Image via Complex Original
Nas once reasoned, "Somehow the rap game remind me of the crack game" and he might have been on to something. Since so many rappers claims to have sold drugs, there must be a few lessons they've learned while out in the streets. One rapper who knows a thing or two about those streets is self-proclaimed Coke Boy French Montana. Don't believe us? Try asking about that bullet wound in his head.
After years of grinding, French Montana finally broke out this year and scored a Top 40 hit with his Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, and Drake assisted single, "Pop That." The NYC rapper is prepping his debut album, Excuse My French, tentatively set to be released in December, but he still found time to stop by the Complex offices and reflect on the knowledge he gained from the drug game and how it applies to his life now in the music business.
As told to Insanul Ahmed (@Incilin)
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Never Act Bigger Than The Boss
French Montana: “Never get bigger than the boss. That’s in the 48 Laws of Power. If you do, they will try to crush you. I have a couple bosses. Everybody had a boss, even John Gotti, he was an underboss. You gotta learn from people so you won’t make the same mistakes. And you have to still respect [them]. Your ego can’t get that big that you feel like you’re bigger than somebody who has been in the game for 30 years. And you have to play your part. Then when it’s your time to shine everybody is going to show you that respect you deserve.”
Save Your Money
French Montana: “Every time you make some kind of money put some aside for lawyers fees. Definitely save some for a rainy day.”
Avoid Beef
French Montana: “You can’t beef with people because it [will] scare money away. In the streets you can strongarm people and take money but you can’t do that in the industry. That’s why I stay away from beef. I used to be enemies with everybody, now I’m just cool with everybody. You have to learn to get more money like that.”
Have Patience
French Montana: “To make that transition from the streets to the music business you have to learn that the streets is not like the music business. In the streets, you can come up overnight. In the music business, that’s not going happen. So it takes patience.”
Don’t Call Yourself A Coke Boy and Still Sell Coke
French Montana: “[Laughs.]”
Have The Best Product
French Montana: “Having good work is like having good music. Everything comes back down to the music. And if you selling in the streets everything comes back down to your product.”
Don’t Do Anything Out of Desperation
French Montana: “That’s something I learned from Max B’s situation.”
Put Your People In Position To Win
French Montana: “You get in the game so you can put your people in position, so they can be your crutch. When you in the game people can’t wait for you to fall so they can shit on you. So always keep that in the back of your head. You put your people on, people can hold you up. A perfect example is how Baby put Wayne up.”
Invest Your Money
French Montana: “I didn’t invest nothing in nothing yet, [but I want to] buy real estate and stuff like that. My hustle is going good. I got multiple hustles but every hustle I got doesn’t necessarily need for me to put money into it. Like this Pelle Pelle leather jacket I got on, I get paid to put it on. That don’t have nothing to do with rapping. It’s an endorsement, you know? I just feel like rich people don’t spend money, they make money.”
Be Careful With Your Decisions
French Montana: “I believe that if you try to do something that you don’t know much about, you might lose your money. So I would have to guarantee the hustle [that I do next] would be as fast as what I’m doing now.”