French Montana

**Karim Kharbouch** (born November 9, 1984), known professionally as **French Montana**, is a Moroccan-born American rapper. He was born and raised in Morocco and emigrated to the United States with his family when he was 13. He is the founder of Coke Boys Records and its predecessor Cocaine City Records.

Kharbouch released his first mixtape in 2007, called _French Revolution Vol. 1_. He had his first breakthrough with the single "Choppa Choppa Down" in 2010. He released his first studio album _Excuse My French_ in May 2013. In July 2017, Montana released his second studio album _Jungle Rules._ The album peaked at number three on the _Billboard_ 200. It included the single "Unforgettable" (featuring Swae Lee). The song became Montana's first song as a lead artist to reach the top 10 on the _Billboard_ Hot 100.

## Early life

Karim Kharbouch was born on November 9, 1984, in Casablanca, Morocco. Kharbouch has claimed that he has Moroccan, Ethiopian, and Somalian ancestry. He lived in Casablanca for the first 13 years of his life. His favorite hobbies growing up were soccer and rap, and he got into basketball in his later teenage years.

In the mid-1990s, Kharbouch left Morocco with his parents and younger brother for New York City. They settled in the South Bronx. Kharbouch spoke only his native languages of Moroccan Darija and French when he first arrived, and learned English in the Bronx high schools of Lehman and Roosevelt. After struggling for two years, his father decided they would move back to Casablanca. His mother chose to stay back with their children because she believed there was a lack of opportunity back home in Morocco. His mother was pregnant with his youngest brother at the time. He was born in the United States shortly after his father left for Morocco. With three children and low money, his mother had to depend on welfare for financial support.

## Personal life

Montana is fluent in his native Arabic and French as well as in English. Montana has lived in Pompton Plains, New Jersey. In 2016, he bought Selena Gomez's Calabasas, California home for $3.3 million. He is a practicing Sunni Muslim.

Montana married Deen Kharbouch (born Nadeen M. Palmer) in 2007. The couple separated in 2012, and their divorce was finalized in 2014 for around $2 million. They have a son named Kruz. Montana started dating Khloé Kardashian in June 2014. They broke up in September 2014.

In June 2018, Montana became a U.S. citizen.

### Albums

- _Excuse My French_ (2013)
- _Jungle Rules_ (2017)
- _Montana_ (2019)

### BET Awards

|-
|2013
|"Pop That"
|Best Collaboration
|

### BET Hip Hop Awards

|-
|rowspan="2"|2013
|rowspan="2"|"Pop That"
|Best Club Banger
|
|-
|Reese's Perfect Combo Award (Best Collabo, Duo or Group)
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|2016
|rowspan="3"|"All the Way Up" <small>(with Fat Joe & Remy Ma)</small>
|Best Hip Hop Video
|
|-
|Best Collabo, Duo or Group
|
|-
|People's Champ Award
|
|-
|_Wave Gods_
|Best Mixtape
|
|-

### Billboard Music Awards

|-
|2015
|"Loyal"
|Top R&B Song
|

### Grammy Awards

|-
|2016
|"All Day" <small>(as songwriter)</small>
|rowspan="2"|Best Rap Song
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|2017
|rowspan="2"|"All the Way Up" <small>(with Fat Joe & Remy Ma)</small>
|
|-
|Best Rap Performance
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"

## Infobox (person)

- **child**: yes
- **partner**: Mahra Al Maktoum (2025–present; engaged)
- **children**: 1


## Infobox (musical artist)

- **name**: French Montana
- **birth name**: Karim Kharbouch
- **image**: FM PRESS03-A.png
- **caption**: French Montana in 2017
- **birth place**: Casablanca, Morocco
- **origin**: The Bronx, New York (state), New York, U.S.
- **genre**: Hip hop music, Hip hop
- **years active**: 2002–present