Morocco is a different place. A different country. On a different continent. So for the man born Karim Kharbouch, who spent the first 12 years of his life in the Moroccan capital of Rabat, it is understandable why he is a uniquely different presence – and thus, a different artist - than any in Hip Hop: This, due in large part to his nation of origin, but also equally attributable to a street ethos block-bred in the Bronx and cosigned by now incarcerated brother-in-arms Max B. The mildly lisp-spoken kid with the intoned delivery and megawatt millionaire smile was undoubtedly re-birthed as a teen by that New York City borough to hustle for bread. He has since matured, grown; evolving into the boss you see today: head of the Cocaine City Records label he founded prior to landing a joint venture with two industry goliaths in Bad Boy Records (Diddy!) and Maybach Music Group (Rozay!). Up next? His Coke Boys deal.

FRENCH MONTANA’s mystique is about money, and rap, and every materialistic indulgence rappin’ ‘bout money affords. He is also about building with people. His frequent collaborations with all artists of note are in his arsenal, from Drake to Miley Cyrus, Rick Ross to Lana Del Ray, Big Sean to Nicki Minaj, almost all of which he affectionately and loyally refers to as “family”. Montana is, if nothing else, raps best networker.

But what was once misunderstood as mystery - that the forever Versace shade masked-man was simply a mixtape-only subway emcee predictably prone to crack rap do-overs – was mostly a misnomer and truly no mystery at all. Once swirled in beefs with the likes of Jim Jones, 50 Cent and – of all people – Uncle Luke, the now trimmed-down rapper is reportedly beef free. He arrived at his Pure DOPE cover shoot at the famed Jungle City Studios in the Chelsea district on Manhattan’s West Side ready to select kicks, try on fits, take a few pics, and kick it with one of our favorite chicks in fellow rotten apple native Brittany Smooch for this exclusive cover story.

Written by Tone Swep Intervew by Brittany Smooch

Read an Excerpt from the Full Length Interview

(Brittany Smooch: Brittany) So French Montana you were born in Morocco and moved to the Bronx, when did you first realize you wanted to be in the entertainment industry?

(French Montana: FM) I always loved music. I felt like I wanted to do something I loved as my career. I’m never really going to take it as a job. I’m always going to enjoy doing it.

(Brittany) So the south was taking over the game for a while. Do you think that now with you, A$AP Rocky, Teyana Taylor, Vado, Nyemiah Supreme, and Joey Bada$$, New York is coming back?

(FM) I feel like every coast gets there time. I feel like at one point the West Coast had it, one time Houston had it, then Atlanta. So I feel like it just shifts all around but right now it’s definitely coming back around to New York and the whole east coast.

(Brittany) So how often to do you get a chance to return to your native Africa, and visit Rabat?

(FM) Actually, I hadn’t been there in like 15 years ‘till last year. I went there for like four days. I’m supposed to go next week. Hopefully that should be a good trip.

(Brittany) I have always wanted to go to Africa. My friend just went to Morocco and they said its one of the most beautiful places they have ever seen before. What was it like growing up there?

(FM) I loved it, I mean I was twelve-years-old when I left so I don’t really remember too much but you know I loved it for the most part. It is definitely beautiful, the whole region is.

(Brittany) So you came into the game with the “Cocaine City” DVD series, which was very successful and made good money. Are there any plans to return to producing films or television?

(FM) Definitely. I love film. Film is one of my next things I wanna do. That’s next on my list. Movies and everything like that. Film is one of my next motivations and things to do. I mean, I always feel like somebody could watch you on TV one time and recognize you forever. Somebody could hear you on a thousand songs, a million songs, and walk right by you on the street. Somebody could see you one time on TV and they gon’ remember you. I’ve always felt like film was important for my career.

(Brittany) What was it like growing up as a teenager in the Bronx?

(FM) I loved it. I feel like we had a variety of people living there. Spanish, Dominican, African, Italian. We had Lil’ Italy. You got the Chinese. I Love the Bronx, I feel like the Bronx played a big part in my career too. Who I am, and how I am, has a lot to do with the Bronx mentality.

(Brittany) It’s hard to trust people too. I mean, I don’t know about you Montana, but i don’t trust anybody.

(FM) You not supposed to trust nobody at all except for your blood, and sometimes you can’t even trust them. I just feel like there are certain things you learn in the streets that you will never learn in college. That you’ll never learn in school period. I feel like it teaches you how to be wise and how to move. You know how not to make the same mistakes again. I feel like if you never took a loss or never made a mistake you’ll never know how to live comfortably.

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