Mac & Cheese 5 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Mixtape by | ||||
Released | February 23, 2024 | |||
Genre | Hip-hop | |||
Length | 64:05 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer |
| |||
French Montana chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Mac & Cheese 5 | ||||
|
Mac & Cheese 5 is the twenty-third mixtape by Moroccan-American rapper French Montana. It was released through Coke Boys Records and Gamma on February 23, 2024. The mixtape features collaborations and guest appearances from Amber Run, Kanye West, Saint Jhn, Buju Banton, Rick Ross, Lil Wayne, Lil Baby, ATL Jacob, Westside Gunn, 41, JID, Lil Durk, Jeremih, Bryson Tiller, Meek Mill, and Mikky Ekko. The deluxe edition was released five days later and features an additional guest appearance from DThang. Production was handled by Montana and ATL Jacob themselves, alongside Dem Jointz, Doc McKinney, and Illangelo, among others. The mixtape was supported by its only single, "Okay". [1]
In an interview with the Breakfast Club the day that the mixtape was released, Montana spoke about why he released it:
I feel like I needed to get everything out the way then go back to the mixtape vibes. I always try to go where the puck is going, not where the puck is at. I feel like the game needs mixtapes. That feeling isn't there anymore. Albums is dope [ sic ] everybody's getting used to it, but I want to hear [Lil] Wayne mixtapes, Rick Ross Rich Forever mixtapes, Wiz Khalifa [ Kush & Orange Juice ] mixtapes. I just want to get back to that vibe and I want to lead the way with the mixtapes. [2]
The mixtape was originally supposed to be released on January 5, 2024, but was delayed for unknown reasons. [3] A day before its original release date, Westside Gunn posted the original tracklist on Instagram, notably featuring "Another One of Me", a Diddy single featuring Montana and the Weeknd, who is sampled on "Where We Came From". [4] Montana also garnered negative attention for allegedly manipulating music charts by releasing 126 songs in total of the mixtape, which includes the regular songs and a sped-up, slowed-down, instrumental, and a cappella versions of each song, clocking in at just over six hours in total. [5] He later responded to the allegation and shared why he made that decision in an interview with TMZ :
Taylor Swift dropped eight versions of her album. I'm just learning the hustle from them. I dropped five versions...My fans always love my beats so I dropped the instrumental. I dropped a capella for all the DJs that like blending and I dropped clean. I dropped the sped-up one because of TikTok, and I dropped the chopped and screwed. So people can stop asking me for all different types of versions, and I guess all those songs equaled out to 126 songs. I was watching everybody doing it. I was watching JT [Justin Timberlake] and a bunch of other people who had big records, and I see them just put out instrumentals and all that. I'm like, how come it's so easy to find this, and when I went on their page, and I saw they had six different versions, I was like, they're geniuses.
In January of 2024, French Montana allegedly sold pre-order Vinyl Records of his upcoming mixtape "Mac & Cheese 5" for five dollars. [6] [7] According to the website, all pre-orders were scheduled to ship February 23, 2024 (The release date of the mixtape. [8] ) However, when customers checked the Vinyl's shipping status they discovered that it was shipped to an arbitrary address. [9] Consequently, none of the purchasers received the vinyl at their homes. Many theories speculate that this incident was to boost the mixtape's sales numbers.
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
HipHopDX | 3.6/5 [10] |
AllMusic | 3/5 [10] |
Scott Glaysher of HipHopDX gave the album a 3.6/5, saying: "Mac & Cheese 5 still has far too many "Haaaaan" ad-libs to win a Pulitzer but, with said, it will go down as one of French's best projects in quite some time". [10]
A TiVo staff member reviewed the mixtape on AllMusic [11] about the mixtape, stating:
The official standard version of the album boasts a lengthy guest list of famous names, with Kanye West dropping by for both the spirited "Stand United" and the battle-cry aggression of "Where They At." Rick Ross is on multiple tracks, and there are features throughout from Lil Wayne, Buju Banton, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, Bryson Tiller, and many others. JID's fluid verses add Southern personality to the otherwise Drake-indebted "Praise God," and the poppier moments are balanced out by hard East coast-styled rap bangers like "Money Ain't a Thing," slithering trap in the form of "Okay," and party-starting hype-ups like the chant-able "Millionaire Row."
With this review they gave the mixtape a rating of 3/5. [11]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dirty Bronx Intro" (with Amber Run) |
|
| 3:31 |
2. | "Talk to Me" |
|
| 3:15 |
3. | "Stand United" (with Kanye West and Saint Jhn featuring Buju Banton) |
|
| 2:43 |
4. | "Splash Brothers" (with Rick Ross and Lil Wayne) |
|
| 3:41 |
5. | "Okay" (with Lil Baby and ATL Jacob) |
|
| 3:12 |
6. | "Casino Life 3" |
| ADHD | 2:33 |
7. | "Where They At" (with Kanye West and Westside Gunn) |
|
| 2:53 |
8. | "Skit" | Kharbouch | 1:27 | |
9. | "Too Fun" (with Kyle Richh and Jenn Carter) |
|
| 3:27 |
10. | "Facts" |
|
| 2:15 |
11. | "Praise God" (with JID) |
| Dxor | 3:14 |
12. | "Money Ain't a Thing" (with Lil Durk) |
| ADHD | 3:13 |
13. | "Goals" (with Jeremih) |
| Buda & Grandz | 3:37 |
14. | "Other Side" |
|
| 2:10 |
15. | "Fake Friends" (with Bryson Tiller) |
| TT Audi | 2:51 |
16. | "Where We Came From" |
| 1:52 | |
17. | "Made It in USA" |
|
| 2:37 |
18. | "Millionaire Row" (with Rick Ross) |
|
| 2:46 |
19. | "Ride the Wave" |
|
| 1:50 |
20. | "Back in Style" (interlude) |
|
| 2:48 |
21. | "Documentary" (with Mikky Ekko) |
| 4:09 | |
Total length: | 60:16 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
22. | "Too Fun" (remix; with Kyle Richh, Jenn Carter, and DThang featuring 41) |
|
| 3:51 |
Total length: | 64:05 |
Notes
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200 [12] | 14 |
US Independent Albums (Billboard) [13] | 2 |
US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard) [14] | 5 |
The discography of Rick Ross, an American rapper, consists of 11 studio albums, one compilation album, 145 singles, one soundtrack, and 40 music videos. Ross's debut studio album, Port of Miami (2006), features two singles with "Hustlin'" and "Push It". Ross's second studio album, Trilla (2008), produced hit singles such as "The Boss" and "Here I Am". Ross's third studio album, Deeper Than Rap (2009), includes the singles such as "Magnificent" and "Maybach Music 2". Ross's fourth studio album, Teflon Don (2010), includes the hit single, "Aston Martin Music".
The discography of Prodigy, an American rapper and one half of the hip hop duo Mobb Deep, consists of 6 studio albums, 3 collaborative albums, 1 EP, 5 mixtapes and 17 singles.
No Love Lost is the sixth studio album by American rapper Joe Budden. The album was released on February 5, 2013, under E1 Music. The album features guest appearances from French Montana, Fabolous, Lil Wayne, Lloyd Banks, Juicy J, Slaughterhouse, Tank, Kirko Bangz, Wiz Khalifa, Twista, and Omarion among others. The album's release was supported by two singles: "She Don't Put It Down" featuring Lil Wayne and Tank, and "NBA" featuring Wiz Khalifa and French Montana.
Karim Kharbouch, better known by his stage name French Montana, is a Moroccan-American rapper. Born and raised in Morocco, he immigrated to New York City with his family at the age of 13 and began his career as a battle rapper in the early 2000s — under the name Young French.
Tyrone William Griffin Jr., known professionally as Ty Dolla Sign, is an American singer, songwriter and record producer from Los Angeles, California. He gained initial recognition for his guest appearance on fellow Los Angeles rapper YG's 2010 single "Toot It and Boot It", which entered the Billboard Hot 100. He signed with Atlantic Records in 2012, and Wiz Khalifa's Taylor Gang Entertainment the following year.
The discography of American rapper Pusha T consists of four studio albums, one extended play (EP), two mixtapes, 53 singles, two promotional singles and 33 music videos.
I Am Not a Human Being II is the tenth studio album by American rapper Lil Wayne. It was released on March 26, 2013, by Young Money Entertainment, Cash Money Records and Republic Records. Recording sessions took place during 2006 to 2012, with Lil Wayne serving as the records executive producers, alongside Ronald "Slim" Williams and Birdman, who enlisted a wide variety of record producers such as Cool & Dre, Mike Will Made It, David Banner, T-Minus, Diplo, Juicy J and Street Runner, among others. The album serves as the sequel to I Am Not a Human Being (2010), incorporating the elements of these hip hop styles. The album was supported by three singles: "No Worries" featuring Detail, "Love Me" featuring Drake and Future, and "Rich As Fuck" featuring 2 Chainz; the latter of which peaked at numbers 29, 9 and 38 respectively, on the US Billboard Hot 100. It was the last album Lil Wayne released under Cash Money Records.
Excuse My French is the debut studio album by Moroccan-American rapper French Montana. It was released on May 21, 2013, by Coke Boys Records, Bad Boy Records, Maybach Music Group and Interscope Records. The album features guest appearances from Diddy, Nicki Minaj, Drake, Ace Hood, Lil Wayne, Birdman, The Weeknd, Rick Ross, 2 Chainz, Max B, Ne-Yo, Machine Gun Kelly, Raekwon, Scarface and Snoop Dogg, while the production was handled by Mike Will Made It, Jahlil Beats, Reefa, Rico Love, Lex Luger and Young Chop. The album was supported by three singles: "Pop That", "Freaks" and "Ain't Worried About Nothin'".
Michael Len Williams II, known professionally as Mike Will Made It or simply Mike Will, is an American record producer. He is best known for producing trap beats for several Southern hip hop and pop artists on commercially successful singles. His credits include "Black Beatles" and "Powerglide" by Rae Sremmurd, "Mercy" by Kanye West, "No Lie" by 2 Chainz, "Bandz a Make Her Dance" by Juicy J, "Pour It Up" by Rihanna, "Love Me" by Lil Wayne, "Body Party" by Ciara, "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus, "Formation" by Beyoncé, and "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar. He embarked on a career as a non-performing lead artist in 2013 with his debut single "23", which peaked at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. His 2017 follow-up single, "Rake It Up" peaked at number eight on the chart. He has released six mixtapes and one solo studio album, Ransom 2 (2017).
The discography of Moroccan-American rapper French Montana consists of five studio albums, twenty-six mixtapes, 51 singles including 57 as featured artist, 32 music videos and 18 promotional singles.
Nicholaus Joseph Williams, better known by his stage name Trinidad James, is a Trinidadian-American rapper, songwriter and music video director. In December 2012, he signed with Def Jam Recordings to release his debut single, "All Gold Everything" commercially that same month. The song peaked within the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, received platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), and spawned a remix featuring fellow Georgia-based rappers T.I., Jeezy and 2 Chainz. He was dropped from the label in 2014 after failing to promptly record a debut album.
Rory William Quigley, known professionally as Harry Fraud, is an American record producer. Primarily a hip hop producer, Fraud began producing at an early age and began interning at a recording studio after graduating from high school. First discovered by French Montana during a recording session in Chinatown in early 2009, Fraud has since worked on each of his releases and become a fixture in the New York underground hip hop scene. He was credited on Montana's 2012 single, "Shot Caller", which became one of the most added tracks on urban contemporary radio during 2011–2012.
Honest is the second studio album by American rapper Future. It was released on April 22, 2014, through A1 Recordings and Freebandz, and distributed by Epic Records. The album features guest appearances from Pharrell, Pusha T, Casino, Wiz Khalifa, Kanye West, Drake, Young Scooter, André 3000, and Lil Wayne. It was supported by five singles: "Karate Chop", "Honest", "Shit", "Move That Dope", and "I Won", along with the promotional single, "Real and True".
Brandon George Dickinson, better known by his stage name Lil Bibby, is an American rapper and record executive. Beginning his career in 2011, Bibby released his debut mixtape, Free Crack in 2013. The project was followed by Free Crack 2 (2014) and Free Crack 3 (2015) before he signed with Dr. Luke's Kemosabe Records, an imprint of RCA Records. However, he released no studio albums under the label. He then shifted focus onto expanding his record label—Grade A Productions—in 2017, through which he has signed commercially successful acts including fellow Chicago native, rapper and singer Juice Wrld, as well as Australian rapper and singer the Kid Laroi.
Bang 3 is the second studio album by American rapper Chief Keef. The LP is a double album, serving as the third installment of Chief Keef's Bang trilogy. It was leaked online on August 1, 2015. Soon after the album was released officially on iTunes on August 3, 2015, through the label FilmOn Music. The second part of the album was released on September 18, 2015, as well as the double disc being available for purchase in stores. The album features guest appearances from ASAP Rocky, Mac Miller, Lil B and Jenn Em.
Dimitri Leslie Roger, known professionally as Rich the Kid, is an American rapper and songwriter. After a number of independent mixtapes, he signed with Interscope Records in 2017 to release his debut studio album, The World Is Yours (2018). Supported by the singles "New Freezer" and "Plug Walk", the album peaked at number two on the Billboard 200. His second and third studio albums, The World Is Yours 2 (2019) and Boss Man (2020) peaked at numbers four and 24 on the chart, respectively. He has also released the collaborative mixtapes Nobody Safe (2020) with YoungBoy Never Broke Again, and Trust Fund Babies (2021) with Lil Wayne. Furthermore, he founded the record label Rich Forever Music in 2016, through which he has signed rappers Famous Dex and Jay Critch.
Durk Devontay Banks, known professionally as Lil Durk, is an American rapper. Regarded as a preeminent artist in the Chicago-based hip hop subgenre drill music, Banks has been cited as one of its pioneers. He initially garnered local success with the release of his Signed to the Streets mixtape series (2013–2014), which led to him to sign with Def Jam Recordings. The label released his debut studio album, Remember My Name (2015), and its follow-up, Lil Durk 2X (2016), to moderate commercial reception before parting ways with the rapper in 2018.
MMM (Money Making Mitch) is the first mixtape by Puff Daddy & the Family, originally released on November 4, 2015, as a free mixtape on Bad Boy Records and Epic Records. It was later re-released on iTunes as a retail project on December 18, 2015. It served as a lead-up following the announcement of Puff Daddy's ultimately-unreleased fifth studio album, No Way Out 2, which would have been a direct sequel to his first studio album, No Way Out (1997).
MC4 is the twenty-first mixtape by American rapper French Montana. MC4 was originally intended to be released as his second studio album. It was released on November 5, 2016, by Coke Boys Records, Bad Boy Records, Maybach Music Group and Epic Records. However, the album's release was canceled after Target unofficially released the album on CD on its original release date of August 19, 2016, two months before the album was set to release, which was later leaked online in its entirety. Subsequently, the album was heavily bootlegged. It was French Montana's last project released by Maybach Music Group before leaving the label.
"November 18th" is a song by Canadian rapper and singer Drake from his breakout mixtape So Far Gone.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link){{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link)