since then, French Montana has released several other famous singles, including “Unforgettable” and “Famous,” and has been featured in other very well-known rap songs, such as “All the Way Up” and “Writing on the Wall.” With these songs, French Montana was able to reach an American audience, and his slight mentions of being an Arab American is noticed by Arab listeners. However, it was not until 2019 that French Montana had been featured on an Arabic song remix of “Ya Nour el3ein,” with well-respected artists Massari and Maya Diab. This song started the conversation of French Montana’s impact on the Diaspora, and the diaspora simply want to hear more.

What makes French Montana different from many other rappers in the game is the inclusion of his Moroccan-North African culture. His culture and stories manifest in a lot of his songs. In 2022, he released the song “Morocco” for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, and since the team performed well in the competition, his song circulated for weeks, grabbing the attention of all audiences, not just rap and hip-hop listeners. Additionally, he often wears a necklace that says “Allah,” which means God, in Arabic, in several of his music videos, including “Hard Life,” and in public outings. Between including Arabic and French in his songs, making rap songs for his Morocco and their diaspora, and physically wearing something vital to him and his country, Islam, French Montana is an artist doing a lot for the North African diaspora. The diaspora can look to his songs to listen to Rap music while keeping in touch with their origins.