French Montana Speaks On Lil Tjay & More On SiriusXM’s “Sway In The Morning”

French Montana talks Lil Tjay, new album, and much more on SiriusXM’s “Sway In The Morning”.

French Montana sat down with SiriusXM’s Sway Calloway yesterday (6.22.2022) to discuss his new album ‘Montega’ on SiriusXM’s “Sway In The Morning”.

During the conversation, French Montana spoke about his new album, the recent Lil Tjay shooting, his sobriety, discussed the lyrics in his new song “Blue Chills” referencing Drake and Diddy, and much more.

Sway Calloway hosts SiriusXM’s “Sway In The Morning” on Shade 45 weekdays at 8:00 am ET.

French Montana on how his song “Unforgettable” has made the biggest impact on his career (min 2:45)

Sway Calloway: Was “Unforgettable” the song that made the biggest impact on your career?

French Montana: Well that song just went diamond the other day. I mean you know, I’m probably, I think I am the first African-born artist to go diamond in the States and probably the first artist to go diamond at the mecca of hip-hop as a male artist from the Bronx.

Sway Calloway: Damn, wow! So, when we have to…

French Montana: So, sort of to answer your question, yes.

Sway Calloway: That’s what you’re telling us okay so proceeds of that help go to Uganda.

French Montana: Yes, it’s a hospital. I mean that song changed a lot of lives. That’s why I would consider it my biggest song because it’s just you know we went from you know making health care in certain parts of Uganda as a right not a privilege. You know we went from taking kids from Uganda, giving them visas to come here from performing locally to performing in front of almost 300 million people. I mean we changed lives with that song. Yeah it changed my life.

Sway Calloway: It changed your life. How so?

French Montana: It just changed my life because through helping you heal yourself. I feel like helping people, sometimes God will help you even more.

French Montana on sobriety (min 4:20)

French Montana: Yes. I did a courtesy to Mac Miller. Nowadays, record labels are getting life insurance on artists. It’s the scary times that we live in. You gotta be mindful of that and take care of your health. They’re invested in your death now more than your career.

Sway Calloway: What’s been the easiest part about being sober?

French Montana: Just enjoying every high of the moment and really feeling the rush when you win and really feeling the rush when you lose. Really feeling the real experience of life how it was meant for us to feel it. I’m still high and drunk from when I stopped.

French Montana on Lil Tjay shooting (min 10:20)

French Montana: Nowadays, they’re making the artist the drug dealer and the killer and everything. It’s sad and it’s sad for hip-hop. In order for us to make a change, we have to embrace people like Eric [Adams] and people in the higher positions that can help see the vision and help these kids because we don’t have no help out here. From Pop Smoke to Lil Tjay, look what happened this morning. It’s sad. Yeah. Sad. You know what I’m saying? Yeah. It’s sad. We don’t got as many artists as it is. Probably like five artists in New York right now.

Heather B: Did you know him before he was the mayor, before he became the mayor? Did you know Eric Adams?

French Montana: I knew of him. Yeah. But but I didn’t know him until uh, at Jennifer Lopez. We got the lead song for Jennifer Lopez’s documentary, so he came to the party with J. Lo and I met him there and there was nothing but love.

Sway Calloway: Bronx stand up. Lil Tjay, were you cool with him? You guys were real, right?

French Montana: Yeah. Yeah. I was, yeah. I was trying to sign Lil Tjay when he first came out. So, we got dope, dope relationship with him. Yeah. I mean Tjay, you know, he he’s little bro. So, so when I heard that this morning just, you know, it went right back to, we need help as artists.

French Montana on new album ‘Montega’ (min 15:07)

French Montana: Me and Harry Fraud are dropping a tape tomorrow. This is why I’m up here with Sway to let the world know French Montana and Harry Fraud is back to the OG Coke Boy sound for this mixtape. This is the first album me and Harry Fraud ever made together as a full-length album. He was always part of my success with “Shot Caller”, “I’m A Coke Boy”, “Playing In The Wind”, all that. Everything that the people love was me and Harry Fraud, but we only did a couple songs here and there. This time, we’re doing a full-length album and it drops on June 24th, which is another day.

Sway Calloway: Who’s featured on it?

French Montana: Ross, we got Rick Ross, EST Gee, BabyFace Ray, we got Jadakiss on there, we got Benny the Butcher on there, we got Chinx on there.

French Montana on meaning behind “Blue Chills” lyrics and helping mend Drake and Diddy’s relationship (min 18:40)

Sway Calloway: Let’s talk about the title “Blue Chills”

French Montana: “Blue Chills” man, it’s the blues. It’s like you know the wave sound. It’s the best way to explain it. You’ll get goosebumps.

Sway Calloway: Okay. Don’t play it yet. Tone. I’m gonna go over these lyrics. I can’t do ’em like French. French, you really developed your own style over these years. I notice your timing. Yeah. Like you got a distinguished, I know a French Montana verse in record whenever I hear it. This first verse goes, “wave boys back at it. Gotta flood the streets. Had the pass Drake and Puff back after the little beef.” Mm

French Montana: Yeah. I mean, you know, Drake and Puff did both my best friends and they was going through a little something and I remember having a birthday and inviting both of them. You know what I’m saying. And they came together and it was, you know, it was, it was good times, you know? I don’t like, I don’t like when I know two people and they beefing.

Sway Calloway: Don’t feel good. Right? They feel awkward, especially, two people as important as them was that the catalyst to them kind of bridging whatever gaps.

French Montana: Yeah, It happened at my birthday party. I remember Iggy Azalea threw a birthday party for me on the boat. We went over there and Drake was there. I, I don’t think he knew Puff was coming. Then Puff came. Then they just spent the whole night talking that night.

French Montana On ‘Montega’ Album With Harry Fraud, 3-Years Sober, Work In Uganda, Drake, & Diddy