French Montana knows the harsh realities of growing up as an immigrant. Born Karim Kharbouch, he grew up in Morocco in the late 1980s, idolizing soccer and rap music. Then, out of nowhere, he found himself in the South Bronx. His family moved to the United States when Monanta was 13. However, he would not find his breakout until the mid-2000s, with “Choppa Choppa Down” and Excuse My French. His journey from undocumented immigrant to worldwide star is one of hardship and grit.
Today, Montana is one of the best-known rappers and the highest-streamed African-born artist of all time. He is also a two-time platinum recording artist. However, he is also best known for his encounters with law enforcement and criminal involvements. His rise, fall, and rise again has recently been turned into a documentary produced by Diddy and Drake. Furthermore, For Khadija premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 16 thanks to a special screening from Robert De Niro. Now he’s using his journey to help others.
French Montana Teams Up With InformedImmigrant
Montana’s announcement came in a video. “When I was 13, my family immigrated to the United States in search of a better life. Like millions of others that dreamt of opportunities, freedom and a chance to make our mark. But I remember being 17 and finding out I was undocumented. My family now had to learn to navigate the immigration system on our own. And this happened when I had the dream of going to college and playing ball. I didn’t have a social security number. I didn’t qualify to get a scholarship. Jump forward to now, and I know that I’m lucky for how my story turned out. I made it. Alhamdulillah,” the rapper says in a voiceover.
Furthermore, the video goes on to explain that InformedImmigrant provides “legal services, mental health,” and “help find partnering organizations for undocumented immigrants.” It’s unclear what Montana’s involvement with the organization will be. However, it’s inspiring to see the rapper offer a hand to those in the same situation as he once was. Follow all the latest music news here at HotNewHipHop.
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