S. Samuel
Bad Boy Records rapper French Montana recently considered the importance of needing a rap crew to shine in an ever-changing music industry and said no matter what cash rules everything around him.
In French’s perspective, no artist should solely rely on their association to a particular entourage or develop a dependency with them in hopes of succeeding.
“Is it important to have a crew behind me?” Montana asks, summarizing a question about his diplomatic proclivities. He chews on the thought for a moment before answering. “No, it’s important to have me behind them. That’s how I look at it. You can’t just roll with a situation like you’re depending on somebody to help you. You’re supposed to help the situation, whatever the situation is that you’re in.” (Billboard)
Montana also detailed the importance of making sure there are monetary benefits to anything he does.
“Money is the most important thing because there might be a time when you have no label behind you and you have to carry yourself,” he says. “Money is the only thing that can shield you.” (Billboard)
Last year, G-Unit’s 50 Cent spoke on the advantages and disadvantages to having a rap crew.
“There’s positives and negatives to keeping artists real close to you,” Fif added. “You got artists that become complacent because they’re on the stage in front of 60,000 people, they ain’t writing like they need to get out of the hood. They writing like, ‘Okay, tomorrow I’m going to do something. I got four bars, that might even work.’ [laughs] You gotta write like you really want it. … The positive parts is when they’re hungry or competing, trying to get to that point, they’re striving.” (V.I.P. Saturdays)
Earlier this year, Brand Nubian’s Lord Jamar noted how Montana’s association with artists like Rick Ross helped him stay in the mainstream spotlight.
“There’s a combination of things that go into it,” Jamar told SOHH when asked for his take on artists like A$AP Rocky and French Montana receiving more shine than local rappers like Fred the Godson. “It’s their sound combined with who they’re rubbing elbows with. Yeah. I think it’s those two main factors right there. French Montana rocks with Puffy and A$AP Rocky was cool with Drake and all this other type of stuff. I don’t know. You know what I mean? They get on records with those kinds of dudes. French Montana was with Rick Ross all the time so they’re rubbing elbows with those right people.” (SOHH)
