Mac n Cheese 5 review: French Montana delivers hits

French Montana returns with a new project, Mac n Cheese 5. Although this offering from the Moroccan native raised in the South Bronx is technically classified as a mixtape, it is available on all major streaming services. The prolific hitmaker from New York City sticks to his successful formula of limiting his solo time and using his reputation to attract big-name features.

Mac n Cheese 5 review

“Dirty Bronx (Intro)” is a strong start to the mixtape that shows French talking about a variety of topics he has widely discussed in the past. He talks about where he came from, how fame has made people look at him differently, friends that he lost along the way (the late Chinx Drugz gets a shoutout here), and how at the end of the day he is still the same person that he was growing up in the Bronx. This song is a touching ode to the city that raised him, and it sets the tone for the rest of the project.

Features carry this project

French Montana is an artist who is known more for his features than for his solo songs. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, and it isn’t meant to be an indictment on Montana as an artist. Some artists work better alongside others, and French is at his best when his voice is complemented by other artists.

Therefore, it’s not a big shock that the best songs on Mac n Cheese 5 are those with features on them.

It’s ironic to title a song “Splash Brothers” in 2024, given that Klay Thompson has seen his play fall off recently and Steph Curry is the only member of the “Splash Brothers” duo that is still standing and going strong. Regardless, this song works well to showcase the talents that Lil Wayne and Montana have and they work well together. You can tell that Weezy put effort into his verse and didn’t just give a throwaway 16 for this album.

Lil Wayne steals the show with his best punchlines in years

Wayne’s verse features some of the best punch lines we have heard from him in years. “Young Montana and Lil’ Weezyana / Fat pockets got my pants lookin’ like MC Hammers / I p**s a n***a off until he got an empty bladder / A hustler, baby, I can sell Nevada to Nevada / Huh, I’m on that coke wave / Stay in your own lane, n***a, I got road rage,” Weezy raps. Other standout bars from the New Orleans native include “Okay, I used to run the corner like a jet sweep” and “Dropped the cocaine in the water, that’s a wet dream.”

Wayne’s bars are reminiscent of the Carter 3 and Carter 4 glory days, as well as his iconic mixtape run. It’s hard to believe that Lil Wayne’s heyday was nearly 15 years ago. It even makes it all the more impressive that Weezy sounds fresh and energized, and his lyrics feature some of the most creative rhymes he has dropped in recent memory.

Lil Durk drops by with honest reflections about life in Chicago

Lil Durk shows up to complement Montana on Money Ain’t a Thing and delivers an excellent verse. French is in his bag on this one, rapping with authority in his voice as he shouts out their respective hometowns and touts their murderous lifestyles: “I rep the South Bronx, yeah, the Essex / TEC with the air holes for protection / Yeah, we runnin’ wild, from the Ps in the wild in the east / Certified, I’m a beast, oh my God / You can ask Durk, Chiraq, Ls up from the dirt.”

Durk brings high energy, which differs from some of his most popular songs. While Durk’s two most popular styles are his melodic flow and his more aggressive no auto style, the Chicago-born rhymer does an excellent job of mixing the two styles on this track.

Durk uses his melodic singing voice which is easy on the ears, but his flow is much more reminiscent of his energetic no-auto style. Durk’s verse is hauntingly detailed, with rhymes such as “Man, I know some shorties that’ll stay outside your mama crib / They don’t give a f**k, they serve bags in front Obama crib / I know n****s richer than these rappers driving Bonnevilles / A lot of n****s cappin’ in they raps, we off a lot of pills / When I take a Perc’ on an empty stomach, it make me vomit still / Thinkin’ ’bout my cousin getting murked, it make me vomit still.”

Durk ends the verse by reminding listeners of his street bonafides, rhyming “We make sure n****s know how the chopper feel / They was getting shot for real, if they was on the block for real,” and ending with the line “I’ma claim Lamron forever, you know what it is.”

The result is a standout verse from the 300 star, and Money Ain’t a Thing is one of the best songs on the album.

J. Cole’s protege JID lends his talents to this tape for Praise God, which is arguably the strongest track on the album. JID’s voice is incredible, and his flow is so smooth and effortless over this beat. French has a decent but not great verse, but he really stands out In the chorus. The rhymer from the South Bronx delivers an infectious melody that will stick with listeners for a long time. While writing this review, I find it impossible to get the chorus out of my head. JID’s top-tier verse combined with a classic Montana chorus will keep this track in rotation for many months to come.

Track-by-track breakdown

• “Dirty Bronx Intro” (feat. Amber Run): 9/10
• “Talk to Me”: 7/10
• “Stand United” (feat Kanye West, SAINt JHN and Buju Banton): 8.5/10
• “Splash Brothers” (feat. Lil Wayne and Rick Ross): 9.5/10
• “Okay” (feat. Lil Baby and ATL Jacob): 8/10
• “Casino Life” 3: 7.5/10
• “Where They At” (feat. Kanye West and Westside Gunn): 8.5/10
• “Too Fun” (feat. Kyle Richh and Jenn Carter): 7.5/10
• “Facts”: 6.5/10
• “Praise God” (feat. JID): 10/10
• “Money Ain’t a Thing” (feat. Lil Durk): 10/10
• “Goals” (feat. Jeremih): 8/10
• “Other Side”: 6/10
• “Fake Friends” (feat. Bryson Tiller): 8.5/10
• “Where We Came From”: 7/10
• “Made It In USA”: 7.5/10
• “Millionaire Row” (feat. Rick Ross and Meek Mill): 8/10
• “Ride The Wave”: 6/10
• “Documentary” (feat. Mikky Ekko): 7/10

Overall: 7.9/10