French Montana has had a very special role in hip-hop for as long as many can remember. He falls almost squarely into the “one-sided hitmaker” category of rappers. There was a time when French could be classified as more of a lyrical marvel spitter, back in the 2000s when he released SMACK DVD freestyle and gradually through his various mixtape series.
But ever since most of the world knew him through XXL’s 2012 freshman roster and more commercial rap songs (“Shot Caller” and “Pop That”), he’s been something of a one-note trap flute. However, French seems to have gone to great lengths to banish this genre curse with his latest mixtape.
Mac & Cheese 5 is the fifth installment in the South Bronx rapper’s beloved mixtape series, which first launched in 2009. Typically, the songs on these tapes are punchier and more lyrical than others in French’s catalog, but it was with any of the songs released after his Bad Boy and MMG Links days in early 2012 that he really put down his pen and picked up Cîroc bottle. This shift in image and sound has allowed him to excel in the mainstream, but it’s always left Coke Boy’s OG fans wanting more – and this time around, they’re getting even more.
The first half of this project feels like an unshakable breath of fresh air, without being full of frivolous Auto-Tune. French delivers soul samples over booming bap beats as if he’s back in BX rap, like his rent depends on it. On the first song, “Dirty Bronx Intro,” he spits out some bars and fires back at all the haters who doubt his authenticity and place in the game.
“Stand United,” a collaboration with Kanye West, Buju Banton, and Saint JHN, sounds like a lost Gang Starr bonus track, while on “Splash Brothers,” he pulls off some of the project’s best bars. “The devil follows my footsteps like I’m Lil Nas X” is especially worthy of the URL “Don Demarcooo” drop.
That’s not to say that French Montana went completely into god MC mode on Mac & Cheese 5, he was still trying to make hit records – sometimes accidentally. “Millionaire Row,” featuring Rick Ross and Meek Mill, and “Okay,” featuring Lil Baby, may be the “hit-by-numbers” formula he’s following The most obvious version of the record” formula. But there are also some cleverly written attempts at hotness, rather than just a bunch of off-the-cuff and auto-tuned smut.
Lil Durk’s “Money Ain’t a Thing” is a smooth and bouncy record that has the potential to be a summer hit. Not to mention “Fake Friends,” a collaboration with Bryson Tiller, which delivers a very accessible trap soul vibe that’s sure to pass the “late night drive” test.
Mac & Cheese 5 still has too many “haha” improvisations to win a Pulitzer Prize, but that said, it’s going to be one of France’s best projects for quite some time. Whether he’s tired of chasing hits or just wants to get back to his basics in the Bronx, he’s gearing up for a solid second act.
Release date: February 23, 2024
Record label: Coca-Cola Boy Records
Listen to Mac & Cheese 5 below:
