It was 2013. The rap game felt different. We weren’t exactly in a drought, but the "Coke Boys" era was peaking, and honestly, the anticipation for French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe was through the roof.
French was everywhere.
You couldn't walk into a club without hearing that signature "Haaaaan" echoing off the walls. This wasn't just another debut album; it was a massive, star-studded coronation for a guy who had spent years grinding through the mixtape circuit with Max B. Some critics hated it. They said he relied too much on features. But if you were actually there, you know the deluxe version of this record was basically the soundtrack to that entire summer.
The Chaos of the Rollout
People forget how many times this thing got pushed back. It was originally supposed to drop in 2012. Then January. Then finally May. When the French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe finally hit the shelves, it wasn't just the standard 13 tracks. The deluxe edition added those essential heaters like "Gifted" with The Weeknd and the remix of "Freaks."
Let’s be real: French Montana is the ultimate curator.
He’s like a director. He knows exactly who to put on a track to make it a hit. Think about "Pop That." It’s arguably one of the greatest posse cuts in the history of mainstream rap. You had Rick Ross, Drake, and Lil Wayne all at the height of their powers. It was loud. It was obnoxious. It was perfect.
But the deluxe version offered something a little more nuanced.
Why the Deluxe Edition Actually Matters
Standard editions are fine for the casual listener, but the French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe version is where the actual depth lived. For example, "Gifted" featuring The Weeknd is a total vibe shift. It took French out of the strip club and into this hazy, late-night R&B space that Abel Tesfaye was dominating at the time. It showed range.
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A lot of people clowned French back then for his "lack of lyricism."
It’s a tired argument. If you're looking for Shakespearean sonnets, you aren't listening to a Bad Boy Records release from 2013. You listen to French for the atmosphere. You listen for the production, which, by the way, was handled by heavyweights like Harry Fraud, Young Chop, and Rico Love. The sonics on the deluxe tracks are crisp. They feel expensive.
- "Once in a Blue Moon" brought that classic soulful feel.
- "40" featuring Fabolous and Wale reminded everyone that French could hang with the "lyricists" when he wanted to.
- The "Freaks" remix added a layer of dancehall energy that was mandatory for New York radio.
The Production Was Ahead of Its Time
We need to talk about Harry Fraud. The chemistry between him and French is legendary. On French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe, their collaboration on tracks like "Shot Caller" (even though that was a remix of the earlier hit) defined a specific era of New York rap. It was nostalgic yet fresh.
It used that 1980s "A Million And One Questions" sample in a way that felt like a passing of the torch.
The album was executive produced by Puff Daddy and Rick Ross. You can hear their influence everywhere. It’s got that "Big Boy" luxury rap feel. It’s the sound of a private jet idling on a tarmac in Teterboro. While the critics at Pitchfork were busy giving it a 3.5, the streets were playing it on repeat.
Success isn't always about the metaphors. Sometimes it's about the feeling.
French captures a very specific type of New York hustle. It’s gritty but polished. It’s Morocco by way of the Bronx.
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Breaking Down the Guest List
It’s almost absurd when you look back at the tracklist.
Max B (via phone, obviously).
Drake.
Lil Wayne.
Rick Ross.
The Weeknd.
Ne-Yo.
Raekwon.
Birdman.
2 Chainz.
Usually, an album with this many features feels cluttered. Like the lead artist is a guest on their own project. But French has this weird, intangible ability to be the glue. His presence is felt through his ad-libs and his cadences. He doesn't try to out-rap Raekwon on "Marble Floors." He just sets the stage.
It’s a skill. Seriously.
If you go back and listen to "Ocho Cinco," it’s pure energy. It’s got Diddy, MGK, Los, and Red Café. It’s a mess on paper. In the car? It goes crazy. That’s the magic of the French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe experience. It’s maximalist.
The Commercial Impact and Legacy
The album debuted at number 4 on the Billboard 200. It moved 56,000 units in its first week. By today's streaming standards, that might seem modest, but in 2013, for a debut artist who wasn't a "radio darling" in the traditional sense, it was a statement.
It solidified the Coke Boys brand.
Without this album, do we get Jungle Rules? Do we get "Unforgettable"? Probably not. This was the foundation. It proved that the mixtape king could actually translate to the big screen.
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People love to hate on French Montana. It’s a meme at this point. But if you strip away the internet jokes and actually listen to the French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe tracks, you realize he was architecting a sound that a lot of guys are still trying to mimic today. The "lazy" flow, the heavy reliance on vibes over intricate bars—that’s the blueprint for half of the melodic rap we hear now.
How to Revisit the Album Today
If you’re going to go back and listen, don't just hit play on the standard version. You have to get the deluxe. The sequencing is better, and the extra tracks provide the necessary context for where French was headed.
- Start with "Gifted." It’s the bridge between his mixtape roots and his global superstar future.
- Listen to "Trap House." This is French in his element. Birdman and Rick Ross bring that "rich forever" energy that defines the early 2010s.
- Ignore the skip button. Even the weird tracks, like the ones with Ne-Yo, are interesting artifacts of an era where every rapper was trying to secure a Pop-R&B crossover hit.
The Real Takeaway
French Montana Excuse My French Deluxe isn't a lyrical masterpiece. It never claimed to be. It’s a victory lap. It’s a collection of high-octane production and some of the biggest names in music coming together to celebrate a guy who came from nothing.
The album represents a turning point in hip-hop where the "curator-rapper" became a legitimate archetype.
To truly appreciate it, you have to stop comparing French to Kendrick or Cole. He’s not playing that game. He’s playing the game of hits, influence, and longevity. And ten-plus years later, we’re still talking about it.
Next Steps for the Listener:
- Check the Credits: Look up the production credits for Harry Fraud on this album; his "Surf Club" sound is a masterclass in sampling.
- Watch the Videos: The music videos for this era were high-budget cinematic events. Re-watching "Pop That" is a mandatory trip down memory lane.
- Compare to Coke Boys 3: If you want to see how these songs evolved, listen to the mixtape Coke Boys 3 which dropped right before this. You can hear the raw versions of the sound that eventually became this polished studio debut.
The album is a time capsule. It’s the sound of a New York that was transitioning from the boom-bap hangover into the global trap era. And French Montana was the one holding the keys.