French Montana Lands on the Cover of XXL’s First Digital Issue
Born to win. It's a state of mind French Montana embraces at every turn, especially moving into his sophomore album, MC4. The Moroccan-born, Bronx-bred rapper is focused on rising to the top, which makes him a fitting prospect for XXL's first ever digital issue.
XXL's Editor-in-Chief Vanessa Satten heads to Los Angeles to spend some time with French as he experiences Ramadan and opens up about how his religion (he's Muslim) plays a big part in his success. The "No Shopping" rhymer keeps it real during a car ride to Malibu to meet Diddy, discussing everything from maintaining positivity in an ugly world to the loss of his good friend Chinx. He even has a few things to add about the Kardashian-Jenner clan as he walks on the beach. This is French as you've never seen him before in the 17-minute interview.
During the photo shoot, shot in French's $3.3 million mansion in L.A. (a crib once owned by Selena Gomez), he kicks back with a Capuchin monkey and embraces the summer sun. Photographer Ahmed Klink captures the Coke Boys leader in his element, comfortable and confident, ever-smiling.
And there's more. XXL's Deputy Editor Georgette Cline speaks to French in-depth about the creation of his sophomore LP and the vibe of the project. Movie buffs will be pleasantly surprised about the film he uses to compare to MC4. It's like a jungle sometimes and the 31-year-old is making it out alive. He emphasizes that point more than once during the conversation, which also includes talk about the recent deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge and Philando Castile in Minnesota by police as well as his working relationship with Drake, his next power move, being underestimated and much more.
Experience XXL's French Montana digital cover story by clicking the link below.
See Exclusive Photos From French Montana XXL's Photo Shoot