French Montana Says He Has More Hits Than Kendrick Lamar; Young Thug Disagrees
The big conversational topic on the rap internet today has been the spectacle of Bronx rap star French Montana making some extremely confident public statements. In a Skype interview with Complex earlier this week, French claimed that he has “more hits” than Kendrick Lamar and that he’d “outshine” Kendrick if the two ever played the same festival stage:
Honestly, I could go against anybody. You could put somebody like Kendrick Lamar next to me on the same stage at a festival. I might outshine him — not because I’m a better rapper or whatever it is. It’s just that I got more hits. Kendrick Lamar got albums. He got masterpieces. But if you was to put us on the festival stage, I would outshine him because I have more hits than Kendrick Lamar.
Here's the clip in question: French Montana says he has more hits than Kendrick Lamar.
Full Interview: https://t.co/k3exrP8bfP pic.twitter.com/5jNNaqs3pu
— speedy morman (@SpeedyMorman) April 22, 2020
This assertion probably would not have gotten a whole lot of attention if French had not felt compelled to defend his statement in a series of tweets last night:
IF WE JUST TALKING ABOUT ANTHEMS, !! ME VS KENDRICK HIT FOR HIT ! I BELIEVE I CAN GO NECK TO NECK !! I BEEN MAKING HITS FOR A LONG TIME ! IT AINT MY FAULT I BELIEVE IN MYSELF.
HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO ANSWER
THAT QUESTION ? HOW MANY TIMES I GOTTA PROVE MYSELF BEFORE I GET MINE 🌊— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) April 22, 2020
I love kendrick! that’s not just for kendrick that’s to anybody they put in front of me, and ask me that same question 💨 what u want me to say lol ? It should be your attitude too.
If u think any less of yourself don’t blame it on the next person who don’t ! 😤 set it up— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) April 22, 2020
My point exactly ! He is a different artist
I was just sayin I’ll win that part he is gonna win everything else but give me mines lol https://t.co/NsIIvft8sq— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) April 22, 2020
My point !! I was talking about hits we can go neck to neck not taking nothing away from him just standing for myself is that still cool ? lol https://t.co/f1X4cndNbG
— French Montana (@FrencHMonTanA) April 22, 2020
A few things here. The statement that French has more hits than Kendrick is, on its face, wrong. As one smart person has already pointed out on Twitter, Kendrick has 48 singles that have charted on the Billboard Hot 100. French has 17. French was a New York mixtape fixture long before he started making hits, and he’s had a better career than most people realize. If you’re talking about pure dumb-out anthems, French does have those, while Kendrick has always been a more cerebral artist. Anthems are, for the most part, outside Kendrick’s comfort zone. Also, rappers are supposed to be egotistical. Confidence is baked into the genre. Everyone wants to compete with everyone else. It’s what keeps things interesting.
With that said: “DAMN.,” “Alright,” “DNA.,” “Maad City,” “Kings Dead,” “King Kunta,” “Backseat Freestyle,” “Rigamortis.” They’re just not comparable. French is trying to jump at least three weight classes here.
Kendrick Lamar has not weighed on on this particular conversation, and I wouldn’t expect him to. But someone unexpected has jumped to Kendrick’s defense: Young Thug. On Instagram this morning, Thug posted a couple of videos of himself calling French a bitch and sadly shaking his head at French’s hubris.
In the hours since Thug posted that video, Thug and French have gotten into a full-on online feud, with French posting multiple images of Thug in a dress and Thug filming himself outside a house that he claims French once owned. Everyone involved should just take a step back. But yeah, no, French Montana does not have more hits than Kendrick Lamar.
