TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Label Advance Trap 00:23 Going Fully Independent 01:17 Welcome French Montana 01:48 New York Energy Surge 03:17 Indie vs Major Lessons 05:03 How Advances Really Work 06:36 100 Zero Strategy 08:51 Never Taking Deals Again 10:37 Recouping Horror Stories 11:27 Realizing The Short End 12:51 Stacking Then Auditing 14:50 Money Discipline Mindset 16:46 Audits And Re Recording 19:27 Where The Money Comes From 22:49 Relationships And Trauma 24:01 Gratitude And The Bag 24:56 Languages And Darija 25:37 International Roots To Stardom 26:53 Learning English Through Rap 28:28 Bronx Hip Hop Immersion 30:29 From Hustling To Rap Breakthrough 33:14 Smack DVD Battle Era 34:23 Losing Millions On FTX 37:40 Slow And Steady Investing 38:20 Flowers Money And Legacy 42:29 Wealth Mindset And Humility 44:12 Giving Back To Africa 46:08 Morocco Homecoming And Farewell French Montana sits down with Earn Your Leisure for one of his most revealing conversations yet. He shares the untold story of coming to America without speaking English, how avoiding deportation pushed him into rap, and the journey from the Bronx to becoming one of hip-hop’s biggest global stars. He breaks down the realities of the music business, explaining why he went independent, why he’ll never sign another record deal, how record deals are structured, why many artists aren’t truly independent, and his plan to re-record his biggest hits to regain ownership. He also shares why even successful artists can’t always count on recouping from music sales. Beyond music, French opens up about building wealth through investing, losing $5 million in the FTX collapse, the lessons he learned from spending time with sheikhs, and why he believes Africa has a massive future. This is a masterclass on ownership, business, legacy, and long-term thinking. #EarnYourLeisure #FrenchMontana #HipHop #MusicBusiness #IndependentArtist #Ownership #Investing #Entrepreneurship #Wealth #Africa #FTX #Podcast #FinancialFreedom Subscribe and watch more videos here: https://www.youtube.com/@EarnYourLeisure Join the EYL community for deeper training and a more detailed approach: https://www.eyluniversity.com Join the number one stock club in the world: https://www.ianinvest.com Invest Fest | August 7-9, 2026 Grab early bird tickets now: https://www.investfest.com