French Montana Bio
Karim Kharbouch, known professionally as French Montana, is a Moroccan-born American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Casablanca on 9 November 1984, he immigrated to New York City at age 13 and began his career as a battle rapper under the name Young French. He gained early recognition hosting the Cocaine City DVD series and later founded Coke Boys Records.
French Montana signed joint ventures with Bad Boy and Maybach Music Group, releasing his debut studio album Excuse My French (2013). His 2017 single “Unforgettable” became a global hit and received diamond certification. Beyond music, he has been involved in philanthropic work, including fundraising for healthcare projects in Uganda.
Early Life and Background
Karim Kharbouch was born on 9 November 1984 in Casablanca, Morocco. He grew up at the family estate outside Casablanca, where he lived for the first 13 years of his life. Kharbouch has claimed that he has Moroccan, Ethiopian, and Somali ancestry. Growing up, he was consumed with soccer and rap, describing them as his two favorite childhood hobbies, before later getting into basketball in his teens.
In the mid-1990s, Kharbouch left Morocco with his parents and younger brother for New York City, where they settled in the South Bronx. He spoke only his native languages of Moroccan Darija Arabic and French when he first arrived, and learned English in the streets and in the Bronx high schools of Roosevelt High School and Lehman High School. After struggling for two years, his father decided they would move back to Casablanca, but his mother opted to stay with their children citing lack of opportunities back home. His mother was pregnant with his youngest brother at the time, who was born in the United States shortly after his father departed for Morocco.
Path to Music
Kharbouch began his career as a battle rapper in his teens under the name Young French. In 2002, he and a close friend created a series of street DVDs called Cocaine City, drawing inspiration from the Smack DVD series. The series featured interviews with major and upcoming rappers, personalities, and a focus on street music and hip hop beefs. Initially, he used the DVDs as a means of showcasing his talent as an underground artist, including original music, freestyles, and collaborations with other artists.
What started out as a medium for developing an audience quickly grew into one of the top-selling street DVDs. The series ran for eight years between 2002 and 2010, totaling 14 volumes and multiple spinoff films. Based out of the Bronx, Kharbouch ran the series with the help of childhood friends who went on to become the first rappers that formed the Coke Boys. In 2003, he survived a gunshot to the head when he was confronted by two gunmen as he was leaving a recording studio in the Bronx.
French Montana Career
Early Career (2002–2010)
In 2007, Kharbouch released his debut mixtape French Revolution Vol. 1, which included collaborations with Uncle Murda, Jae Millz, Mazaradi Fox, and Tony Yayo. The track “Quarter to Eight” was the first of many collaborations with Rick Ross. In 2008, he released his second mixtape, Live From Africa. The song “Waavvy” was the first collaboration with rapper Max B. Kharbouch and Max B released their debut collaborative mixtape Coke Wave in February 2009, followed by additional collaborative projects that same year.
Starting in 2009, Kharbouch signed a deal with Akon and his Konvict Music label. The two collaborated on a series of tracks, although the deal eventually ended due to label restructuring at Interscope. In 2008, Kharbouch founded the record label Coke Boys Records, which has signed Chicago rapper Lil Durk, as well as fellow New York artists including Velous, Chinx, and record producer Harry Fraud.
Breakthrough (2011–2016)
With Kharbouch juggling time between Atlanta and New York, his song “Shot Caller” began gaining traction on New York radio beginning mid-2011. On 6 December 2011, he appeared on BET’s 106 & Park, where he debuted the music video and officially announced that he had signed to Bad Boy Records. Between 2011 and 2012, “Shot Caller” became one of the most added tracks on urban contemporary radio in the country.
On 4 January 2012, while in the studio with Rick Ross, the two announced Kharbouch’s signing to a joint-venture between Bad Boy Records and Maybach Music Group. Both Ross and Sean Combs executive produced his debut studio album. His first single “Pop That,” released on 15 June featuring Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne, became one of the biggest hits of the year, certified platinum by the RIAA, and peaking at number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.
His debut studio album Excuse My French was released on 21 May 2013, debuting at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart with first-week sales of 56,000 copies in the United States. In 2012, Kharbouch was featured on XXL’s Freshman Class. In May 2016, his contract with Interscope and Maybach Music Group ended, and he signed a joint venture record deal with Bad Boy and Epic Records.
Notable Works and Milestones
French Montana’s 2017 single “Unforgettable,” featuring Swae Lee, peaked within the Billboard Hot 100’s top 10 and received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America. The song preceded his second studio album Jungle Rules, which peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. He is the most streamed African-born musical artist, and “Unforgettable” became the most-streamed song from New York in 2024. His subsequent albums Montana (2019) and They Got Amnesia (2021) were both released through Epic Records.
French Montana Philanthropy
In Uganda, Kharbouch filmed the music video for his single “Unforgettable” in 2017, with his efforts raising an estimated US$500,000 to build the Suubi hospital. In 2018, he was named an Ambassador for Global Citizen following his charitable donation of $100,000 for a hospital in Uganda. In 2022, it was reported that he helped raise over US$220 million for Uganda’s maternal healthcare services, and he received a 2022 Innovator Award for his efforts that same year.
French Montana Family
Kharbouch married Deen Kharbouch in 2007. The couple had separated by 2012, and their divorce was finalized in 2014. They have a son who was born in October 2010. Kharbouch has cited being a father as one of his driving inspirations. In August 2025, his engagement to Mahra Al Maktoum, a princess of Dubai, was announced.
Personal Life
Kharbouch is a native-speaker of Moroccan Arabic and French, and became fluent in English after immigrating to the United States. He is a practicing Sunni Muslim and became a U.S. citizen in June 2018. He has been a resident of the Pompton Plains section of Pequannock Township, New Jersey, and in 2016 bought a Calabasas, California home for $3.3 million. In 2016, he briefly dated Australian rapper Iggy Azalea. He has owned a number of exotic pets, including two tiger cubs and a pet monkey.