After nearly fifteen years since French Montana initiated the ‘Mac & Cheese’ mixtape series, he has finally closed the curtains with “Mac & Cheese 5”. The mixtape includes features such as Lil Baby, Kanye West, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Lil Durk, Bryson Tiller, Meek Mill, and more.
We’ve allowed the fireworks to silence and the dust to settle to dive into this project, listing some of our favorite tracks. Montana has done an outstanding job of leaving breadcrumbs and increasing the anticipation in the past few months pertaining to this mixtape.
The project begins with French and Amber Run with the “Dirty Bronx Intro”. Soothing vocals, captivating lyrics, and harmonies consume the first minute of the intro and then…..a switch up! French Montana includes clips of interviews and prominent figures speaking highly of his work while simultaneously giving us glimpse of his career throughout the years.
The second track comes in effortlessly and is titled, “Talk to Me”. “Million dollars for a show started from a cypher.” This track makes it evident that French Montana has not forgotten where he came from. He incorporates clips from movies and news reporters which add depth to the song.
“Stand United” is the third track on the project which features Kanye West, SAINt JHN, and Buju Banton. “If you only work on sunny days, you’ll never reach your destination.” This track has strong and soulful background vocals while the artists speak life into the listeners.
Lil Wayne and Rick Ross join Montana on the fourth track titled, “Splash Brothers”. Listeners will not be disappointed with this song. Lil Wayne begins his verse with witty word play; didn’t expect anything less. Ross brings it in throwing shots, “Boy, I can turn you ni**as up and that’s the bottom line.”
Lil Baby and ATL Jacob collab with French Montana on the next song, “Okay”. “Ended up dropping’ my top, okay. My ex told me she needed space (space). I guess we both goin’ to Mars, okay.” The flow and cadence of this track make it more appealing to the listener. It was produced by ATL Jacob, Hendrix Smoke, Royal808, and Duce.
Montana hit the booth solo for “Casino Life 3” and delivered perfectly. “O Ten, New York fell off, we brought the wave back. I’m Benny Blanco when he met Carlito by the train tracks.” He’s a great storyteller who fills his lyrics with punch lines, references, and confidence. The song has a hint of rock and roll, as the word starrider is repeated with the mesmerizing sound of a guitar in the background.
“Where They At” begins with Kanye yelling, “Don’t take no photos!” This song marks number seven on “Mac & Cheese 5”. Westside Gunn joins in on this track. “Reverse the odds, silk Versace on Big in hypnotize. California love, but New York my blood. Can’t pick a side.”
It was a breath of fresh air to hear skits playing throughout the project. Some would say this component is a dying additive within hip hop mixtapes and albums. However, I feel it brings more dimension to the blueprint of an album.
“Money Ain’t A Thing” featuring Lil Durk is an eye opener. Throughout the song, both artists talk about money in different ways. They also speak on things they’ve witnessed such as, someone they know getting shot and killed, people snitching, and others keeping their mouths shut when it mattered most. It’s safe to say, that money ain’t a thing when your life is on the line or when you’ve witnessed life slip away in a variety of ways.
Jeremih adds flavor to French Montana’s song, “Goals”. With the sounds of a Spanish guitar and Jeremih’s vocals, listeners can truly get lost in this track. “Doors open up like wings on an angel. She bend on me like her hands doing angles.” French Montana is on his lustful and sexy vibes with this one….certainly for the ladies.
Bryson Tiller begins “Fake Friends” with his unique style: “Hunnids coming in, too many fake friends. Ran me up on some millions, tryna run ’em up times ten. Where should I begin? “ We can all resonate with this song, as many of us have encountered what I like to call “pseudo friends”.
“Mac & Cheese 5” concludes with the song, “Documentary” featuring Mikky Ekko. “Guess I got a real habit of killing ’em all for the taste. It’s a life so savage, where all of your prayers go to waste. Take me by the hand, take me by the hand, let me lead you honey, to the pearly gates, oh.” This was a really nice surprise, an unexpected outro track. “Documentary” was a beautiful way to end the mixtape.
Lately, I’ve come across many projects that include similar sounding songs, very few features, no skits, and a lack of authenticity. Just a recommendation…stream “Mac & Cheese 5” if you haven’t already. Guaranteed, you will like what you hear. If you have already, which songs are your favorites?
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