French Montana----Excuse My French

French Montana-Excuse My French-Coke Boys/Bad Boy-(2013)

Artist: French Montana

Album: Excuse My French

Label: Coke Boys/Bad Boy

Producers: Jahlil Beats, Young Chop, The Beat Bully, Cardiak, Rico Love, others

Emcees build momentum in their music through the streets from promotions and mixtapes. Just ask Meek Mill who had the Philly streets buzzing and eventually went through mainstream especially the signing to Maybach Music. Hip hop nowadays are saturated with southern artists, fans forget it originated in the Boogie Down Bronx. This is where the Bronx introduces the world to a new breed of emcees telling the world that New York is not dead with hip hop music. That introduction brings the Moroccan born/Bronx bred artist French Montana who has took the streets with mixtape after mixtape. With the impressive Mac and Cheese series, it’s time for him to unleash the first studio album. Usually, studio albums do not maintain the strong hype as their mixtapes. Can French’s new opus “Excuse My French” hold its weight like his mixtape series?

             French has awesome delivery and rhyme flow that makes him stand out. It starts off pretty strong especially production wise. Tracks like “Once in a While” and “Trap House” are examples of music chemistry working in his favor. An improved Max B comes off swinging tag teaming with French on this street banger that adds flair and suspense; a strong observant narrative reminiscing of Snoop’s classic track Murder was the Case. Rick Ross and Birdman are not the most lyrical bosses/rappers but their assistance fits on “Trap House”. French made it clear about the rap game that the hardest thing to do is sign yourself.

            One thing French Montana also knows to do is music structure and it shows on the track “Ain’t Worried About Nothin”. He shuts down the critics with his first solo track which he demonstrates compatibility with the production handled by Rico Love, Earl and E. The kicks and snares will have any emcee hop on this track; it’s a sure freestyle beat. However, there are a few gaping dwindling holes that throw the consistency off a tad. The Young Chop futuristic production on “Paranoid” sounds off balance with the annoying auto-tune sound. The remake of Lil Vicious and Doug E. Fresh “Freaks” is a club banger in the tag team rendition of the track featuring Nicki Minaj that barely fits as a party track but realistically falls flat. “Pop That” bring the intensity of the project. Both party records showed diversity on the album but “Pop That” actually have party goers jumping and “Gifted” featuring the Weeknd, just doesn’t do that much justice; an okay album filler. A mismatch in heaven occurred on “Fuck What Happens Tonight” with an unbearable piano sample provided by the Beat Bully and the only verse worth listening to was Scarface and “We Go Where Ever We Want” featuring Raekwon and Ne-Yo is a rendition of the Wu’s classic “Ice Cream” suited well lyrically but can’t match up to the classic.

            Overall, this album is interesting making the listener curious. This album would have been a gem if he had more Harry Fraud beats and guest appearances from his Coke Boy affiliates. Production wise, this album can be inconsistent at times; some worth listening to while a few heavily sampled beats that are a little irritable. The guest appearances are shaky depending on the track and mostly the French solo joints are the best tracks. One thing with French is he has elevated into writing songs which you don’t have to spit a sixteen about redundancy. The bonus tracks on the selected edition give the extra ummph to the album especially the posse cut “Ocho Cinco” featuring Machine Gun Kelly, Diddy, Red Café and Los. Does this album pass the hype test? It’s 50/50, the mixtapes are fire but this studio album is just on the same lane, nothing less, nothing more!

            Strong Tracks: “Trap House”, “Once in a While”, “Paranoid”, “I Told Em”

            Average Tracks: “Pop That”, “Freaks”, “Gifted”, “We Go Where Ever We Want”

            Weak Tracks:  “Fuck What Happens Tonight”

            Rating: out of