Bad Boy Prez Explains French Montana's Lack Of Solo Tracks

Bad Boy Records president Harve Pierre recently talked about the label's seemingly overnight success story in French Montana and why the New York rapper is rarely on tracks by himself.Despite the assumption French uses collabos to build up his image, Pierre said it's actually the artists that are interested in working with the Coke Boy. 

Bad Boy president Harve Pierre offers an explanation for why there hasn't been more solo Montana material. "It's really not about him needing other people on his records. It's about other people wanting to be a part of what he's doing," he says. "They see the work that he's put in over the past 10 years and they relate to it. They know that he's real." (Billboard)

Back in March, Montana pointed out MTV left him off its annual "Hottest MCs" list due to his frequency in collaborations.

"If they do something like that, then they need to have their facts right. They'll sit there and be like, 'Pop That' was number two. You know 'Pop That' was number one. 'Oh French Montana has nothing but features on his songs but Meek Mill doesn't.' All right, cool, name my songs. 'Shot Callers' was me by myself, 'Everything's A Go' is by myself. Meek is my n*gga, so, if you saying I got features, Meek's 'I'ma Boss' has Ross on it, 'Amen' had Drake on it, 'Burn' had Big Sean on it. People don't drop singles dolo no more, for what? 'House Party' had Young Chris on it. They don't have their facts right and they're talking. It's their favorite rapper. Talk facts. A lot of people didn't have a better year than me last year. I was on d*mn near every song." (Sirius Satellite)

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)

Based on one-day estimates, the rapper's new Excuse My French is projected to sell up to 50,000 copies in its opening week.

YOUR ONE-DAYS: Put on your helmets, people; it's time to check out this week's key debuts: Daft Punk (Columbia) 300-325k The National (4AD) 70-75k Thirty Seconds To Mars (Virgin) 60-65k Darius Rucker (Capitol Nashville) 60-65k French Montana (Bad Boy/Interscope) 45-50k Oh, and the UMPG staff would like to remind you not to light your fatty with your helmet on, unless you want to get, like, wicked baked. (5/22p) (HITS Daily Double)