Montega (Deluxe)

There was a time in the early 2010s, toward the very beginning of each of their careers, when Harry Fraud’s infamous producer tag (“La musica de Harry Fraud”) was almost certain to be followed by the voice of French Montana. Though they’d continue to work with each other throughout their respective ascents, the project-long pairing that is Montega feels like a return to form for the pair, each having the slow-burning NYC-street-hip-hop-defining mixtape classics of their earliest days to thank for the wealth of opportunities that would follow.

Montana has, over the course of a somewhat winding and highly collaborative career, had his hand in hits that have defined New York’s underground, dirty South trap music, Miami megaclub smashes, contemporary mafioso rap, and even Afrobeats-influenced hip-pop, but there’s just something right about hearing him talk tough over impeccably selected rock and soul samples. We get that in droves here, along with features from some of street hip-hop’s most in-demand MCs, including Babyface Ray, EST Gee, Rick Ross, and Benny the Butcher. The only thing missing—from the old days, to be specific—is the voice of Max B, who French shouts out—along with the dearly departed Chinx—on multiple songs.