French Montana has long been known for his catchy, commercial hits, but with his latest mixtape, Mac & Cheese 5, he seems to be breaking out of that box. The fifth installment of his beloved mixtape series showcases a return to his lyrical roots and a departure from the auto-tuned trap sound that has dominated his recent work.
The first half of the project is a breath of fresh air, with French delivering potent and lyrically dense bars over soul sample boom bap beats. He addresses his authenticity and place in the game on “Dirty Bronx Intro,” and the track “Stand United” with Kanye West, Buju Banton, and Saint JHN feels like a lost Gang Starr bonus track. “Splash Brothers” features some of the project’s best bars, showing that French still has the lyrical prowess that first brought him into the spotlight.
While French is still attempting to make hit records, with tracks like “Millionaire Row” and “Okay,” there are some cleverly written hit attempts that go beyond ad-libs and auto-tune. “Money Ain’t a Thing” with Lil Durk and “Fake Friends” with Bryson Tiller provide a more digestible trap soul vibe that shows French’s versatility as an artist.
Mac & Cheese 5 may still have its fair share of “Haaaaan” ad-libs, but it is being hailed as one of French Montana’s best projects in quite some time. It seems that he is gearing up for a solid second act in his career, whether he’s tired of chasing hits or simply getting back to his Bronx roots. With this mixtape, French Montana is proving that he is more than just a single-faceted hitmaker and has the potential for a more diverse and impactful contribution to hip hop.
