French Montana has landed the cover of Forbes where he spoke about his recently released documentary.
Title The French Montana Story: For Khadija, the doc is dedicated to his and all immigrant mothers. According to the synopsis, the film chronicles “French Montana and his single mother sacrificing everything to raise her three young sons in the Bronx.” The doc depicts the family’s unique immigrant journey, a son’s perseverance in the face of insurmountable obstacles, and a mother’s unwavering faith.”
During the interview, the “Unforgettable” rapper shared how his mother made life for him despite many challenges.
“My mother is the reason I’m here today,” Montana said. “Her sacrifices and her strength are the foundation of everything I’ve achieved.”
Born Karim Kharbouch in Casablanca, Morocco, French Montana along with his mother moved to New York when he was 13. At the time, he could only speak only Arabic and French.
“We overstayed [our] visas,” Montana said. “My father was trying to create an opportunity for us to live the American dream, but he didn’t succeed at that. He got tired of it and wanted to go back to Africa and live like a king. He told my mom ‘We can take all the kids and leave French here.’ My mother said ‘I’m not going to leave my son here,’ so he said ‘You can stay with him.’ He felt like she betrayed him.”
Eventually, he fell in love with hip-hop and he appeared in the Cocaine City DVD series, which launched him into stardom.
As a philanthropist, Montana helped raise $500,000 to build the Suubi Hospital in Uganda, which serves over 300,000 of the country’s citizens. He also was named Ambassador for Global Citizen for his efforts in the country. In total, he helped to raise over $220 million for Uganda’s maternal healthcare services.
Premiering at the Tribeca Film Festival last year, The French Montana Story: For Khadija, took eight years to make. During the process, it took a while for Montana to get his mother a green card. She also reunited with her Moroccan family who she hasn’t seen in 25 years.
The French Montana Story: For Khadija is available for streaming on Paramount+.
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