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French Montana’s rise began with Karim Kharbouch’s move from Rabat, Morocco, to the Bronx—and with a platform he helped build himself. Before major-label albums and the global success of “Unforgettable,” he co-created Cocaine City, a DVD series that documented hip-hop culture and helped put his own music in front of an audience.
From Rabat to the Bronx
Karim Kharbouch was born in Rabat, Morocco, on November 9, 1984. His parents moved the family to the Bronx in 1996, according to Universal Music France’s biography. Rolling Stone Canada describes him arriving in New York as a teenager before he spoke much English. The Bronx became the setting in which he pursued hip-hop and began creating ways to make his work visible.
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How Cocaine City helped him build an audience
In 2002, Kharbouch and Cokeboy Los began Cocaine City, a DVD series combining his tracks with appearances by established artists. Universal Music France says the project released 14 volumes between 2002 and 2010. Rolling Stone Canada frames the DVDs as a record of the scene around him before his mixtapes and songs carried him closer to its center.
The series mattered as more than a release format: it gave Kharbouch a role in documenting and circulating the culture he wanted to join. Rather than wait for a record label to introduce him, he helped create a platform that connected his music with a wider hip-hop audience.
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Mixtapes, Max B and the move toward labels
Mixtapes and collaborations broadened that foundation. Rolling Stone Canada traces an important part of Montana’s story to his relationship with Max B, including their first Coke Wave mixtape in 2009. Their collaboration became a lasting thread in Montana’s career.
Universal Music France says Montana attracted interest from Akon’s label before signing with labels associated with Puff Daddy and Rick Ross in 2011 and 2012. This was a transition from self-made distribution toward the larger reach of label-backed releases, not a sudden break from the networks and work that had brought him attention.
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From Pop That to major-label albums
Universal Music France dates “Pop That,” featuring Drake, Lil Wayne and Rick Ross, to June 2012 and reports that it reached No. 34 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Montana’s major-label debut album, Excuse My French, followed in May 2013.
Rolling Stone Canada reports that Excuse My French reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200. His next major marker was Jungle Rules, which the publication says reached No. 3 on the same chart. Those album results show his movement from mixtape and DVD visibility into sustained mainstream releases.
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Why Unforgettable became a breakthrough
“Unforgettable,” featuring Swae Lee, took Montana’s reach to another level. Rolling Stone Canada calls it his first top-10 Billboard Hot 100 hit as a lead artist and reports that it earned Diamond certification in the United States. TIME reported in 2017 that the song spent 21 weeks on the Hot 100 and peaked at No. 3.
The music video, filmed in Uganda, gave the hit a visual identity beyond the U.S. rap scene. Montana found the Triplets Ghetto Kids online, and they appeared in the video. TIME reported that he brought the group on a U.S. press tour and committed to funding their education. The same 2017 account described partnerships with Global Citizen and the Mama Hope Foundation; it does not establish the current status or completion of those efforts.
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Morocco, the Bronx and an evolving career
Montana’s public story continues to hold together places that might otherwise seem far apart: Morocco, where he was born; the Bronx, where his family settled and he began building a career; and Uganda, the setting for the “Unforgettable” video. His path also reflects a change in scale—from documenting a local scene on Cocaine City DVDs to records reaching international audiences.
In a profile published September 10, 2026, Rolling Stone Canada described Montana working with Max B again and pursuing an independent run. The profile also reported that “Unforgettable” had reached double-Diamond certification in Canada. These are developments as reported at that date, rather than a guarantee of what remains current.
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That profile captures how Montana describes his present-day approach to music: “Honestly, when I get in the studio now, I listen to records and I say, ‘Can I listen to this for the rest of my life?’”
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Sources
- Universal Music France biography of French Montana
- Rolling Stone Canada profile of French Montana
- TIME’s 2017 report on “Unforgettable” and the Triplets Ghetto Kids
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