Montana of 300
| Montana of 300 | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, USA |
| Genres | Hip hop, Drill Music |
| Occupation(s) | rapper, songwriter |
| Years active | 2008–Present |
| Labels | Fly Guy Entertainment |
| Associated acts | Talley of 300, J Real, $avage, No Fatigue, Jalyn Sanders |
| Website |
www |
Walter Anthony Bradford,[1] better known by his stage name Montana of 300, is an American hip hop recording artist from Chicago, Illinois. His rap style is best known for its' extensive use of metaphors and complex lyrics set to versatile trap, R&B, and drill beats, while also making remixes to hit songs. His album "Don't Doubt The God" is set to be released in early 2017.
Early life
Montana of 300 was born on March 3, 1987 in Chicago, Illinois. He first entered a rap studio at age 15, and grew up admiring prominent hip-hop artists including Tupac, The Notorious B.I.G., Teandre Johnson and DMX. Both his parents suffered from serious substance abuse issues, his father from alcohol and his mother from crack cocaine. After witnessing his parents' struggles, Montana ceased using narcotics, not wanting to fry his brain.[2]
In 2008, Montana and his friend from high school, Talley, joined together to form the rap group "300". The name for the group was based on the movie of the same name, in which a group of 300 Spartans overcome thousands of Persians to hold on to their territory. Montana was particularly inspired by the line, "No Surrender, No Retreat, Only the hard, only the strong, Against All odds".[3]
Musical career
Soon, Montana decided to do his own remixes of popular rap songs, some of which are believed to outshine the original artist. As an increasingly larger audience began to listen to his music, his popularity grew, and some of his remixes, including "Chiraq" and "Panda" have gained millions of views on YouTube.[4]
In 2014, Montana released his first mixtape entitled, "Cursed with a Blessing". The tape, which included popular songs such as "Ice Cream Truck" produced by Jay Storm, "Holy Ghost" produced by Daquan and "Fuck Her Brains Out" produced by Dami Tha Prince, was positively received by critics, who lauded his lyricism and powerful messages.[5]
A year later, in 2015, Montana and his former partner Talley (now known as Talley of 300) released a collaborative mixtape entitled "Gunz and Roses". Staples of this tape included "FGE Cypher" and "Mf's Mad".
On May 20, 2016, Montana of 300 released his first full-length album, entitled "Fire in the Church". The 18-track release, which only included features from his Fly Guy Entertainment labelmates and Kevin Gates, was lauded by prominent hip-hop magazine XXL for its "heat-seeking bars and thought-provoking metaphors".[6] The album peaked at #95 on the Billboard 200 and #4 on the Billboard Top Rap Albums chart.
He is currently working on his third release, tentatively titled "Don't Doubt the God."
Discography
Studio albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [7] |
US R&B [8] |
US Rap [9] | ||
| Cursed With a Blessing |
|
- | - | - |
| Fire in the Church |
|
95 | 7 | 4 |
Filmography
Montana of 300 made a cameo appearance in the popular TV show, Empire in late 2015.[10]
References
- ↑ "Montana of 300 Arrested For Gun Possession During Traffic Stop". Retrieved 12 October 2016.
- ↑ "Montana 300 on Growing Up in Chicago; His Name; His Mother". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ "Montana of 300". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ "Montana of 300 Artist Bio". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ Pulaski, Steve. "Cursed With a Blessing by Montana of 300 Review". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ Zonyee, Dominique. "Montana of 300 Goes Hard on 'Fire in the Church' Album". Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ↑ "Billboard 200: Montana of 300".
- ↑ "R&B/Hip-Hop: Montana of 300".
- ↑ "Rap Albums: Montana of 300".
- ↑ Donaldson, Erich. "Snitch B*tch: Empire's Fake Songs Are Becoming Real Hits". Retrieved 22 July 2016.